With all the innovation in tech, one thing has stayed annoyingly frozen in time: printers
As an MSP, installing and fixing print driver issues is a daily chore. So I’m glad to see Microsoft finally doing something to make printers “just work,” the way they do on a Mac.
The short version: Windows is moving off third-party drivers to standards-based IPP printing (the inbox “Windows Ready Print” driver). Starting July 2026, new printers default to it where supported. By July 1, 2027, third-party driver updates stop except for security fixes.
🌶️ Hot take: I’m skeptical it’ll be smooth. Driverless printing (IPP/Mopria) has been around for over a decade and adoption still drags. I foresee either a big yawn at launch or a messy stretch as users self-install IPP printers without IT. But I’m cautiously optimistic we get there. For MSPs, printer setup that doesn’t need a support ticket can’t come soon enough.