Securely transmitting data for printing

A major brokerage company has decided to outsource the printing of its customer statements. Because of extreme privacy and security concerns for their clients' financial information, the company needs to be able to control the print resources and the variable data very closely, while implementing an efficient and cost-effective print outsourcing process.

The company can use AFP Download Plus to create a single print-ready file that includes print data, attributes, and print resources. Because the print-ready file is created by using the same PSF process that would be used to print it locally, they can be sure that all of the required resources are present in the file, and that it can be printed successfully at the outsourcer's location. They can keep their AFP resources secure in their z/OS® system rather than sending duplicate copies to the outsourcer's location. The entire file is encoded on z/OS before being sent to the outsourcer's location, so security is ensured during transmission. Only the intended receiver can open and use the encoded print file.

Here is how this company can use PSF for z/OS features and related products to meet its requirements:

1. The company uses a page definition and line data on z/OS to generate data for customer statements.
2. The application on z/OS submits the print file to the JES spool.
3. JES selects the print job to be transmitted to a print site by the AFP Download Plus feature of PSF.
4. AFP Download Plus gathers all required resources, such as fonts, bar codes, and overlays, and incorporates them into the document. It converts the line data to MO:DCA-P format, then encodes the data and resources by using an internal algorithm.
5. AFP Download Plus transmits the print job from the JES spool across the TCP/IP LAN to InfoPrint Manager for AIX® at a remote site for printing on an InfoPrint 4000 and mailing to the customer.

Figure 6 shows how AFP Download Plus securely transmits data for printing.

Figure 6. Securely transmitting data for printing