As corporate document confidentiality, increased regulatory compliance and legislative requirements to protect data rise further up the business agenda, Ricoh UK is calling upon companies to develop security policies, processes and solutions around document governance.

Data leaks occurring as a result of ineffective document management are a considerable threat to a company's information infrastructure; rivaling network security breaches as the weakest link in the security chain.

For optimal data security to be achieved, it is essential to create policies to support document workflow and secure print outputs as well as protecting network perimeters.

As one of the few document solutions companies exhibiting at this year's show, Ricoh UK is showcasing recent research as well as unveiling devices and software developed to meet the challenges that businesses face.

Ricoh Research – European Businesses Lack Policies for Document Security
Ricoh has recently commissioned research, revealing that companies across Europe are unintentionally putting their confidential information at risk.

At the heart of the issue is the lack of a centralised document governance strategy.

The research surveyed European business leaders from across multiple business sectors and found less than half (47 per cent) had a strict policy in place to control the printing of commercially sensitive information.

As one would expect, the majority of European business leaders have a strong understanding of the need for document security and almost half of the respondents (49 per cent) are equally concerned about the risks from digital and printed information.

Yet, despite the apparent awareness, it is only a minority of business leaders that are proactively implementing policies to protect their confidential information.

Ricoh document security portfolio:
Ricoh has therefore added further data security products to its overall portfolio. Recent additions, on display at the Infosecurity Europe exhibition this week, include:

- Flex Secure Print Suite (FSPS)
Ricoh launched the Flex Secure Print Suite in February of this year. It is a tool set that combines powerful security and flexible print monitoring; ensuring employees have unprecedented control over the digital distribution and printing of documents.

Ricoh software complements and works in tandem with a company's existing ID card security system to control employee access to print scan copy and fax functions of Ricoh machines.

It also logs and tracks confidential data, preventing sensitive documents from being viewed, copied or sent by unauthorised users.

- GlobalScan NX
Ricoh also announced the launch of GlobalScan NX, a digital scanning and distribution solution, this year.

This solution streamlines workflow and paper trails, helping businesses increase productivity, lower total cost of ownership (TCO) and drive environmental efficiencies.

At the same time, GlobalScan makes scanning fully secure, by protecting the scanned documents, routing them accurately and providing a full audit trail.

Both FSPS and GlobalScan are Ricoh's own solutions, developed in-house so as to optimise integration with MFPs, printers and with each other.

This means that convenience features such as single sign-on are much easier to achieve.

The Future:

Hotspot Printing – Secure public access printing
Ricoh's Hotspot Imbedded Printing technology is currently only available in North America, but will be available to preview at the Infosecurity Europe exhibition this week.

HotSpot printing is a mechanism which allows customers to print their documents directly from a hand-held smartphone device, via email or a website.

This takes away the need to install drivers or other software. Documents will be held, encrypted, on the printer hard disk until released by the user with a unique release code, providing a secure printing solution.

This can offer additional value to your visitors, your customers and your own mobile employees.

Visitors to Ricoh's stand, F85, are welcome to use HotSpot technology to print free of charge at the show.

By installing a Ricoh HotSpot printer on their premises, a company can provide its customers and employees with a valuable service and could generate additional revenue.

Plus, because Hotspot printers are not dedicated to wireless printing, it can also be used as a normal network printer.