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The Paradigm Shift in Windows Printing (IPP and WPP)

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The Paradigm Shift in Windows Printing | What Windows Protected Print Mode Means for Enterprises and How steadyPRINT Secures the Transition

INTRODUCTION

Printing has been a fundamental function of IT infrastructures for decades. At the same time, the Windows printing stack has evolved historically, becoming complex and problematic from a security perspective. With the introduction of the Modern Print Platform and Windows Protected Print Mode (WPP), Microsoft is initiating a fundamental paradigm shift that will significantly change existing printing concepts. This whitepaper highlights the background, technical implications, and resulting challenges for enterprises—and shows how steadyPRINT supports the transition.

INITIAL SITUATION: THE TRADITIONAL PRINTING MODEL

The traditional Windows printing model is based on manufacturer-specific drivers deeply integrated into the operating system. These drivers often run with elevated privileges and have long been a known security risk. Incidents such as “PrintNightmare” have clearly demonstrated that the print stack is an attractive attack target and has structural weaknesses that can no longer be resolved with isolated fixes.

From Microsoft’s perspective, this approach is no longer up to date. Varying driver quality, complex dependencies, and high susceptibility to errors conflict with modern requirements for security, stability, and maintainability.

MICROSOFT’S NEW APPROACH: MODERN PRINT PLATFORM AND WPP

With the Modern Print Platform, Microsoft aims to fundamentally simplify and secure the printing process. A key component is Windows Protected Print Mode. Instead of manufacturer-specific drivers, Windows will rely on open, standardized protocols such as the Internet Printing Protocol (IPP) in combination with Mopria.

When WPP is activated, Windows consistently removes all traditional printer drivers along with their associated ports. Existing printer configurations become invalid. In this mode, only printers that support IPP and are Mopria-certified can be used. The printing process becomes more isolated and significantly more restricted.

Microsoft plans to establish this approach as the new standard by July 2027 at the latest (status: May 2025 – see Microsoft).

IMPACT ON ENTERPRISE ENVIRONMENTS

For enterprises, this paradigm shift represents a profound change. Activating WPP creates a technical break that directly affects existing printing infrastructures. Older or proprietary V3/V4 printer drivers may no longer be usable. Manufacturer-specific features such as advanced finishing options, special formats, or custom functionalities may only be available to a limited extent—or not at all. Existing printing concepts that rely heavily on driver logic, individual device features, or custom configurations must be reassessed.

Many organizations still operate printer fleets based on legacy drivers. In practice, these systems continue to perform reliably while representing significant prior investments. However, they often do not natively support modern standards such as IPP and are not consistently Mopria-compatible. Replacing these printers solely due to changes in Microsoft’s driver model is therefore, in most cases, neither economically viable nor operationally realistic.

Note: Since January 15, 2026, Microsoft no longer publishes new drivers via Windows Update for Windows 11+ and Windows Server 2025+. Existing drivers can still be distributed if necessary and after appropriate validation.

steadyPRINT: CONTROL IN A STANDARDIZED PRINTING WORLD

In this context, steadyPRINT is not intended as a counter-model to Microsoft’s new printing platform, but as a targeted complement. The shift to WPP, IPP, and Mopria is, in our view, inevitable and logically consistent. Our goal is not to artificially maintain outdated driver models, but to support organizations in implementing this transformation in a structured and controlled way.

steadyPRINT abstracts the printing process from the underlying technology and provides a central control and management layer across modern IPP-based printing scenarios. Even in a more standardized printing world, key requirements remain: control over printer assignments, user and permission models, locations, multi-tenancy, and stable, transparent day-to-day operations.

SUPPORT DURING THE TRANSITION

As a manufacturer of print management solutions, steadyPRINT supports organizations through all phases of this transition. This includes analyzing existing printing environments as well as evaluating deployed devices in terms of their WPP and IPP capabilities. Based on this, we assist in planning viable transition scenarios that take both technical and organizational aspects into account.

The goal is to experience this paradigm shift not as a disruptive forced change, but as a controlled transformation process. steadyPRINT helps integrate new Microsoft standards into existing operating models while maintaining the necessary transparency, manageability, and operational reliability.

steadyPRINT WITH MICROSOFT UNIVERSAL PRINT

Through integration with Microsoft Azure Universal Print, steadyPRINT takes over the direct management of printers and assignments. steadyPRINT performs all necessary operations within Microsoft Azure and Microsoft Intune in the background. Printer objects are then made available on end devices using the latest Microsoft driver technology.

SECUREPRINT: PRINTING WITHOUT PRINTERS

For restrictive environments that aim to avoid printer objects on end devices, steadyPRINT SecurePrint is available. Print jobs can be submitted without a printer and later retrieved at the desired device.

VPD WITH IPP

To replace legacy v3 drivers on print servers, steadyPRINT 11.6 provides support for a fully integrated Microsoft IPP driver with its own Print Support App (PSA), in response to Microsoft’s Modern Print Platform and Windows Protected Print (WPP).

This enables printers using the new IPP drivers to be centrally configured on a print server and distributed to endpoint devices. Print servers can be operated either exclusively with IPP drivers or in a mixed environment with legacy drivers.

This simplifies operations and provides a controlled migration path toward the Modern Print Platform and WPP.

VPD WITH IPP IN HYBRID ENVIRONMENTS

In a hybrid printing environment, where print servers can continue to operate with legacy drivers in the traditional way, steadyPRINT 11.6 can provide printers on the client side as pure IPP printers when required. As with previous VPD versions, installing manufacturer-specific drivers from the print server is not necessary. steadyPRINT VPD can therefore be used in mixed environments on both the client and server side, together with conventional v3 and/or IPP drivers.

IPP WITH HYBRID PRINTER (FORMERLY BRANCHOFFICE)

Version 11.6 now also supports the client-side creation of hybrid printers (formerly BranchOffice) as IPP printers using the generic Microsoft IPP driver. This means direct printing without a print server remains possible — now via IPP.

SERVERLESS PRINTING (COMING SOON)

Serverless printing is the next stage in the evolution of steadyPRINT VPD IPP. Its implementation follows the powerful and user-friendly VPD approach and is already currently under development.

CONCLUSION

Microsoft is fundamentally changing the way printing works in Windows. Moving away from traditional printer drivers in favor of a standardized, driverless model is a logical step toward greater security and stability. For businesses, however, this transition presents significant technical and organizational challenges. Organizations that prepare early can lay the foundation for a smooth transition. steadyPRINT helps businesses actively navigate this change—not by preserving legacy concepts, but by making new standards manageable, controllable, and practical for real-world use. Proven and popular steadyPRINT features such as Print Templates, vName, logical printers, workflows, SecurePrint, and hybrid printers will continue to be available, providing customers with the familiar benefits and convenience of steadyPRINT.

ID: 35641 | Zur deutschen Version

Release Notes steadyPRINT 11.5Release Notes steadyPRINT 11.5.1