PRINTITRESELLER.UK 39 reducing paper and adopting digital workflows for sustainability reasons, 52% are using ink and toner recycling programmes and 51% have sustainable print policies in place. 36% of organisations report that they use refurbished print hardware and 31% say they use remanufactured hardware, an increase from 27% and 26% respectively in 2024. However, concerns remain. The leading blocker to more remanufactured or refurbished device deployment is concerns about device guarantees, followed by worries about hidden costs such as increased breakdowns, downtime or servicing needs. Respondents are also concerned about value for money. consumables and device longevity, remain key selection factors and worries about greenwashing have risen for the second consecutive year, now occupying joint second place, alongside a lack of data on the environmental impact of printers/MFPs. The research also found that paper reduction and digital workflow adoption are the most common sustainability measures. 53% of organisations are now The study found that 77% of organisations now have a companywide sustainability practice in place, up from 68% in 2024, and 82% are accelerating their sustainability plans in the coming year. The majority (69%) of IT decisionmakers surveyed said that sustainability will be extremely important to their company’s business performance by 2026, and 49% say that their sustainability goals strongly influence their choice of print supplier. Building or improving corporate reputation is now among the top three reasons for pursuing sustainability initiatives, up from ninth position in 2024. Energy efficiency, sustainable Quocirca’s Sustainability Trends Report 2025 finds that companies are accelerating their sustainability plans as they seek to achieve operational efficiencies, meet industry standards, and build their corporate reputation Sustainability plans are accelerating RESEARCH Defining the future of the print industry Quocirca is introducing a new leadership vendor landscape for the complete print industry ecosystem covering OEMs/manufacturers and ISVs. The ACT (Automation and AI, Cloud, and Transformative Ecosystems) framework will serve as a strategic blueprint to help print vendors and channel partners remain relevant within customers’ broader IT environments Quocirca’s research continues to highlight the need for the industry to transition from transactional hardware sales to subscriptionbased, consultative offerings that deliver measurable business outcomes. However, while a significant portion of the industry recognises the urgent need to evolve beyond selling hardware, many are struggling to navigate the complexities of that transformation. According to the analyst firm’s Industry Transformation Study 2025, 36% of industry executives believe the transition from a product-centric approach to a services-led model, along with expanding software and digital service offerings, remain top challenges to the print industry. IT-centric customer relationships While print remains relevant in today’s digitalfirst world, MPS has rapidly been commoditised and resellers are faced with the risk that IT service providers can easily step in to bundle print into existing services. By 2030, 38% of industry executives expect the deepest relationships regarding print infrastructure to be with IT service providers. To avoid being relegated to a peripheral role within the IT estate and to remain integral to customers’ information flows and management, print providers must develop and market new service models and value added offerings. These will need to be underpinned by robust security capable of countering emerging threats from both AI and quantum computing. OEMs and ISVs must work together Quocirca says that subscription models will need to deliver capabilities that align with customers’ digital transformation goals and encompass enhanced print management services, as well as print-adjacent services such as advanced AI-enhanced information capture, data extraction and intelligent management, collaboration services, and workflow automation. Quocirca CEO Louella Fernandes warns that the print industry cannot sell the products and services of tomorrow through the channels of yesterday. To expand their capabilities and meet these new demands, she says that OEMs and ISVs must work together to deliver the comprehensive solutions customers now require. The ACT framework The future of print depends on collaborative ecosystems in which OEMs, ISVs and channel partners work together to drive innovation, moving beyond their traditional models. This collaborative approach allows each player to leverage its unique strengths, from hardware engineering to software expertise, to deliver the comprehensive solutions customers now require. The ACT framework crystallises what the industry must do to survive and thrive - automate and apply AI to extract business value from documents, embrace cloud to deliver scalable subscription services, and build transformative ecosystems that unite hardware, software and services. Building this ecosystem is essential for delivering demonstrable business value and for positioning the vendor as a strategic technology and services partner rather than a mere hardware supplier. www.quocirca.com
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDUxNDM=