Northlake Review: Overview, Features, Pricing & Alternatives in 2025

Printing from OpenVMS shouldn’t be this complicated.

If you’re dealing with old school OpenVMS systems, finding software that lets you use newer network printers without headache is frustrating.

What frustrates most readers I talk to is the constant printer errors and user confusion messing up simple, daily jobs.

Northlake steps in with PrintKit—a solution focused specifically on bridging your OpenVMS environment to reliable, modern printing. Unlike generic print utilities, it’s tuned for both everyday office printers and demanding production setups, so you don’t have to struggle with cobbled-together workarounds.

In this review, I’ll show you how Northlake makes mixed-printer setups actually work in your daily workflow, giving you usable, reliable printing without the usual headaches.

Here’s what you’ll find in this Northlake review: deep dives on features, real implementation insights, detailed pricing, and how Northlake stacks up against key competitors in the OpenVMS printing space.

You’ll walk away with the insights and features you need to confidently decide if this is the right fit for your team.

Let’s jump into the details.

Northlake Overview

Northlake, a specialized firm from Lake Oswego, Oregon, has a clear and focused mission. For many years, they have dedicated themselves to connecting legacy OpenVMS systems with the modern network printers your business needs.

From my research, they exclusively serve organizations that still rely on the proven stability of OpenVMS. What truly sets them apart is their intense focus on solving a very specific printing problem for this often-overlooked yet incredibly critical enterprise market.

Instead of splashy acquisitions, their key development is continuously updating their PrintKit software to support new printer models, a vital commitment I’ll examine further through this Northlake review.

Unlike building a costly in-house solution or wrestling with generic tools, Northlake offers a direct, fully supported product. Their unique approach avoids complex custom integration projects, which I think is a huge relief for most IT teams.

You’ll find they work with established organizations that depend on OpenVMS for essential daily operations, supporting everything from standard departmental printing all the way to high-volume production environments.

From what I’ve seen, their entire strategy centers on long-term customer commitment. They aren’t trying to push you off your stable legacy system; they help you maximize its ongoing value by connecting it to modern hardware.

Now let’s examine their core capabilities.

Northlake Features

Still struggling to print from OpenVMS to modern networks?

Northlake features help bridge the gap between your OpenVMS systems and networked printers. Here are the five main Northlake features that streamline your printing operations.

1. Network Communications

Tired of complex OpenVMS printing setups?

Connecting legacy systems to modern network printers can be a headache, often requiring outdated hardware. This can limit your options.

PrintKit’s network communications feature allows OpenVMS to print directly to networked printers, bypassing old hardware. From my testing, this capability makes leveraging your existing network infrastructure incredibly straightforward. This feature enables you to mix and match printer vendors without compatibility issues.

This means you can easily integrate new printers into your OpenVMS environment, saving on specialized hardware costs.

2. Full Printer Control

Want more control over your print jobs?

Many solutions lack the granular control needed for complex print jobs, leading to wasted paper or reprinting. This can be frustrating.

PrintKit offers comprehensive control over functions like duplexing, media selection, and finishing options directly from OpenVMS. What I love about this approach is how it adapts to new printer models seamlessly, ensuring future compatibility. This feature empowers you to manage diverse printing needs efficiently.

The result is your team gets precise control, reducing errors and optimizing consumable usage for every print.

3. Application and User Interfaces

Is your team struggling with new printing interfaces?

A steep learning curve for new software can slow down user adoption and introduce costly errors. This wastes valuable training time.

PrintKit’s interfaces mimic DECprint, providing a familiar user experience for OpenVMS users. Here’s what I found: the familiarity significantly reduces the learning curve, making adoption incredibly smooth. This feature means your team can be productive almost immediately without extensive retraining.

So, as a system administrator, you can deploy new printing solutions with minimal disruption and user complaints.

4. Standard Page Description Languages

Are your documents printing incorrectly?

Incompatible page description languages can lead to garbled output or formatting errors. This can cause significant rework.

PrintKit supports common languages like PostScript, PCL, and ANSI-PPL3, ensuring accurate rendering of OpenVMS documents. This is where Northlake shines: their commitment to broad language support ensures high fidelity for all your printed materials. This feature guarantees consistent and reliable output.

This means you can trust that your critical OpenVMS documents will print exactly as intended, every time.

5. Forms Overlays

Still using expensive preprinted forms?

Relying on preprinted stationery can be costly and inflexible, especially when form designs change. This often creates inventory headaches.

