The future of printing is here, and it’s more secure, reliable, and universal than ever before. Microsoft’s transition to Windows Protected Print Mode (WPP) by 2027 represents the culmination of over a decade of work by the Mopria Alliance to establish driverless printing as the industry standard. What started with Android’s Default Print Service has now evolved into a comprehensive, cross-platform solution that will transform enterprise printing for the better.
WPP addresses critical security vulnerabilities, eliminating the risks that currently account for 9% of all Windows security issues, while simplifying IT management and ensuring consistent printing experiences across any device architecture. The transition to Internet Printing Protocol (IPP) and the modern print stack isn’t just about security; it’s about future-proofing organizations for cloud-first, hybrid work environments.
With over 120 million Mopria certified printers already deployed worldwide and growing support from leading enterprise print management solutions, the ecosystem is ready. The question isn’t whether to transition, but how to do it strategically and efficiently.
To help organizations maximize this opportunity, we’ve assembled insights from Mopria Alliance member companies that are actively supporting customers through successful WPP implementations. Their expertise covers everything from streamlined assessment techniques to advanced feature preservation and enterprise-scale deployment strategies.
The Opportunity: Why WPP is Worth the Investment
Before diving into implementation strategies, let’s recognize what WPP enables. Organizations implementing WPP report significant benefits: reduced security vulnerabilities, simplified driver management, consistent cross-architecture compatibility, and improved print infrastructure reliability. The modern print stack eliminates the complexity of managing thousands of different driver versions while providing a foundation for next-generation printing capabilities.
Early adopters have found that with proper planning, the majority of enterprise printing workflows transition smoothly to WPP. The key is leveraging the expertise and solutions that Mopria Alliance members have developed to streamline the process.
Member Expert Panel: Key Considerations for Your WPP Success Strategy
1. Advanced Feature Enhancement and Modern Workflow Design
The Opportunity: Leverage Print Support Apps and modern print management to enhance capabilities beyond traditional driver limitations.
“As organizations prepare for the 2027 Modern Print Transition, Windows Protected Print (WPP) unlocks a new era of advanced feature enhancement and modern workflow design. Moving beyond traditional print drivers, WPP enables a streamlined, secure, and cloud-ready print architecture.
This shift creates a powerful opportunity to leverage Print Support Apps and modern print management solutions to deliver capabilities once limited by legacy drivers – such as intelligent job routing, enhanced finishing controls, analytics, and seamless user experiences.
By adopting modern workflows now, organizations can reduce complexity, improve security, and innovate faster, transforming print from a legacy dependency into a flexible, future-ready service.”
-Dilinur Wushour, President at Kyocera Document Solutions Development America, Inc.
2. Security Enhancement and Compliance Optimization
The Opportunity: Implement WPP as part of comprehensive security modernization and compliance improvement initiatives.
“Windows Print Platform (WPP) redefines enterprise printing by embedding modern security and compliance capabilities into the print stack. Unlike traditional drivers, WPP enables centralized, policy-driven controls that enforce encryption, authentication, and role-based access—critical for zero-trust architectures. Organizations can now implement advanced security policies, such as conditional access and device attestation, that were previously impossible with legacy print solutions.
Compliance is streamlined through enhanced audit trails and real-time monitoring. WPP integrates with modern security frameworks, providing detailed logs for every print job, improving visibility for audits and regulatory reporting. This reduces administrative overhead by eliminating fragmented driver management and simplifying patching through a unified platform.
By leveraging WPP, businesses gain zero-trust printing, robust compliance alignment, and operational efficiency—all while reducing risk and complexity. It’s a strategic step toward secure, compliant, and future-ready print environments.”
-Eric McCann, Manager, Technology Portfolio Architect at Lexmark, A Subsidiary of Xerox Corporation
3. Performance Optimization and User Experience Enhancement
The Opportunity: Optimize WPP environments for superior performance and user satisfaction compared to legacy driver-based systems.
“Modern printing standards like the Internet Printing Protocol (IPP) bring printing fully into alignment with the way today’s networks, performance frameworks, and security models already operate across the internet. Built on proven web technologies, IPP benefits from mature authentication, encryption, scalability, and manageability used throughout modern networked applications. By leveraging IPP consistently across platforms and ecosystems, the print industry can reduce fragmentation and complexity, allowing innovation to focus on user outcomes rather than low-level network mechanics. This shared foundation enables more intuitive, engaging, and reliable print experiences, making printing feel like a natural extension of modern digital workflows instead of a legacy exception.”
-Michael St. Laurent, Print Software and Consumer Services Chief Architect at HP
The Strategic Advantage
The transition to WPP represents more than just a security update; it’s an opportunity to modernize print infrastructure, reduce IT overhead, and prepare for the future of work. Organizations that embrace this transition strategically will benefit from enhanced security, simplified management, and improved user experiences while positioning themselves for continued innovation.
The Mopria Alliance ecosystem provides comprehensive support for this transition, from certified hardware to advanced software solutions to expert implementation guidance. With proper planning and the right partners, WPP implementation becomes a showcase of IT excellence rather than a compliance requirement.
Additional Resources:
- Windows Protected Print Mode: A Secure and Future-Proof Printing Solution
- The Future Is Driverless: Why Driverless Printing Is The Next Leap Forward
- Mopria Certified Products for Enterprise
Join the conversation about modern printing strategies on LinkedIn and Facebook, or learn more about joining the Mopria Alliance.
