Many small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are unaware of their real printing costs and may be wasting large amounts of money accordingly, a new survey has found.

A poll of more than 600 SMBs by leading hardware supplier Dell found that just ten per cent were fully aware of the operational costs of all their printers and only 22 per cent monitored the printing activities of their staff. Furthermore, just 42 per cent of respondents were even able to identify exactly how many printers their company now owns and runs.

Using analysis of its printer management software, Dell has found that many businesses may therefore be spending far too much money on expensive colour and A3 printers that receive only sparing use - and has urged business decision-makers to take a firm look at their company's print policy.

"Our research has revealed that if the printer purchasing decision makers are able to identify the costs of printing infrastructure in their individual organisations, SMBs have huge potential to save money on their printing costs," commented Dion Smith, imaging sales manager for Dell UK and Ireland.

"When considering business print costs, organisations need to take into account the total cost of printing (TCOP) - from the cost of actually buying the hardware, to the paper and ink or toner usage and the cost of associated services," added Mr Smith.

A recent Connect survey found that the two major concerns about outsourcing services like IT support were 'loss of control' (56 per cent) and 'budget over-runs' (43 per cent)