01732 759725 42 VOX POP …continued James O’Connor, Sales Director, WBM Ltd: Looking ahead to 2026, the print and IT sectors are continuing to converge rapidly and sustainability will remain at the centre of it all. Over the past couple of years, we’ve seen a major change. The introduction of the Simpler Recycling laws in 2025, combined with tighter WEEE and waste export regulations, means every dealer now needs a legitimate recycling solution. Landfill and exporting waste simply aren’t options anymore. The good news is that progress is being made. Manufacturers are designing products for reuse and easier material recovery. They are taking more responsibility for their products’ endof-life downstream, and that’s changing everything in the industry. WBM is proud to be at the forefront of this. We operate UK collection, reuse and recovery programmes directly for OEMs including Canon, Konica Minolta, Kyocera, Ricoh, Sharp and more, as well as the multi-brand Circular Planet initiative, which includes Brother, Domino, Fujifilm, HP, Lexmark, OKI, Printronix, Toshiba and Xerox. These services provide end-users with a simple, convenient and genuine recycling solution for their used printer consumables. We’re also supporting distributors and dealers across the UK, from the biggest names offering white-label services under their own brands, to smaller resellers using our proven solutions to compete effectively. Even though political and economic uncertainty continues, sustainability continues to be a non-negotiable priority. Customers expect it, and legislation demands it. The coming year will be about refinement by improving systems, increasing reuse, and making recycling a seamless part of everyday operations. At WBM, we’ll continue driving innovation through partnerships with OEMs and aftermarket leaders, in 2026, ensuring that every consumable we handle is either reused or turned back into raw material. That’s genuine sustainability not greenwashing. www.wbmlimited.co.uk Rowan Jeffreys-Hoar, Director of Partner Channel, Ricoh UK: The trends that have shaped 2025 will intensify in 2026, with three forces continuing to dominate centre stage: security, AI, and sustainability - all underpinned by resilience. Earlier this year, Ricoh’s Digital Maturity Survey revealed a stark reality: over half of UK businesses aren’t adequately prepared for cybersecurity threats. With attack sophistication escalating rapidly, 2026 will see security embedded into every technology decision as a fundamental requirement. Business leaders will cut through the AI noise to focus on tangible outcomes: streamlined document processing, automated workflows, and intelligent systems that transform paper into actionable data. At Ricoh, our Smart Integration (RSI) platform exemplifies this shift, a serverless, cloud-native solution that extends functionality without costly infrastructure overhauls. Environmental, social, and governance considerations will evolve from compliance checkboxes to genuine business drivers. Expect heightened focus on smart power usage, waste reduction, and circular economy practices. Companies demonstrating measurable sustainability impact will win customer trust and market share. I expect to see a rise in print-as-aservice models, driven in part by changing hardware volumes and partner consolidation. These integrated subscriptions will bundle hardware, consumables, analytics, and services. This shift represents survival strategy and opportunity alike. 2026 will reward organisations that view these trends not as isolated initiatives but as interconnected imperatives. Security protects AI investments. AI enables sustainability monitoring. Sustainable practices reduce costs that fund innovation. The winners will be those who build resilience across all three domains simultaneously. www.ricoh.co.uk Stuart Miller, Director, Partner Channel, Canon UK & Ireland: 2026 will be a year of evolution for the channel, as print and IT partners continue to redefine their value through services, software and smarter integration. The focus will shift from product sales to partnership, helping customers navigate a complex landscape of security, sustainability and AI-driven transformation Security will remain a key focus. Partners will need to prioritise secure information management and compliance-ready workflows. AI will play an increasing role here, helping to predict and prevent potential breaches through smarter monitoring, authentication and data protection tools. Sustainability will also stay high on the agenda. Customers are demanding more visibility into their environmental impact, pushing partners to prove the measurable value of sustainable solutions. From optimising device usage to reducing waste through predictive servicing, AI can help partners align environmental performance with operational efficiency, supporting both profit and purpose. Next year, businesses will continue to face pressure to do more with less, demanding smarter resource management and clearer ROI. Devices built with efficiency and automation front of mind will become increasingly crucial to support these James O’Connor Rowan Jeffreys-Hoar
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