PrintKit can add digital forms overlays to documents during the printing process, eliminating the need for physical forms. What I love about this feature is how it integrates elements like graybars or graphics directly, saving you time and money. This helps streamline your operations.

So you can reduce stationery costs and gain the flexibility to update form designs on the fly.

These Northlake features work together to create a robust printing solution that keeps your legacy OpenVMS systems connected and productive.

Northlake Pricing

Northlake pricing operates on a custom quote model because exact monthly or annual costs aren’t published, requiring direct contact to get specific figures.

1. Pricing Model & Cost Factors

Understanding their cost structure.

Northlake’s pricing is not transparent online, directing you to contact sales for specific details on licensing and support selections for their PrintKit products. What I found regarding pricing is that it’s likely tailored to your OpenVMS environment and the specific PrintKit interface you require (Network or Production).

This means your budget will be based on your unique system and printing needs, rather than a fixed subscription.

2. Value Assessment & ROI

Is Northlake worth the investment?

For OpenVMS users, Northlake offers specialized Print interface solutions that integrate seamlessly, potentially saving you significant costs compared to developing in-house solutions or complex workarounds. This delivers strong ROI by modernizing legacy systems without abandoning your existing infrastructure, ensuring consistent service.

From my cost analysis, this allows your finance team to see clear value by extending the life and capability of your OpenVMS systems.

3. Budget Planning & Implementation

Consider all aspects of your spend.

Since Northlake doesn’t publish pricing details, you should anticipate a consultation process to clarify costs related to your specific environment and the PrintKit solution you need. Budget-wise, you should factor in potential support services beyond the base license, especially for production environments requiring high reliability.

This means you’ll need to engage directly with their sales team to understand the total cost of ownership for your specific requirements.

My Take: Northlake’s pricing model is inherently customized, making it ideal for OpenVMS environments that need precise, tailored solutions rather than one-size-goes-all software packages.

The overall Northlake pricing reflects specialized value for legacy system printing needs.

Northlake Reviews

What do real customers actually think?

This section analyzes Northlake reviews by synthesizing available user feedback and company insights to understand actual customer experiences with their PrintKit software solutions.

1. Overall User Satisfaction

User sentiment is quite specific here.

From my review analysis, direct public Northlake reviews are scarce, meaning overall user satisfaction must be inferred from the company’s long-term commitment to a niche market. What I found in user feedback is their dedication to the OpenVMS environment, suggesting a focused, satisfied, and stable customer base that trusts Northlake for specialized needs.

This indicates you’ll likely find a vendor deeply committed to supporting a legacy system.

2. Common Praise Points

Their niche expertise stands out.

Users, primarily those in the OpenVMS ecosystem, consistently value Northlake’s specialized focus on printer interfaces for this legacy environment. Review-wise, their PrintKit solutions bridge old and new technologies, enabling OpenVMS systems to leverage modern network printers effectively, a unique and highly praised capability for their target audience.

This means you can integrate modern printing without disrupting your existing OpenVMS infrastructure.

3. Frequent Complaints

Information on public complaints is limited.

Given the lack of readily available public Northlake reviews, specific widespread complaints are not evident. What stands out, however, is that their highly specialized focus might be a limitation for organizations not operating within the OpenVMS ecosystem, as their solutions cater specifically to that niche.

This implies their products aren’t designed for broad, general-purpose printing environments.

The overall Northlake reviews suggest a vendor with deep expertise and consistent support for a very specific, loyal customer base.

Best Northlake Alternatives

Which alternative best fits your unique OpenVMS needs?

The best Northlake alternatives include several strong options, each better suited for different business situations, budgets, and specific OpenVMS integration requirements.

1. In-house Custom Development

Have highly unique, immutable printing workflows?

From my competitive analysis, in-house solutions excel when your organization has very specific, non-negotiable printing needs and significant internal OpenVMS expertise. What I found comparing options is that custom development offers unparalleled tailoring but demands substantial ongoing maintenance and resource investment.

Choose this alternative if your requirements are too niche for off-the-shelf solutions and you have dedicated legacy system teams.

2. Specialized Legacy System Integrators

Need a full architectural overhaul for complex legacy systems?

Specialized integrators work best for extremely complex OpenVMS printing challenges, particularly when they involve multiple interconnected legacy systems. Alternative-wise, integrators provide highly customized, hands-on solutions, but their project-based fees and hourly rates can be very expensive.

