Print Track

This application allows control and account for copying and printing activity Print-Track is one of a suite of software products designed by Advanced Technologies Inc to control and account for copying and printing activity on standalone copiers, networked digital copier-printers, and printers.

Print-Track is a revolutionary new printer control and accounting software product for Windows PCs. Print-Track comes in two versions: Print-Track Plus, and Print-Track Pro.

Both versions of Print-Track work on a single PC, on a small workgroup network, or (preferably) on a domain.

Print-Track comes with three standard components: Print-Track Server, Print-Track Client, and the common (networkable) database. A variation of Print-Track Client, Print-Track Release Stationcan be sub-licensed and used separately, or with a vending station for anonymous and / or secure vending of print jobs.

Print-Track Server need not be mounted on a Win 2000 or 2003 server: it can be mounted on any Admin logged-on PC on the Windows network and it controls and accounts for any printer locally attached to the Print-Track Server PC, including IP printers. Additionally, Print-Track Plus controls and accounts for any printer locally attached to any client PC, including IP printers.

Print-Track Client should be (but does not have to be) mounted on all network PCs that originate monitored print jobs, but it must be mounted on all network PCs that have locally monitored printers.

In "print for pay" or other "secure release" scenarios, Print-Track Release Station should be installed on a designated PC other than the server PC. In workgroup networks, the "fast switching" feature of XP Pro can be used, but be aware that "fast switching" is not supported on a Windows domains.

Note that monitoring of remote printers [printers local to PCs other than the server PC], is supportable only with Print-Track Pro.

While Print-Track works on a small workgroup network, setting up a domain is highly recommended for networks larger than a few PCs, because a domain's Active Directory is well suited for logon authentication, PC netbios identification, and uniform printing security policies.

While Print-Track is designed for Windows networks using Windows print drivers, it will properly control and account for (against Mac and Samba logon and Machine ID) any print jobs originating from Mac Panther or Tiger clients utilizing CUPS PostScript 3 print drivers. In such cases, the Mac clients are not bound to Active Directory but instead print via Samba using our Mac-Trackoption.

Because Print-Track uses TCP/IP communication, it will work between Windows clients and print servers on a Novell network.

Here are some key features of "Print Track":
Print-Track Plus:

Pauses and resumes local and remote printers

Pauses print jobs to account for all important print job characteristics, including document name, originating PC name, logon, destination printer, paper size, color vs. B/W, duplex (Word docs), all docs for certain printers, number of copies and pages, job cost, job size, and date and time submitted (or completed)

Accurately counts Word copies

Automatically groups multiple copies of Excel spreadsheets in parent-child format

Accurately counts Word pages for "Nup" or "Nup of Nup" printing for most printers, and Adobe and Web Nup for many printers.

Parses print jobs at the local PC, not the application server, utilizing Print-Track Client

Allows decimal pricing per print impression to hundredths of a cent, by groups of printers, for color and B/W, for any paper size.

Supports all Windows defined standard paper sizes

Custom paper sizes can be defined and added

Built-in duplex discount factor is available

Printers can be monitored for secure release from a Print-Track Release StationTM, or monitored for immediate printing after accounting and parsing

Secured print jobs are located by an "adjustable minimum length" release password, and can be paid for by coin, bill, proprietary debit card, or one or two billing codes.

Jobs pending queue view can be limited to a single highlighted printer

Jobs can be kept for reprinting in or out of a server session, to avoid paying refunds for misprinted "print for pay" jobs or for job archiving

Jobs pending, jobs completed and jobs kept queues can be column sorted by job characteristic

Queues can be customized to remove unwanted information or to rearrange column order

Queues can be printed fitted to width, or exported to Excel

Jobs can be automatically deleted for spool size, total number of pages, total job cost, parsing errors, non-responding client, creation while unmonitored, and length of time in the jobs pending queue

Detailed reports can be sorted for up to eight variables (printer, originating PC, logon, paper size, billing codes (two possible types), color and duplex)

Numerous custom reports are available, some graphical

Reports support a standard or customized logo header

Reports can generated for individual billing codes, such as one client or one matter

Jobs can be exported as Excel or PDF files

Open accounting (codes can be entered on the fly) and closed accounting (codes must be pre-entered, typed in or drop down selected) are supported

Two types of custom definable billing codes are available

Print-Track Server, Client and Release Station are password protected for both their connected and unconnected states

Print-Track Client and Print-Track Release Station can be automatically booted at Windows startup and new logon

Clients are differentiated by public (anonymous) and private (trusted) status

Client statuses can be set globally and individually

Trusted users at private clients can print to any type of monitored printer, but anonymous users at public clients can print only to secure printers via print release stations, and must pay for their print jobs with money, card value or billing code[s]

If billing codes are not used, private clients can print with review only, or can print to non-secure printers immediately, without any popup dialog (except printing errors)

Print jobs can be (but do not have to be) accepted from PCs with no client reporting

Multiple instances of Print-Track can be conjoined to a single networkable and password protectable Access or SQL Server database to produce comprehensive reports on completed print jobs

Printers of all types of job languages are supported through a constantly updated parameters file (see supported printers list in Download section below)

The online or offline statuses of local or remote printers can be changed at any time

Accumulated value can be specified in a variety of currencies

Print-Track is transparent to Windows; no custom port monitors are installed

Print-Track Pro:

Printers local to a client PC can be monitored (Client-Track)

Print jobs can be immediately released against a value limited account based on logon and/or account code

Accounts can be marked as budgetary (virtual value), or monetary (real value)

New accounts can start with a specific value

Budgetary accounts can be replenished on a regular basis, either as an "overwrite" or as an "add"

Accounts can be set to run negative values

Monetary accounts can be revalued manually or automatically

Reports additionally monitor account usage, remaining value and active status

Accounts can expire after a certain period of non-activity, after a certain date, or after a certain age

Account balance can be determined at the client

The privilege to use only a group of printers can be assigned to an account

One or more accounts can be assigned a pricing discount factor

Print jobs can be redirected to an identical or equivalent printer, or printers, as part of a load balancing scheme

Print-Track Release Station:

No pulse-enable dongle is required, but legacy controllers supported

Jobs are located at the release station by entering a temporary alphanumeric release password of definable minimum length, or another non-secure field (for orphaned jobs)

Orphaned and other print jobs can also be searched by logon and Machine ID

Private clients jobs print without payment

Public client jobs require payment

Public client payment can be made with coin, bill, proprietary debit card value, account value, or billing code(s)

Vending controller can vend both copies and prints when connected to a multifunctional copier / printer

Vending controller with card readers can be constrained to vend prints by card only for all print jobs, above a certain value, while allowing vending of copies by coin, bill or card

Vending controller "escrows last bill inserted" to save change

Vending controller copy vending by card can be discounted relative to copy vending by coin or bill

Reprinting of any printed job can be performed by a user or Administrator at the release station


Requirements:

PC on Intel or AMD processors (speeds greater than 500 MHz)

Memory is recommended to be a healthy 512 MB or greater.

.NET Framework 2.0


Limitations:

30-day trial

1 server

3 printers