Google prints securely and sustainably on zero trust infrastructure with PaperCut

Cutting to the chase

Problem

Google Cloud Print deprecation leads to a print solution gap

Solution

Zero trust compliance and native OS support with PaperCut

Outcome

Infrastructure ease-of-use and security/sustainability “win-win”

Founded in 1998, Google is an American multinational technology company, specializing in internet-related services and products. Their IT enterprise covers online advertising, the world’s most used search engine, cloud computing, software, and hardware.

With over 200,000 employees and 3,000 printers worldwide, that’s a lot of printing to manage. After Google Cloud Print was deprecated, Google’s utmost priority for any replacement print solution was compatibility with their zero trust infrastructure, BeyondCorp. Part of Google’s core operations, this zero trust model enables Googlers to work securely without any direct connections to their infrastructure or VPNs.

All of Google’s printing capabilities needed to comply with their BeyondCorp network. The team tasked with finding a solution needed to support these security and infrastructure needs while also aligning with Google’s sustainability endeavors.

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Google chose PaperCut because it’s the best printing solution we could find."

- Ofer Bar-Zakai,

Engineering and Operations Manager, Google

Problem

Google Cloud Print deprecation leads to a print solution gap

After deprecating Google Cloud Print, the global technology giant was in the market for a new print solution.

“We had basically two options on the table at the time,” says Ofer Bar-Zakai, Engineering and Operations Manager at Google. “One was to take over the infrastructure for what used to be Google Cloud Print as a public product and make it internalized only. And then we’d have to maintain whatever that infrastructure meant."

The other option was a wildcard: either build or buy an alternative. Any printing solution needed to support Google’s zero trust infrastructure, BeyondCorp. “Google does not rely on direct connections to our own internal infrastructure and we don’t use VPNs,” says Ofer. “So all the printing capabilities need to comply with that BeyondCorp infrastructure.”

Solution

Zero trust compliance and native OS support with PaperCut

“We needed a product that supported our needs, specifically security and infrastructure,” says Ofer.

“Everything had to support BeyondCorp, including printing from the OS itself. We had to support, at the very least, the three major platforms that we have at Google, which is basically Linux, Mac, and Windows.”

“We wanted, if possible, support from mobile devices as well. We wanted the ability to badge in order to collect your prints. But we also wanted the ability for either direct printing or badge pick-up.“

“When we did proof of concept with PaperCut MF, it literally took a matter of days,” says Ofer. “The solution was up and running on a testing GCP domain that we have with whatever instances we needed. It was easy. It was smooth.”

Outcome

Infrastructure ease-of-use and security/sustainability “win-win”

“There are two key elements that PaperCut brought to the table,” says Ofer. The first outcome was the native OS compatibility with Google’s BeyondCorp solution. The second was the ability for a user to press print in Google’s New York office and collect that same print job in their London office after travel.

PaperCut also met Google’s environmental and data sovereignty requirements. “Sustainability is very important to Google nowadays,” says Ofer. “So the idea that we could literally save paper on printing was appealing to us from the get-go.”

“Funnily enough, it’s not only sustainability,” says Ofer. “If you’re as focused on security as we are, then I think you’ll get what you need from the PaperCut solution.”

“It was kind of a win-win for everyone,” says Ofer. “Everyone likes it. I think it was a great match.”