01732 759725 42 VOX POP …continued Paul Kamlesh, Technical Director, Copybox Document Systems: We believe 2026 is shaping up to be another year of change for the print and IT industry, but essentially, it’s still going to be about helping customers work smarter. We’re seeing a clear change in customers’ expectations. Businesses don’t just want printers anymore, they need cost-effective, practical solutions that make their working day easier and more secure. For us at Copybox, that means helping customers look at how information flows through their business, whether that’s a printed document, a digital workflow, or secure cloud storage. The technology keeps evolving, but what really matters is reliability and trust. We think more even dealers will move towards offering managed services that bring print, IT, and telecoms together. Customers like having one point of contact and someone who understands their business, instead of having to juggle multiple suppliers. Sustainability is another big focus. More people are asking questions about energy efficiency, recycling and waste reduction. It’s not just a tick-box issue anymore, it’s a real part of decision-making. Our approach is simple: listen, be flexible, and keep things straightforward. Whether it’s helping a small business reduce costs or a larger one manage their data securely, our aim for 2026 is to stay approachable and adaptable while embracing new technology in a way that makes sense for real people. www.copyboxdocumentsystems.co.uk Shaun Wilkinson, Managing Director, UTAX UK: If there is one thing our industry teaches you, it’s to stay adaptable. Change builds steadily, and that is what we expect to continue in 2026, rather than sudden transformation. The conversation around reduction of print volumes and fleet sizes will carry on, but that is not something to fear. It is a sign that businesses are becoming smarter about what they print and how they work. The real opportunity lies in offering solutions that support a more digital, flexible way of working. We’ll see even more automation in everyday processes next year. AI will play a bigger role in workflow management, both in the software and the devices themselves. Print fleets that can learn, adapt and help staff get things done faster will become the standard. At the same time, businesses are becoming more conscious about cost: not just the price of hardware, but more efficient cost of ownership. This includes reliability, running costs and productivity, focusing on affordable, efficient devices supported by strong software solutions. Generational change will also shape the pace of transformation. As younger professionals who have grown up in a digital world become the major decision-makers, they will bring fresh perspectives on how work should be done. This will also happen gradually as working habits evolve unless another major event accelerates the shift. At UTAX, we will continue to focus on practical, cost-effective technology and the right expertise to help our partners and customers work more efficiently, however their print and document needs evolve in 2026 and beyond. www.utax.co.uk Phil Madders, Managing Director, PAE Business: I can always tell when the end of the year is coming, as an email from Michelle Ryder turns up in my inbox asking for my thoughts and predictions for the next year! My first reaction is to look back at my forecast for 2025. As it goes, it was not too bad. There would be continued consolidation in the channel. That has definitely been the case. Xerox is merging with Lexmark at the OEM level and our partners continue to grow by acquisition, which of course means the channel is shrinking in terms of active organisations. I don’t see any signs of this changing as the increasing pressures from compliance, security, sustainability, employment law and costs, mean a certain heft is required to cope with the day-to-day pressures of running a business. The increasing costs in employment and the difficulty of attracting talent into the channel is going to mean that automation is still a key driving force going into 2026. Businesses must deliver more with less, and the only way to do that is to remove unproductive tasks. The buzz words will be AI, data analytics, transformation, and digitisation. These are not standalone; they are part of the push for more for less or MFL (you heard it first here!). Shaun Wilkinson Paul Kamlesh Phil Madders
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