Pharos Uniprint

Pharos Uniprint is an on-premises print-management platform for colleges and universities. It is best suited to institutions that need campus-wide controls for secure printing, quotas and departmental cost recovery. Its campus billing and reporting tools are strong, but its mobile-app and deployment constraints narrow its fit.

Overview

Uniprint is designed to work with existing infrastructure and multi-vendor printer fleets, making it a fit for institutions managing printing across varied campus devices. Its focus is not simply routing jobs: it combines authentication at release with policies and billing tools intended to help schools control and recover printing costs.

The trade-off is an on-premises deployment, which makes it a less natural choice for institutions seeking a cloud-only print-management service. Its mobile app also has specific software and certificate prerequisites, while app sign-in does not support the SSO options available in Print Center.

Key features

Uniprint holds jobs until users authenticate, with end-to-end encryption and Zero Trust security principles supporting the release process. Pharos says the platform is ISO 27001-certified. Those controls are relevant on campuses where shared printers make it important to prevent unattended jobs from being collected by the wrong person.

For cost recovery, administrators can set print quotas and policy rules, assign departmental chargebacks, connect payment gateways and billing systems, and review detailed usage reports. Supported billing integrations include Aramark, Blackboard TIA and Blackboard SaaS, GMC, CBORD Odyssey, CBORD CS Gold, and NuVision. That is useful for institutions using those systems; schools with different billing arrangements should verify compatibility before committing.

Students and faculty can submit jobs by email or from web-enabled devices, including off-campus and mobile devices, then manage jobs and balances in Pharos Print Center. ChromeOS has full printing support, broadening its reach beyond conventional desktop platforms. Pharos also describes Print Center administration as browser-based and offers school-theme customization, giving administrators a way to tailor the student-facing interface without changing the underlying print controls.

Pharos Insights adds on-demand, cloud-based analytics about the device fleet and printing trends. That gives administrators a separate view for identifying usage patterns alongside Uniprint's detailed reporting. The mobile app requires Uniprint 9.0 R2 Update 1 or later, MobilePrint 2.1 or later, Print Center 2.4 or later, and a certificate-authority-signed security certificate. Campuses that cannot meet those prerequisites should not assume the app is ready to deploy.

Print Center SSO supports CAS and Shibboleth, but that SSO does not extend to the Pharos Android or iOS apps or Pharos Station Print Center Mode. Institutions that expect one consistent sign-in experience across those access points will need to account for that gap.

Pricing

Pharos Uniprint: custom pricing for the on-premises print-management platform for colleges and universities. It includes print quotas, policy rules, mobile printing, and detailed reporting. There is no published seat or quota allowance to compare, so institutions should assess the quote against their fleet and expected usage. Uniprint is a paid product, not a free plan, and no trial terms are stated.

Platforms

Uniprint supports Windows, macOS, ChromeOS, iOS, Android, and web access, as well as Linux and self-hosted deployment. That range suits mixed campus environments, while the on-premises model means the institution must plan around its own infrastructure. Mobile app use depends on the stated software versions and signed certificate; mobile SSO is not supported.

Who it's for

Uniprint is strongest for colleges and universities that need secure print release, quotas, departmental chargebacks, and campus billing integrations across a multi-vendor fleet. Its reporting and Pharos Insights can also suit administrators who need visibility into both printing activity and fleet trends. It is less suitable for organizations seeking a cloud-only deployment or a mobile app experience with the same SSO support as Print Center.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Authentication before release and end-to-end encryption support controlled handling of campus print jobs.
• Pros: Quotas, policy rules, chargebacks, payment gateways, and detailed reporting give institutions several ways to manage and recover print costs.
• Pros: Multi-vendor fleet support and full ChromeOS printing support accommodate varied campus hardware and devices.
• Cons: On-premises deployment makes it a poor fit for institutions seeking a cloud-only platform.
• Cons: Mobile app use requires specific product versions and a signed certificate, adding prerequisites to rollout.
• Cons: CAS and Shibboleth SSO do not apply to the Android or iOS apps or Pharos Station Print Center Mode.

Alternatives

Compare print management software if you want to weigh campus print controls against other approaches.

ezeep is worth considering for a smaller deployment that can use its free plan, which covers up to 10 users and one connector with unlimited user print jobs, plus 50 API pages per month per organization.

PrinterLogic is another paid alternative, with listed monthly usage-based plans for print-queue ranges such as 50–99 and 25–49 queues.

YSoft SAFEQ Platform is another paid print-management option with a modular plan.

MyQ X may suit readers seeking a freemium option; it offers a free plan and a paid Enterprise plan.

PaperCut MF is another paid option, with custom licensing based on devices running embedded MF software and a free trial.

Printix may suit institutions looking for a per-user cloud service: its Starter plan is $2.09 a month per user, billed monthly by credit card, for 15 to 50 users, with the first month free.

Microsoft Universal Print offers an academic volume add-on at $7.50 a month for 500 print jobs, billed monthly with an annual commitment, for users with verified academic eligibility.

Tungsten Power PDF is another paid option.

Verdict

Choose Pharos Uniprint if your college or university needs secure release, campus cost controls, and billing integrations across an existing multi-vendor fleet. Its strongest case is the combination of quotas, chargebacks, payment support, and reporting. Look elsewhere if you need cloud-only deployment or expect mobile apps to share Print Center's SSO support.