4 01732 759725 NEWS NEWS Paper still a risk, warns Officeology Don’t let the risk of digital data breaches blind you to the vulnerabilities of paper-based workflows and processes, warns workplace solutions provider Officeology. Its analysis of ICO data shows that between 2020 and 2025 there were more than 11,000 incidents of paperwork containing sensitive data being lost, stolen or disposed of incorrectly. Of these, almost one in five included employee data such as personal identifiers and health and financial information. In 2025 alone, there were 1,820 paperwork-related data breaches reported to the ICO, 330 of which involved employee data. Based on the size of organisations involved, as many as 28,000 employees could have been affected. CEO Adam Butler warns that while organisations are investing heavily in cyber defences many are leaving document workflows, storage and disposal processes under-protected. He said: “The physical theft, loss or incorrect disposal of paper records remains a significant risk to companies’ data security, including their own employees’ private information. GDPR legislation, the legal framework that aims to protect the privacy and personal data of individuals, is technology-neutral and applies whether data is processed online or offline. It covers any filing system intended to be used in a searchable way.” Butler advises businesses to minimise the risk of paper-based breaches by implementing document management systems that will enable them to streamline workflows and store information in secure, centralised environments. www.officeology.com Power costs trump sovereignty in AI deployment calculations CUDO Compute, a UK-based fullstack AI infrastructure provider, has released new research highlighting a disconnect between the UK’s AI sovereignty ambitions and the practical realities of energy pricing and infrastructure restraints. While almost half (46%) of UK organisations say geopolitical instability is pushing them to keep AI workloads within home markets, with 31% prioritising sovereign or regionally controlled compute even if it comes at a higher cost, 43% say cost and performance considerations still carry more weight than sovereignty in deployment decisions. Indeed, 20% of British firms polled say they have already moved AI workloads out of the UK due to high power costs, with one third saying energy costs are Output to rely on In March, residents in Clapham, south London witnessed a firstof-its-kind demonstration of the reliability and large ink capacity of HP Smart Tank printers when the printer manufacturer created a large billboard poster from 319 A4 sheets printed on-site, in real time. The stunt was one element of a new campaign to raise awareness of HP Smart Tank printers, which come with up to three years’ worth of ink in the box, giving households predictable, low running costs and peace of mind that they will be able to print when the need arises. To reinforce the point, HP enlisted broadcaster Alexander Armstrong to help launch a mobile printing service from a branded Piaggio Ape vehicle outside London’s Farringdon station. Providing members of the public with on-the-spot emergency printing, HP’s Rapid Response Print Squad later moved to high-footfall locations in Manchester and Bristol. In a survey of 2,000 UK adults undertaken as part of the campaign just 20% of respondents said they have access to a printer at home. https://www.hp.com/gb-en/ printers/smart-tank.html IT buyers paying 24% more for ‘peace of mind’ Trust has overtaken cost and specifications as the deciding factor in technology purchases, with IT decision‑makers prepared to pay 24% more for brands they believe won’t let them down, reveals Brother’s Tech Trust Index 2026 report. In its survey of 250 IT decision-makers, 74% said emotional factors such as trust now matter more than rational criteria like cost or product specifications. Nearly as many (72%) said trust in technology vendors is more important today than it was five years ago. On average, buyers are willing to pay a premium of 24% for technology from a vendor they trust, with one in 10 prepared to pay 51–75% more and some even willing to pay double. As part of its research Brother also polled 250 IT resellers, 88% of whom said that trust is often the deciding factor in deals when there’s little to separate products on paper. For IT buyers, trust is a product of better quality products (49%), good customer support (43%), transparent and clear pricing (36%), enhanced cyber security support (32%) and full lifetime product support (29%). Purposeled factors like sustainability carry far less weight. Factors that make it harder for brands to earn trust, cited by IT resellers, include buyer caution caused by economic pressures (55%), negative brand experiences being amplified on social media (51%) and greater competition and choice (47%). Nine out of 10 IT resellers highlighted the important role they play in validating whether a vendor can be trusted. https://www.brother.co.uk/businesssolutions/trust
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