Universal Print ready printers are here!

by Contributed | Jun 18, 2021 | Technology

This article is contributed. See the original author and article here.

Universal Print is a modern print solution that organizations can use to manage their print infrastructure through cloud services from Microsoft. When deployed with Universal Print ready printers, it doesn’t require any on-premises infrastructure.

For those organizations considering the switch to Universal Print, there are several choices for existing and new hardware thanks to our many partners that have been hard at work developing updated firmware and new products that support Universal Print natively.

Updated firmware makes it possible for customers to keep using existing hardware and register printer directly with the Universal Print service. Where it makes sense, you have a choice of new printing hardware that is Universal Print ready and takes advantage of the latest printing technology.

We have compiled a list of partners and printers to help you decide the best options for your organization when you make the switch to Universal Print. The list is constantly growing so keep an eye on our blogs and partner page to see the latest lists or chat directly with your printer supplier of choice to learn about their plans for Universal Print.

Printers

Printers with Universal Print ready firmware built into the device help users more easily set up Universal Print in their organizations and leverage the full capabilities of their devices on the cloud platform.

Brother continues to support the the hybrid workforce, adding additional printing devices to the list of Universal Print ready devices. devices provide the flexibility and scalability to address diverse workplace needs, supporting Universal Print customers in their journey to the digital workplace.

Canon is the first manufacturer to releases Universal Print ready printers, and has an extensive set of printers available today. Canon releases models with native support for Universal Print at a consistent pace and more are expected throughout this year. Keep an eye on their listing for existing and new models on their lists.

HP will soon release their new ‘HP for Universal Print’ Workpath app, that delivers integration with Universal Print on all printing devices that support Workpath. The HP for Universal Print Workpath app modernizes the print experience to give users simple, driverless printing. Their target release date is summer 2021.

Konica Minolta MFPs integrate with the Microsoft 365 environment, so companies can reduce print-related costs and experience an improved printing experience and increased productivity. See the Konica Minolta list of Universal Print ready printers here.

Kyocera is expected to release their first set of Universal Print ready printers by late summer and more in early fall 2021.

Lexmark is one of the first printer manufacturers to integrate their firmware with Universal Print. The company’s portfolio includes reliable multi-function printers and printers, many of them support Universal Print natively. These enable the printing experience that users demand with File -> Print expectations. See the list of Universal Print ready printers here.

Ricoh is actively developing the Smart Operation Panel application for native integration with Universal Print. Keep an eye on their listing for the latest releases.

Toshiba has recently published their list of integrated printers certified to work with Universal Print. Native Universal Print support on these devices will be available soon.

Xerox will be releasing firmware updates to add Universal Print support to select models, including the AltaLink 8100 Series of MFP devices, in Fall 2021 with additional models becoming available at a future date.

Learn more

For more information about Universal Print partner solutions and updates visit our page at Universal Print partner page.

[Amplifying Black Voices] Finding My Voice at Microsoft

by Contributed | Jun 18, 2021 | Technology

This article is contributed. See the original author and article here.

This blog was written by Product Marketing Manager, Microsoft Teams, Christina Gonsalves as part of the Amplifying Black Voices blog series. Christina shares her experience of navigating her first year at Microsoft as a Black woman, during a global pandemic and social uprising. 

My first year at Microsoft was a complete struggle.

Despite having just completed two years of business school and growing my confidence there, I was suffering from an intense imposter syndrome, was lost in trying to figure out where I fit in in this huge company, and with how to get things done across what we know can be a very complicated ecosystem of stakeholders.

When I was in the office, it was easy to see I wasn’t alone. The mirror in the women’s bathroom in Building 3 was absolutely covered in post-it notes with words of encouragement: words like “You deserve to be here”, “You’re killing it!”, “You got this!” and:

Once we were hurled into the confusion of the pandemic, it started to feel like I was more alone. Black lives were being violently taken and needed to be enthusiastically protected, I lived across the country from my closest loved ones, and while I was blessed to be on a team with three (!!) Black women, when I looked across the company and even across my broader org, I just wasn’t finding the representation that I wanted to see.

During the summer months of 2020, I worked during the day and marched at night. I cried in between meetings, I looked for solace in ERGs (shoutout to Blacklight for holding meetings daily throughout the worst of times!), and I somehow felt my voice continue to slip. I felt empowered and heard in Capitol Hill, but when I was in meetings, I felt shaky and unsure, and like I wasn’t providing value.

Everything changed after I decided to take some time off of work. I moved back to New Jersey to quarantine with my family, and I spent time re-establishing strict self-care routines that included daily meditation, diving deeper into my spirituality (I practice Buddhism ), long walks with my dog, and sharing meals with loved ones.

