For many businesses, a photocopier is something that sits quietly in the corner until somebody needs to print, scan or copy a document.
But modern multifunction devices are no longer just copiers. They are connected to the company network, communicate with PCs and cloud services, send email, scan documents, store information and often authenticate individual users.
That means they should increasingly be thought of in the same way as other network-connected technology.
Copier technology has changed
Businesses regularly replace laptops, servers, firewalls and other IT equipment as technology moves forward. Photocopiers can stay in service for much longer, which means it is easy for the security technology inside them to fall behind everything else on the network.
Modern devices have developed considerably.
Current Sharp multifunction printers can include features such as firmware and application whitelisting, BIOS integrity checking, automatic firmware recovery, Trusted Platform Modules, encrypted data storage, user authentication and audit logging. Some current models also support Microsoft Entra ID integration and optional Bitdefender anti-malware protection.
Newer Sharp devices also support technologies such as TLS 1.3 and remote firmware updating, helping manufacturers and support providers keep devices current as security requirements evolve.
Firmware matters more than it used to
Firmware is the software that controls the copier itself.
Just like the operating system on a computer, firmware can be updated to correct problems, improve compatibility and address security issues.
The difference is that businesses tend to think about Windows updates, antivirus and server patches every day, while the firmware inside the photocopier can easily be forgotten.
That matters because printers and multifunction devices are part of the network. Sharp itself describes networked printers and photocopiers as a potential weak point when their security is overlooked.
A well-supported device with current firmware is therefore very different from simply having a machine that still prints reliably.
The machine may still work perfectly
This is where replacement decisions become less obvious.
A ten-year-old copier might still produce excellent pages. Mechanically, there may be absolutely nothing wrong with it.
But print quality is only one part of the question.
It is also worth asking:
- Is current firmware still available for the machine?
- What network security protocols does it support?
- Can access to the device be properly controlled?
- Can stored information be encrypted or securely erased?
- Does it support modern authentication?
- Can unauthorised firmware or applications be prevented from running?
- How does it fit into the security policies used elsewhere in the business?
The answers will vary by model and environment. The point isn’t that every older copier suddenly needs replacing. It is that age and security capability should now be considered alongside page count, running cost and reliability.
Security has become part of the upgrade decision
Traditionally, businesses replaced photocopiers because they became unreliable, expensive to run or too slow.
Those are still perfectly valid reasons.
But security is increasingly another reason to review an ageing fleet.
Recent Sharp generations include controls such as self-recovering firmware, application whitelisting, device authentication and hardware-backed security that simply were not standard considerations when many older office machines were designed.
That doesn’t mean replacing equipment for the sake of having the newest model.
It means making sure a device that may handle contracts, invoices, employee information, customer records and scanned documents still belongs on a modern business network.
When was your copier last reviewed?
If your photocopier has been sitting in the office for years and nobody can remember the last time its firmware, security configuration or network settings were reviewed, it is probably worth taking a look.
Sometimes the answer will simply be an update or configuration change.
Sometimes an older machine is still perfectly suitable.
And sometimes the gap between an ageing device and current technology means replacement starts to make sense for reasons that have very little to do with how well it puts toner on paper.
Phoenix Digital Systems can review your existing print equipment, its age and current capabilities, and help you decide whether it still fits the way your business works today.