01732 759725 40 VOX POP continued... continued... demonstrate our compliance. Demand for remanufactured hardware will also become more prominent next year. Our remanufacturing operations save approximately 5,300 tonnes of CO2 every year, and we report back to customers how much carbon they’re saving by returning supplies to us for remanufacturing. These insights are increasingly valuable to businesses that want to showcase to their clients and customers the measures they’re taking to reduce their environmental impact. Evolving office estates, security legislation and sustainability will all drive demand for contractual printing. Managed print services are growing in popularity, and this will remain true in 2024. MPS better enables IT managers to monitor a decentralised network of devices remotely, while automatically replenishing consumables by dispatching them directly to the printer’s location to boost efficiency and reduce downtime. Devices connected to the cloud are also far better protected compared to when hooked up to a home broadband connection, minimising the risk of hackers accessing entire company networks. And finally, businesses can return their used toners to us for free as part of their MPS contract. Customers are catching on to these benefits. It’s why we launched our new MPS proposition featuring three distinct packages – Essential, Professional and Enterprise – tailored for businesses of all sizes, improving resellers’ ability to meet the rising demand for MPS. www.brother.co.uk Richard King, Channel Partner Manager (UK & Nordics), iTS: More than ever, we are witnessing the paper world at the gateway to the digital world with not only a conscious shift towards digitisation but more importantly automation being the key component. Moving forward we expect to see this digital shift increase in pace, especially with advances in AI technology leading the way. With IT managers looking to move away from high maintenance onpremise infrastructures we are seeing a requirement to supply user friendly, bespoke, automated digital processes with all MFD contracts. Coupling together multiple solutions will no longer be an IT Manager’s project but rather an expectation from the growing hybrid workforce who wish these to be delivered via a subscription cloud service. Intelligently, securely and efficiently digitising and moving documents between business units will be the norm as we continue to move away from paper workflows to digital automation. www.its-group.com Liz Budd, Head of Marketing, First Copy: In 2024, sustainability, automation, and artificial intelligence will all play significant roles in shaping the future of our industry. Sustainability comes before security when talking to many customers today. At First Copy, we anticipate the growing importance of ESG goals and reporting to continue into next year and beyond. It’s been said many times that managed services support environmental goals. However, we’ll need to go further than that in 2024 and think about the supply chain and the footprint of data centres powering all our tech, for example. It’s those indirect Scope 3 emissions that we’ll be looking to manage, not just the more direct ones that are simpler to measure. We’ll need the support of our OEMs to do this. Automation is another major trend that will continue to transform our offerings. We already supply software and services, of course, but we’ll need to be light on our feet to deal with developments that are sure to come thick and fast next year. And that comes hand-in-hand with AI technologies. It’s interesting to reflect that in last year’s predictions, very few people anticipated the explosion in generative AI that we’ve seen this year. Almost overnight, generative AI has become a tool many of us use daily, and there are so many ways in which it might be used to improve efficiency and service. Xerox is beginning to use CareAR to revolutionise servicing, but I foresee far more teams using proactive approaches to maintenance powered by AI in 2024. In addition, we’ll see customers using it for more complex and personalised printing and omnichannel campaigns. There will be an impact on security, too – and that will be an interesting space to watch. Flexibility will be key next year, with workplaces wanting to add devices as necessary and keep things agile. For us, too, there will be changes in our processes and marketing strategy as the marketplace evolves – from a greater emphasis on video in communications It’s been said many times that managed services support environmental goals. However, we’ll need to go further than that in 2024 and think about the supply chain and the footprint of data centres powering all our tech Terry Caulfield Richard King Liz Budd
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