Now that I am in my second year – I finally feel like I know what I’m doing! I can ask the right questions in meetings, spin up decks that create clarity, drive strategy forward, and effectively communicate with stakeholders of all types of backgrounds. I have also learned that taking care of myself is always more important than the work – as Michelle Obama said, “We need to do a better job of putting ourselves higher on our own to-do list”.

 To anyone currently struggling with finding their voice, I have the following advice:

1. Take your time to be intentional
   
   It is so easy to feel like you have to rush into a decision, or like you don’t want to take up too much of somebody’s time by bringing up something that’s on your mind. When everyone’s calendars are full of meetings, and you usually only have 30 minutes to accomplish a lengthy agenda, there tends to be things that you end up pushing down.
   
   I have found so much peace and fulfillment in really seizing each moment – a moment of confusion where I needed to ask a clarifying question, or a moment when someone took an action that was super impactful that I really appreciated and giving them a few words of kindness, or even a moment where I feel something was unkind or unjust and felt like I had to give tough feedback. Each of those moments add up to so much more – and it feels great to just be mindful and communicative off the bat!

2. Surround yourself with people who encourage you
   
   Especially in the past year, when we all got pretty disconnected from each other physically, I think we have all learned that it is so important to have meaningful human connections. It’s important in life obviously, but it’s also so important at work!
   
   Put the time in to find people who you know will be in your corner and will encourage you after a tough meeting or before a big presentation – and learn about your teammates and lean on them as sources of not only work, but of support.

3. You have to include “life” in work-life balance
   
   In my periods of most voicelessness, I also felt like I wasn’t using my voice outside of work. When I started leading Buddhist meetings and becoming active with organizations where I could volunteer – like Black Girls Code – and using my voice in places where I knew I could speak well and passionately, I started seeing my voice become stronger at work.
   
   It helps your work to feel powerful and connected in your life!
   
   


4. Remember that nobody has all of the answers – and likely other people have the same questions as you!
   
   It is so easy – especially as someone from a non-technical background – to feel like everyone in the room is smarter than you. It’s not true – don’t fall into that trap! Even if you are struggling with a concept, I can guarantee you that someone has struggled with it before, and there is actually a ton of value for everyone in understanding the basics enough to be able to explain it to someone who is confused.

I’m so excited to continue this journey and see what personal revolutions I have in the next set of years. Until next time!

✌?

Christina

Update your applications with the Microsoft Authentication Library and Microsoft Graph

by Contributed | Jun 18, 2021 | Technology

This article is contributed. See the original author and article here.

Howdy folks,

In 2020, we made a recommendation to developers to use the Microsoft Authentication Library (MSAL) and the Microsoft Graph API when developing applications.  Since then, we’ve continued to add capabilities to both MSAL and Microsoft Graph, including improvements in performance, security, and reliability. We’ve also added hundreds of new APIs, including Continuous Access Evaluation-enabled APIs and Conditional Access authentication context to Microsoft Graph. These are now available for developers using MSAL and allow them to build Zero Trust-ready applications.

Since we’re ending support for Active Directory Auth Library (ADAL) and Azure Active Directory Graph on June 30^, 2022, this is a reminder to update your apps to use MSAL and Microsoft Graph. We’ve also made it easier for you to find all the apps that are still using ADAL.

Find the apps still using ADAL and Azure AD Graph

The Azure AD monitoring workbook can help you find applications that use ADAL. This uses a set of queries that collect and visualize information available in Azure AD sign-in logs. You can also use the sign-in logs directly using the sign-in logs schema here.

To access the workbook:

1. Sign into the Azure portal


2. Navigate to Azure Active Directory > Monitoring > Workbooks


3. In the Usage section, open the Sign-ins workbook

The Sign-ins workbook has a new table at the bottom of the page that shows you which recently used apps are using ADAL. You can also export a list of these apps.

Once you’ve identified the apps that are using ADAL, you can use the MSAL migration guide. To find apps that use Azure AD Graph, search your code for the string “graph.windows.net” and then use the Microsoft Graph migration guide.

Send your questions, open issues, and feature requests through Microsoft Q&A by using the tag azure-ad-adal-deprecation or azure-ad-graph-deprecation.

As always, we’d love to hear your feedback or suggestions. Let us know what you think in the comments below or on the Azure AD feedback forum.

Best regards, 

Alex Simons (Twitter: @Alex_A_Simons)

Corporate Vice President of Program Management

Microsoft Identity Division

Learn more about Microsoft identity:

• Return to the Azure Active Directory Identity blog home


• Join the conversation on Twitter and LinkedIn


• Share product suggestions on the Azure Feedback Forum