PRINT.IT
3
ISSN 2055-3099 (Print) ISSN 2055-3102 (Online)
THE PRINT & DOCUMENT WORKFLOW MAGAZINE
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PrintIT
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ISSN 2055-3099 (Print) ISSN 2055-3102 (Online)
05
Bulletin
MPS satisfaction levels plummet
10
Managed Print
What to look out for in MPS contracts
12
Direct Mail
The enduring appeal of printed communications
14
Front Cover
Greener printing with EFI
17
Q&A
PrintIT
talks to Eric Crump about the new version of FollowMe
20
MPS
Brother’s MPS solutions suit both large and small businesses
22
Workflow
How to succeed at business process transformation
24
What’s New
New printer products and initiatives
26
Interview
Cartridge World sets its sights on B2B sales
28
Printers
What HP sees in Samsung
32
Digitisation
PrintIT
reports from Fujitsu’s Intelligent Capture Conference
34
Scanners
New scanners from Kodak Alaris, Canon and others
35
Paper
Why designers still love to work with paper
AUTUMN 2016
Comment
Editor:
James Goulding
07803 087228 •
Advertising Director:
Ethan White
01732 759725 •
Publishing Director:
Neil Trim
01732 759725 •
Group Sales Manager:
Martin Jenner-Hall
07824 552116 •
Social Media and Web Editor:
John Peters
07711 204011
•
Art Director:
NIck Pledge
07767 615983
•
Editorial Assistant:
Tayla Ansell
01962 843434
•
Advertising Sales Executive:
James Trim
01732 759725
•
PRINT.IT
is published by Kingswood Media Ltd., Amherst House,
22 London Road, Sevenoaks TN13 2BT
•
Tel: 01732 759725
No part of
PRINT.IT
can be reproduced without prior written permission
of the publisher.
© 2016 Kingswood Media Ltd.
Production Design: Sandtiger Media ·
The paper used in this magazine is obtained from manufacturers who operate
within internationally recognized standards and which is sourced from
sustainable, properly managed forestation.
COMMENT
The news that HP is to buy Samsung’s print business for $1.05
billion came as quite a surprise, not least because Samsung has
always made a point of declaring how important print is to its
future plans. Perhaps it made this point so strongly because, to
the outsider, printers and MFPs sit uneasily with Samsung’s more
celebrated areas of expertise such as semiconductors, displays
and, of course, smartphones.
For at least 15 years, Samsung has been all about convergence
of technologies and with its Android-based SmartUX platform it has
attempted to bring printers into the smartphone eco-system. At its
European Partner Summit at the beginning of June, it presented a
number of scenarios in which smartphones and MFPs combined to
streamline workflows. In fact, these examples mainly proved just
how redundant printers have become for many processes.
That said, there remains a significant requirement for print and
a quick and easy way to transition between digital and hard copy
formats, which Samsung MFPs deliver. And there is no doubt that
Samsung’s platform and app-based SmartUX Center have enormous
potential to transform many document/information processes.
Samsung engineers are already benefiting from servicing
apps and, with the launch of the Dynamic Workflow app, which
makes it easy to design complete one-touch workflows involving
multiple functions and a combination of apps, end user customers
have much to gain too. Over the coming months, Samsung and
independent third party developers will be launching many more
apps.
The Samsung Smart UX Center might be the outward sign of
Samsung innovation, but its engineers have also been making
important changes to MFP design to simplify installation and
servicing, and this might have been an attraction for HP as it seeks
to increase its appeal among traditional copier dealers. Samsung’s
growing range of A3 MFPs is another inducement for a company
that in the past has relied on Konica Minolta and Sharp to round
out its business portfolio. Some commentators have suggested that
the acquisition will also give HP a stronger foothold in Far Eastern
markets.
A lot of uncertainty still surrounds HP’s acquisition, but at first
glance it looks like a good move for HP and a divestment that
Samsung will move on from as it seeks out faster growing and
more profitable markets. Samsung always had ambitious targets for
its printer business, the latest being to become the Number One
printer vendor by 2020. It won’t achieve that now.
James Goulding
,
Editor
