Printers and print management systems will continue to adapt over the next 12 months to keep up with hybrid workplaces as organisations cater for employees in a mix of home and office environments. To accommodate all setups, in 2023, vendors will be bringing out more personal use, multi-functional printers and making it easier than ever to get support and technical assistance over to end-users, who will be able to triage incidents and immediately engage with service providers. Our recent research with Canalys revealed that 74% of European partners expect to sell more managed services in the next three years.
Global companies are working hard to incorporate a sustainability pledge. The print industry will be finding new ways to prevent deforestation, such as extending refillable ink and toner tank products into business applications, and directly planting trees in line with pages printed, amongst other initiatives to off stead carbon footprint. More is being done compared to a lot of IT industries.
Going above and beyond
Return to the office is driving demand for higher-end A3 devices and print vendors with improved supplies will be in a position to fulfil old open backlogs, which will contribute towards strong business printer year on year growth during H1 of 2023.
Resellers are offering solutions that go beyond printing, such as imaging and document management, due to evolving user needs, hardware decline, and environmental concerns. End-users want to manage devices, have more predictable supply chains, and better control over pricing. Therefore, it’s going to be critical in 2023 for resellers to provide complete workplace services, not just printers but notebooks, keyboards, smart meeting rooms — without contractual periods or vendor lock-in.
Boost in refillable tank, also known as continuous ink or toner supply, printers
Refillable tank ink and toner products will become widely available next year, after the industry experienced a shortage of components and microchips in 2021. We anticipate a healthy growth in the market as consumers and organisations look to adopt a more sustainable approach to IT.
With SMB resellers facing tighter budget restrictions in the cost-of-living crisis, they will be considering refillable ink and toner tank printers as a long-term cost savings measure in 2023. Even though they cost more to buy, the per-page cost is significantly lower over the lifetime of the device and there are environmental benefits including reduced CO2 emissions and plastic/electronic waste generation.
All return on investment comes in the sale of the printer, rather than the aftermarket for consumables. From one perspective, that makes it easier for active resellers to capture a higher share of the overall profit. The winners are ones that are driving new IT and print hardware sales, rather than supplies specialists benefiting from aftermarket profits.
Article submitted by Janis Kemers, VP Print & Supplies Europe at TD SYNNEX
