24
01732 759725
Samsung appeared to be the only
exhibitor at Apps World, XLR8 at
Excel London, talking about print
solutions, and certainly the only
representative of the major printer
OEMs with a stand there. That may
say something about Samsung’s
different approach to linking print
and workplace solutions, which
reflects their heritage in mobile
technology.
That is not to say that other printer
OEMs are not developing apps to manage
workplace solutions, but the fact that none
of them chose to exhibit at Apps World
may hint at their view of apps as add-ons
to their hardware, rather the key element
in their proposition to customers, which is
how Samsung sees Apps – with the added
advantage that theirs are based on the
Android mobile platform.
Print volumes as a whole are going
down, and that is squeezing revenue and
margins for both printer OEMs and their
channel partners. How to replace those lost
print revenues is a hot topic of discussion
and there is a lot of attention focusing on
workflow solutions and apps. A central
element in this thinking has been how
to redefine and broaden the role of the
office MFP, to leverage not only its printing
and scanning functionalities, but also its
processing power and connectivity, to
make it into a hub for communications and
workflow management.
HP has long talked about the MFP as
the on-ramp for office documents, and
has built on this idea to develop a range
of workflow solutions targeting vertical
market segments. This year has seen major
announcements from Konica Minolta, with
their new concept of the Workplace Hub
and Xerox, with its launch of new product
families with Connect Key technology to
facilitate workflow management, and the
development of apps to support this.
Big changes
To succeed in capturing a bigger share of
workflows and associated revenues, the
print industry needs to take account of
some of the big changes taking place in the
office and the way people work. First among
these is the growing importance of mobility.
More and more people spread their work
among multiple locations, including home
and while they are travelling. To do this,
they need technology that works equally
well wherever they are, including the ability
to share information and print documents
while they are on the move.
Linked to this is the growing
requirement to use the same devices and
technology for personal as well as work
purposes. This applies to smartphones and
tablets, but also extends to other devices
and functionalities, including printers –
and will broaden to include many more
types of devices as the Internet of Things
becomes a reality.
Demand for customisation
The growing demand for the flexibility
for workers to adapt and personalise
their own devices and technologies for
work purposes as well as their personal
communications, is driving the next big
change in the way we work. The obvious
and most common way of customising
devices is through the development and
installation of apps.
For this to succeed will require apps
that can readily be adapted to work across
multiple platforms and tailored to meet
individual users’ needs. It will no longer
suffice to produce standard apps that work
on only one type of device or operating
system.
This goes to the heart of the
Samsung proposition
for the connected
workplace.
As the world
leader in mobile
technology,
it is perhaps
uniquely well
placed to
spearhead
a massive
expansion
in apps-led
development and
customisation of
workflows, which
is exactly what
Steven Swift, co-founder of IDeAs, a European network of independent document
advisors shares his thoughts on how apps are redefining the role of the office MFP
Smart printing for the
connected workplace
it is proposing with its new Smart Services
initiative, built on the Smart UX Center.
Samsung says that using its vast
experience in this area and allowing
developers to use familiar tools such as
Android will cut the average development
time for a Smart UX Centre app to 30
days, compared to nine months for a
typical embedded printer app using current
industry standards.
At Apps World Samsung was able to
show some impressive apps and workflow
solutions that are already being used by
customers. These include: Remote Call – a
solution for service technicians working in
the field, with integrated communications
linking phone and online support, to
help them deliver same day service to
customers, and MobiSystems Office Suite
– providing one app to view and edit
documents, working across Android/Dex
and Smart UX.
There are also plans to take Smart
UX to the next level, beyond traditional
printing, with innovative solutions
including: Self-serve automated shipping
system, linking weighing scales, barcode
scanner and NFC/card reader, and Self-
point health solution, linking medical
scales, smart watch and blood pressure
measurements.
The big question
The big question now is how this will
translate into the HP world, when the
acquisition of Samsung’s print business
is completed. It appears to fit very well
with HP’s own strategy of developing
more sophisticated services and solutions.
However, will HP be able to integrate and
manage this initiative with its organisation
and technology, and in particular with its
channel?
CONNECTED WORKPLACE
Print volumes
as a whole
are going
down, and
that is
squeezing
revenue and
margins for
both printer
OEMs and
their channel
partners
Steven Swift,
Co-founder,
IDeAs
