businessinfomag.uk
magazine
08
agenda
Paper still has role
A survey of 379 businesses in 30 industries
by ThinPrint highlights the continued
importance of printing to businesses. Almost
two thirds (64.9%) said they planned to
continue printing in the future, with under
a third either already paperless (3.2%)
or planning to be paperless in the future
(27.4%). Despite its continued importance,
most respondents do not have a well
thought out strategy for printing: four out
of five consider printing to be an important
cost factor, yet only 16.4% use software to
analyse printing costs; and seven out of 10
respondents use a tablet or smartphone at
work, yet only 21.6% can print using Apple
AirPrint or directly from an iPad/iPhone.
Apple voted ‘coolest’ wearables brand
Apple is considered the ‘coolest brand’ for wearable technology even by Android users, according to
a survey by Juniper Research. Despite the received wisdom that wearable devices need to be more
fashion-oriented, there was a clear preference for tech brands, with over 75% of smartphone users
preferring Apple or Samsung for wearable devices. No fashion or sports brand was supported by
more than 3% of respondents.
Coolest Wearable Brand Ranking – Q3 2015
Four out of five paper-free working projects
achieve payback within 18 months, with
more than one quarter doing so in fewer than
six months, new research by information
management analysts AIIM reveals.
Published to coincide withWorld Paper
Free Day 2015 on November 6, the new study
Paper-Free Progress: measuring outcomes
shows
a widening gap between the proportion of
businesses in which paper use is declining (49%)
and the proportion in which it is going up (20%).
This represents a net differential of 29%,
compared to 23% in 2014 and 3% in 2011.
With more than half (57%) of respondents
saying they are committed to digital
transformation, the differential is likely to
continue to grow.
AIIM president John Mancini said: “Slowly
but surely, organisations are coming round to
the idea that digitising much of the content and
information flowing through their business can
have both financial and operational benefits.We
are never going to eliminate paper completely,
but when it becomes clear that going paper-
free delivers return on investment and can
improve overall productivity, businesses will be
more willing to invest in the technologies that
allow them to go paper-free.”
Today, progress to paper-free working
remains patchy: 35% of respondents say most
of the electronic invoices they receive are
printed; 34% agree that most of the documents
they scan are unchanged from printer to scanner
– so why print in the first place?; and 31%
admit that their desk is ‘piled high’ with paper.
Organisations that have made progress
say they are able to respond more quickly to
customers, achieve better compliance and
increase productivity. Digitisation also facilitates
remote working, with 80% of respondents
agreeing that paper content and processes are an
impediment to remote access and teleworking.
-
measuring-outcomes
Paper digital divide widens as case
for digitisation strengthens
With print volumes declining, is this the future
for printer paper? One of the highlights of the
13th China International Automobile Exhibition,
held in Guangzhou on November 20-29, this
freestanding five-metre bridge is hand-made
entirely of paper. It was created by artist Steve
Messam and paper manufacturer James Cropper
PLC to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the
Range Rover. It took three days to build and
uses 54,390 sheets of Natural Crystal 330gsm
white paper. Despite being made with no glue
or bolts, it was robust enough to support a
2,374 kilogram Range Rover driven by Land
Rover Experience chief instructor Chris Zhou.
Leave your phone at home
WorldSIM has launched the Neuvo Smart
Watch, a cross between a watch and a
phone. Unlike many other smartwatches,
it takes a SIM card so you can leave your
phone at home and still make and receive
calls, send messages and browse the
web. It also features a built in camera, a
micro SD card slot and a pedometer. The
WorldSIM Neuvo Smart Watch comes in
three colours and is available online for
£54.99.
Wearable tech gives
easyJet smart new look
Budget airline easyJet is embracing wearable
technology in new uniforms for cabin crew
and engineers designed in partnership with
fashion tech company CuteCircuit.
Some of the features being trialled on cabin
crew uniforms include LEDs on shoulders and
illuminated hems to provide additional lighting
in an emergency and in-built microphones to
improve communication between the crew,
pilots and passengers.
Engineer uniforms feature built-in video
cameras for remote diagnosis of technical issues
and an air quality sensor and barometer so that
engineers can monitor their work environment.
The airline plans to start trials of wearable
tech uniforms early in 2016.
1. Apple
2. Samsung
3. Google
4. LG
5. Sony
6. Nike
7. Rolex
8. UnderArmour
9. TAG Heuer
10. Ralph Lauren
11. G-Shock
12. Chanel
13. Microsoft
14. Motorola
15. Adidas
16. Omega
17. Breitling
18. Huawei
19. Garmin
20. Pebble
21. Xiaomi
