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Andrew Hall,
Marketing Manager,
OKI
Systems (UK)
:
“Maintaining access
to print in office space. Transition away
from PCs to mobile/tablet/cloud forms of
working can reduce access to printers.
Connectivity with ever newer forms of
applications is key to ensure those that
need to print can still do so. The need
remains but the technology needs to
enable it.
“Market maturity, many players with
low growth means vendors need to work
hard to maintain or gain market share at
the expense of others. Differentiating in a
crowded, mature marketplace.”
Shaun Wilkinson,
Managing Director,
UTAX (UK)
:
“Both the way we work and
the office environment continue to evolve
and, without doubt, keeping up with that
rate of change is the greatest challenge
facing the print sector. How do we remain
relevant in a world of digitalisation,
connectivity, multi-user document
collaboration and automation?
“Documents – paper essentially
– continue to be at the heart of every
organisation, but we all need to think
about so much more than the printed
output. Document capture through
scanning, cloud storage, access via
any device at any time, and efficient
workflows that enhance productivity, are
just a few examples of how MFPs and
specialist software are being used to boost
businesses.
“MFPs are growing increasingly
sophisticated and our challenge is to
demonstrate how they can be an integral
part of today’s working world. Cultural
change is happening now, not tomorrow,
so we need to keep up and embrace that
change.”
Mark Ash,
Head of Print and Director
Business Enterprise Team,
Samsung
:
“The biggest challenge that our clients face
is ensuring that they are not left behind as
their customers’ needs and expectations
change.
“In particular, increased mobility is now
a key factor in the modern workplace, with
employees requiring access to business
critical information anywhere and at
any time. This ‘always on’ culture is the
direction businesses are heading in. And,
with millennials set to account for half
of the UK’s workforce by 2020, they’ll
increasingly be the ones that are driving
this digital agenda forward as they strive
for the same experience at work as they
receive as consumers. It means that the
connected workplace is here to stay, and
will become a key factor in both hiring and
retaining top talent, who are looking for
that work/life balance.”
Dan Wogan,
Product Manager for
Managed Print and Solutions,
Epson
UK
:
“The biggest challenge facing the
print industry is encouraging businesses
to adopt more environmentally friendly
approaches. The paperless office is
failing to materialise because the written
word, on paper, is still a very powerful
communication tool. However, switching
from energy-consuming laser printer
fleets to inkjet models, has a very strong
environmental impact and bring benefits
including increased speed and reliability.
For example, if UK business switched to
inkjet printers, it would save enough power
to run at least 60,000 households.
“Epson is committed to persuading
SMEs to ‘make the switch’, which is why
we’re investing 50 million euros into
inkjet production facilities. It’s not just
about the printers themselves, though; the
industry must also adapt to new trends
in purchasing. It’s becoming common for
customers to rent IT equipment rather than
purchasing an item with a one-off fee. At
Epson, we’ve introduced a managed print
service called Print 365. This allows SMEs
to manage the costs of an inkjet printer
over a longer period, entering into what
resembles a mobile phone contract. The
deal provides added value for resellers,
as it allows them to build longer, ongoing
relationships with customers and provide
more flexibility. We’re confident about
overcoming these challenges and ushering
in a new era of affordable, greener, and
speedier inkjet printing.”
This month’s panel of print experts discuss the challenges and
opportunities in the sector today
Challenges and
opportunities
PITR:
In your opinion, what is currently the biggest challenge within the
print industry?
Continued...
The biggest
challenge
that our
clients face is
ensuring that
they are not
left behind
Shaun Wilkinson,
Managing Director,
UTAX (UK)
Dan Wogan,
Product Manager
for Managed Print
and Solutions,
Epson UK
