Print.IT Reseller
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36
Year in review
review
...continued
Upskill to meet new
opportunities
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.
Services as a Service
More and more services are being
introduced to the market. For the channel to
truly exploit this opportunity, skills around
pre-sales consulting, deployment and
support need to be developed. Those that
have already taken the leap are accruing the
benefits of customer intimacy and trusted
advisor status, by aligning more closely with
strategic direction and ‘baking in’ customer
dependency on their solutions.
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. This will require a
greater spread of contacts in organisations
Jeremy Spencer,
marketing director,
Toshiba TEC UK Imaging Systems
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.
Latest
estimates
indicate a
single digit
decline in the
print market
over the next
five years...
and further democratisation of decision-
making. 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. This signals a great
opportunity for the channel to upskill and
bring new conversations to their customers
beyond cost of ownership, speeds and
feeds. 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 will evolve. In 2014, vertical
markets and specialised bureaus will emerge
as the technology goes through the growth
curve – currently at around 60% CAGR in
units. It is estimated that the sector will be
worth in excess of
€
2.5bn by 2017.
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 as a result. Resellers need to tap
into this growing trend and ensure they
have the skills, knowledge and products
to address the requirements of roaming
workers. ‘Roam’ is the new working
capital for agile businesses evolving their
cultures and working practices.
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. New
conversations may emerge in the channel
as resellers identify skill gaps and
commercial deficiencies, leading to more
vertical outsourcing amongst players
in non-competing markets, verticals or
sectors.
Consolidation
The 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.
Phil Jones,
managing director,
Brother UK
