Print.IT Reseller - issue 47

01732 759725 VOX POP 36 continuing into 2018, the IT sector will need to ensure their business model and teams are equipped for continuous evolution. For those partners that are yet to begin the journey to becoming a services provider, 2018 is the year to start as the clock is ticking. “The economic climate has resulted in more sophisticated buying from decision makers, as they look to reduce costs and maximise value. As this behaviour rolls over into 2018, it may spark the return of ‘cold tech’. This trend first started in the early 2000s, where there was a demand for technology that quickly provides a return on investment (ROI), within the same financial year, delivering immediate savings to the bottom line. “Tailored managed print services are an excellent example of this. They mean a printer fleet can be updated to the latest models with all the latest productivity gains like high speed output with lower click prices vs. transactional purchase. “A string of high-profile cyber security scandals has brought security to the forefront of IT decision makers and business leaders in 2017. With potential security breaches leaving so much at stake, this will remain a high priority for organisations as we move into the new year. Not only will the IT industry look to protect itself, but customers will choose partners and solutions that have business security at their core. Resellers will be expected to detail the levels of security offered by all the product portfolios and, in some cases, warrant them. “For some, AI becoming a genuinely ...continued mainstream feature in businesses seems to be a far-fetched concept. However, we need to redefine what we think of as artificial intelligence. AI is already being utilised by businesses in the form of automated software, which machines learn. We’ve already seen a proliferation of this in customer support and audit environments. As the technology continues to mature and become more sophisticated, more processes will become automated and it is smart investments in this type of AI that can deliver real results for businesses in 2018. “As an industry, we’ll move away from thinking of AI as a sci-fi concept and instead as a tool to help our businesses operate more efficiently and productively.” *The Harvey Nash, KPMG, CIO Survey 2017 www.brother.co.uk Carlo Longhi, Director & General Manager, Indirect Channels UK & Ireland, Xerox “In 2018, we should expect to see a huge surge in demand for apps within the print industry. Channel partners are increasingly recognising apps as the ideal solution to address customers’ pain points and as a means to provide personalised print services, and connection to SMB core business infrastructures. By nature, apps are light, simple and very specific which means they are easy to build – we should expect to see a larger breadth of apps available for the end-user in 2018. “As paper usage continues to slowly decline, there will be an increased appetite to explore new ways to generate revenue. The next year will see vendors really adding value to existing annuity streams outside of the printed page, particularly as the role of the multifunction printer evolves from being a device traditionally tucked into the corner of the office, to becoming the heart of the work environment. It is the new workplace assistant a provider of improved workflows, and connection to many key SMB cloud applications. “The new role of the MFP will cause a fundamental shift in mindset around the functionalities of printing technology outside of ink on paper. More conversations emerge between all profiles of resellers and customers as the MFP value proposition begins to show benefits and becomes a business essential for organisations throughout their digital transformation journeys. “Typically some IT resellers have held back on offering cloud services as customers can be reluctant to make the continued... Carlo Longhi Eddie Ginja