01732 759725 44 and committed to implementing AI with a customer-centric approach that complements our trusted devices and services. IRISXtract already introduces AI capabilities to Canon’s portfolio, by enabling businesses to automatically classify and process documents. Equipped with OCR technology, customers are able to streamline their document management process, which is a key pillar of our channel offering. Greig Millar: Many businesses are embracing AI and it’s important that we’re working with partners to understand how customers are using it and how we can best adapt to meet their approach. One area where AI could become more prominent in is MPS. AI has the ability to help us analyse the way customers print in a deeper way and enable us to respond quicker to their needs, helping to boost customer satisfaction. For example, AI can register a change in print behaviour and pre-empt a service call, dispatching an engineer to replace a part before it breaks down. Alternatively, AI can analyse device usage and suggest more cost-efficient models that will maximise the ROI for users, if required. These may only be relatively minor improvements, but they are all things that will help resellers to strengthen their relationships with customers. LeAnne Foley: Yes! AI is fast becoming a vital part of many businesses, and we are harnessing its potential in several key areas. One significant advancement is in our device management tool, ECC (eBRIDGE CloudConnect). With AI integration, printing patterns and behaviours are learnt, enabling better adoption of ‘just in time toner’ solutions and reducing downtime, which improves efficiency and a great customer experience. Martin Fairman: AI is indeed a crucial element of our strategy at Kyocera. We have integrated AI into various aspects of our product offerings to boost output quality. For example, our SRA3 MFP range features AI-driven enhancements like super resolution for images, which improves the quality of low resolution print data, along with a handwriting tool that enhances or removes handwritten notes. environmental phases of the product design, manufacturing, distribution, use and end-of-life of our products. Lexmark is continuing to improve the accuracy and transparency of our LCAs by working with an external consultant to include all possible phases of the printer life cycle and ensure our electronics are counted and scaled accordingly. PITR: AI is without a doubt becoming more mainstream. Almost half (46%) of respondents to Quocirca’s survey said AI already plays a critical or very important role in their business. Are you harnessing or planning to harness AI in your business and if so, in what areas? Andy Muskett: Xerox uses AI in many areas in our product portfolio and our support infrastructures. For example, we use artificial intelligence, using critical data insights across the millions of devices worldwide to improve fix rates and information available to technical responders and engineers, allowing us to take the best way forward to solve client issues. Alongside this, we use augmented reality to help the customer solve some problems themselves before a technician is dispatched. The new Xerox Altalink B/C82XX series embraces the latest advances in AI technologies, learning from regular user interactions and suggesting single‑touch shortcuts that can streamline the processes for the end‑user. This generation of devices also included some of our most common productivity apps, including the Note Converter App, Redaction App and Summarise App - Summarise uses AI to review the content of a document and break it into a shortened version that contains the key points, which can be read in minutes instead of hours. Stuart Miller: The integration of AI into key business functions is an exciting opportunity as it opens the door to new capabilities and efficiencies. AI will no doubt have a transformative impact on the printing industry. At Canon, we’re actively engaged in this conversation full life of the printer rather than just based on product energy. We provide customised reports to channel partners upon request. Lexmark has reduced energy consumption in sleep mode by 98% in some models since 2006. Based on the LCA, paper is the largest environmental impact associated with printing so, in addition to returning hardware and consumables at end of life, we also focus on solutions that save paper and help our partners and customers print efficiently and optimise their print environments. Lexmark conducted LCAs on 100 of its printer and MFP models by the end of 2023 and is committed to performing LCAs on future product models. LCAs technically evaluate the VOX POP continued... The integration of AI into key business functions is an exciting opportunity as it opens the door to new capabilities and efficiencies Paul Leach
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