Preparing Enterprises for Windows Protected Print

Microsoft is fundamentally changing how printing works in Windows. With the rollout of Windows Protected Print (WPP), Microsoft is phasing out the traditional print driver model in favor of a more secure, IPP-based printing architecture. While the goal is improved security and standardization, the reality for enterprises is far more complicated.

The transition to WPP will not be clean, fast, or uniform. For organizations managing mixed printer fleets across brands, models, and operating systems, the risk starts now, not when WPP becomes mandatory.

What Windows Protected Print changes

Windows Protected Print replaces OEM-specific print drivers with an industry-standard, IPP-based print path. Instead of relying on device-specific drivers, the Windows modern print stack handles printing through standardized print support applications (PSAs).

Microsoft’s intent is clear: reduce attack surfaces, eliminate outdated drivers, and centralize control.

However, real enterprise environments rarely align neatly with platform intentions.

Why the WPP transition creates immediate risk

Even though full enforcement of WPP is still ahead, organizations are already feeling the impact.

All newly released print devices will require PSAs, and Microsoft will no longer approve traditional print drivers. As organizations add new devices, they immediately create mixed environments where some printers support WPP while others rely on legacy printing methods.

At the same time, many older devices will likely never receive PSA updates. OEMs struggle to keep pace with current models, let alone the thousands of devices IT teams have already deployed in the field. When WPP becomes mandatory, enterprises may operate fleets that function inconsistently, lose features, and increase support overhead.

These realities create fear, uncertainty, and doubt for IT teams:

Which devices will still work?
Which features will disappear?
How can IT manage printing across brands, generations, and operating systems during the transition?

Why a Toshiba solution exists and why it matters now

To address this shift, Toshiba offers a unified print management solution powered by Elevate Sky® Print Management technology. Rather than introducing another driver, Toshiba delivers a centralized print application that simplifies print management across all printer brands and major operating systems while bridging the gap between today’s environments and the WPP future.

Driver deployment represents only one capability within the broader solution, but in the context of Windows Protected Print, it plays a critical role.

Toshiba’s solution addresses several challenges at once.

IT administrators can deploy a single, comprehensive print solution across end-user devices, eliminating traditional printer deployment headaches. The platform supports all major printer manufacturers and models without sacrificing advanced finishing, secure printing, or accounting.

Through identity provider integration with platforms like Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, the solution automatically assigns users to the right printers at the right time without manual intervention.

By removing print servers from the environment, organizations reduce costs, save time, and eliminate one of the most common security weak points in enterprise printing.

Built-in visibility and control allow IT teams to analyze usage patterns, identify heavy users and devices, manage costs, and implement meaningful savings.

How Toshiba bridges the old world and the WPP future

Windows Protected Print works very differently from traditional printing. It uses IPP-based, direct-to-device communication instead of the legacy socket-based model that print drivers relied on.

Toshiba’s solution supports both approaches.

This distinction matters because the solution bridges the gap between:

New devices with PSA support ready for WPP
Legacy devices that may never receive PSA updates

Regardless of manufacturer, model, operating system, or WPP readiness, Toshiba enables devices to operate as intended within a single, unified print environment. As organizations adopt WPP, the solution continues to function as the integration layer that Windows Protected Print interacts with, maintaining continuity, compatibility, and consistent behavior across the entire fleet.

Why waiting is the riskiest option

Many organizations assume they can wait and see how WPP unfolds. In reality, delaying action guarantees a more painful transition.

Mixed environments are unavoidable. Legacy devices will not disappear overnight. OEM support will remain uneven. Without a unifying print platform, IT teams must react to change instead of controlling it.

Organizations that implement the Toshiba solution today improve printing immediately while future-proofing their environment for WPP enforcement. They remove complexity now and prevent disruption later.

The go-to solution for a unified print environment

Windows printing is changing whether enterprises are ready or not. The real question is not whether WPP will impact your environment, but how prepared you will be when it does.

Toshiba’s unified print management solution helps organizations manage both new and legacy devices, simplify print operations, and confidently navigate the shift to Windows Protected Print.

The storm is coming, and Toshiba helps you stay in control.