Let’s face it – despite the fact that tablets and smartphones now allow us to access our information on the go, the need to print isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Mobility, combined with cloud computing, has helped facilitate the development and expansion of the mobile workforce. And this evolution has actually created more opportunities for printing, driving the need to print business materials anywhere, anytime.

The convenience of accessing business documents when we’re out of the office only drives the need to print them. According to a recent Quocirca survey of 125 companies, 75 percent of respondents said printing still plays an important role in supporting business activities, and 55 percent said their employees would like to be able to print from their mobile devices as if they were using their desktop computers.

Currently, users aren’t printing from their mobile devices not because they don’t want to, but because they can’t. A 2011 survey by InfoTrends found that 48 percent of people who didn’t print from their mobile devices didn’t have access to a mobile-enabled printer, and another 32 percent cited the lack of support from their mobile devices. Only 29 percent cited having no need to print remotely. According to Xerox, only one in five mobile workers is actually able to print from their mobile devices.

Although mobile printing is still an underutilized business function, as the technology grows and becomes less fragmented, more and more organizations will provide employees with the capability to simply and securely print from their mobile devices. This newfound flexibility will benefit companies in numerous ways, including:

• Printing on demand from mobile devices promotes user mobility, enabling people to securely connect with the workplace from almost anywhere
• Mobile printing increases productivity, empowering employees to perform at their highest level, even when not in the office
• This freedom allows remote employees to be prepared for every presentation, every time

Even in this digital age, printed documents are a necessity for most businesses. Mobile printing not only allows for more flexibility when workers are away from their desks, but it also creates new business opportunities as the technology grows and evolves.