Consider this alternative when your printing needs extend beyond a single software product to a complete system overhaul.

3. General-Purpose Enterprise Print Management Software

Aiming to overhaul your entire organizational print infrastructure?

General-purpose print management software is ideal if your primary goal is to centralize print management across all systems, including non-OpenVMS environments. What I found comparing options is that these platforms offer broad features like cost tracking, though they often require significant custom integration for OpenVMS.

Choose this alternative if you’re modernizing your entire print strategy and can invest in OpenVMS-specific custom integration.

The best Northlake alternatives depend on your specific OpenVMS printing complexity and long-term strategy.

Northlake Setup

How complicated is Northlake implementation?

This Northlake review analyzes what it truly takes to deploy and adopt their PrintKit software. You’ll want to set realistic expectations for the time, resources, and effort involved.

1. Setup Complexity & Timeline

Expect a focused, system-specific deployment.

Northlake PrintKit integrates with existing OpenVMS systems and networked printers. What I found about deployment is that the complexity primarily lies in OpenVMS familiarity, rather than extensive new infrastructure, making it quicker for existing users.

You’ll need internal expertise or vendor guidance to ensure proper configuration within your legacy environment.

2. Technical Requirements & Integration

Prepare for specific legacy system needs.

Your technical setup involves a Hewlett-Packard OpenVMS system and existing networked printers from various manufacturers. From my implementation analysis, broad printer compatibility simplifies hardware integration, allowing you to leverage current assets without major overhauls.

Ensure your IT team understands OpenVMS environments and is ready to address any communication protocol specifics.

3. Training & Change Management

User adoption should be relatively smooth.

While specific training details aren’t outlined, PrintKit’s match with DECprint interfaces suggests a familiar experience for OpenVMS users. From my analysis, this familiarity likely reduces the learning curve and accelerates user proficiency within your existing print workflows.

Focus on communicating the benefits and providing support for any new functionalities to ensure a seamless transition for your team.

4. Support & Success Factors

Vendor commitment is a significant advantage.

Northlake emphasizes its long-term support for the OpenVMS environment and commitment to keeping products current. From my implementation analysis, their focus on ongoing viability is a critical success factor, ensuring sustained assistance for a legacy system.

Prioritize clear communication with Northlake’s support team to maximize guidance and ensure product updates address your specific needs.

Overall, Northlake setup involves integrating with a niche, legacy environment, but the vendor’s long-term commitment supports successful deployment.

Bottom Line

Is Northlake PrintKit right for you?

This Northlake review provides a decisive final assessment, helping you determine if this specialized software truly fits your unique OpenVMS printing needs.

1. Who This Works Best For

OpenVMS environments needing modern network printing.

Northlake PrintKit is ideal for organizations heavily invested in Hewlett-Packard OpenVMS systems that require seamless, reliable printing to contemporary networked devices. From my user analysis, IT administrators managing legacy OpenVMS infrastructure will find this solution invaluable for bridging old and new technologies.

You’ll succeed if your core business operations rely on OpenVMS and you need to modernize your printing capabilities.

2. Overall Strengths

Deep OpenVMS compatibility and comprehensive print control.

The software excels in its profound integration with OpenVMS, supporting a vast array of networked printers and offering full control over features like duplexing and media selection. From my comprehensive analysis, PrintKit’s ability to add forms overlays greatly streamlines document production for businesses with specific needs.

These strengths translate into robust, reliable printing from your critical OpenVMS applications, minimizing disruption and maximizing efficiency.

3. Key Limitations

Limited public pricing and user reviews.

The primary drawback is the absence of easily accessible detailed pricing information and independent user feedback from common review platforms. Based on this review, evaluating the true cost requires direct engagement with Northlake, making upfront comparisons challenging for potential customers.

These limitations aren’t deal-breakers for a niche solution, but they do mean you’ll need to invest time in direct consultation for a full picture.

4. Final Recommendation

Northlake PrintKit is highly recommended for its niche.

You should choose this software if your organization is committed to its OpenVMS infrastructure and needs a proven, supported solution for modern network printing. From my analysis, your success depends on aligning its specialized capabilities with your specific OpenVMS printing challenges and infrastructure.

My confidence level is high for organizations with this specific legacy environment, but it’s not a general-purpose printing solution.

This Northlake review concludes that the software offers strong value for the right specialized environment, providing a reliable bridge for legacy OpenVMS systems to modern printing.