PRINT.IT
25
The cloud will
dominate
Big data and big insights:
Big data is growing exponentially,
but the key challenge for 2014
will be getting the big insights.
Business intelligence is the
number one priority for CIOs.
Extracting usable information
from data will become key.
Specialists offering hosting,
analysis and insight under one
roof will emerge, taking the
headache of big data away from
CIOs and CMOs.
The cloud gets bigger:
The cloud will dominate the
landscape and horizon, and
on-premise IT solutions will
continue to decline. CMOs will
become more influential in the
short-listing of technology as IT
goes off-premise. Demand for
‘location independent’ products
and services will continue to
grow as a result.
BYOD gives way to COPE:
The concept of ‘bring your own
device’ is well established in
large businesses and enterprises,
and device independence
will continue to gather pace.
Hardware provision in enterprises
is shifting from BYOD to COPE
(Corporately Owned, Personally
Enabled) due to security and
data issues. The requirement
for mobile device management
(MDM) will continue to grow.
Print Evolves:
Latest
estimates indicate a single
digit decline in the print market
over the next five years with
big swings towards services-
based printing (BPS/MPS) and
portable and mobile printing.
Transactional print will continue
to be dominated by the major
players, with priority being put on
programmes that capture end-
to-end consumables and brand
loyalty with partners.
3D printing grabs headlines,
not consumers:
3D printing
is still in the early stages of
its lifecycle. There’s a high
degree of technical capability
needed in current application
software, so consumerisation
of the technology in terms of
mainstream penetration is
some way off. In 2014, vertical
markets and specialised bureaus
will emerge as the technology
goes through the growth curve
– currently at around 60% CAGR
in units.
Roam is the new home:
The
traditional 9-5 work pattern no
longer exists for most people.
Now it’s all about agile, flexible,
mobile working. Print is changing
to meet the requirements of
roaming workers.
Workflow:
Technology
solutions will be focused on how
workflow can be improved and
digitised. Document production,
distribution and management
will rise up the list of strategic
priorities. Business Process
Management (BPM) is high up
the agenda of organisations
looking to do more with less on
their productivity drive.
Collaboration:
The disruptive
nature of the commercial
landscape will drive demand
for collaboration platforms and
mobile conferencing solutions
that enable fast, face-to-face
communication.
Consolidation:
The
print market will see further
consolidation at multiple levels.
Large vendors will continue
to acquire niche services and
solutions businesses that
embellish their primary offers
and assist in the development of
new market sectors. Distributors
and resellers will continue to
consolidate as margin pressure
builds amongst those with
hardware-heavy business
models that lack positive margin
contribution from services
propositions.
Inkjet to benefit from
changes in how we
print
There is definitely a noticeable
upward trend in the economy,
and a positive feel to many
sectors. But, it’s also a
changed market, with a
different way of thinking.
Companies and organisations
still have to keep an eye on
reducing costs, more so now
than ever.
Hand-in-hand with economic
growth is a need to acquire
new equipment to fulfil new
contracts, but the days of large
capital investments are gone
and people are looking for
alternatives. They are looking
to add more colour to their
printing and, due to budgetary
pressures, they have to be
focused on a solution that is
cost-effective.
Because we offer that
alternative and because we offer
the ability to print in colour at
high speed and low cost, we are
seeing more and more people
reassess how they print. That’s
why we at Riso have recorded a
20% increase in turnover. We’re
very positive about the state of
the printing industry and the
part that inkjet is playing in its
future.
Green shoots revive
interest in green
business
We are finishing 2013 in a
very positive frame of mind:
after what seems to be many
years of doom and gloom, this
new-found optimism is very
welcome. A number of trends
that have been gathering
momentum really took hold in
2013. Chief among these was
the issue of carbon reduction
and energy efficiency – it would
seem that the green shoots
of recovery have rekindled
thoughts of green business.
With businesses of all sizes
paying greater attention to their
corporate social responsibilities
(CSR), 2013 saw the launch
of our e-STUDIO 306LP/RD30
MFP, which utilises the most
advanced erasable toner
technology ever brought to
market. This complements
initiatives such as our Carbon
Zero scheme, which ensures
that any CO2 produced during
manufacturing and supply
processes is entirely offset.
I believe 2014 will be the year
of intelligence. Businesses are
starting to pay more attention to
their information input channels
and demand more from the
content they have access to.
This information and advanced
intelligence can then be used to
enhance customer satisfaction
which will benefit all parties.
Finally, security will continue
to be high on the agenda.
For those operating in areas
with high levels of sensitive
information, high profile
cases of lost and stolen data
have brought the issue of
security into sharp focus. We
have addressed this issue by
introducing elements such as
Self Encrypting Drive (SED)
technology, but there’s still much
to do in terms of educating end
users about the importance of
having a ‘whole life’ approach to
security.
Continued...
Phil Jones,
managing
director,
Brother UK
Jeremy Spencer,
marketing
director,
Toshiba TEC UK
Imaging Systems
Tatsuo Murakami,
Managing Director,
Riso
