PRINTITRESELLER.UK 43 VOX POP continued... James Overton, Group Sales Director, SOS Systems: As we move into 2026, I believe the managed print services and IT sectors are poised for further transformation, driven by digital acceleration, sustainability, and security demands. In the MPS sector, cloud-based solutions will continue to dominate. Businesses are increasingly decentralised, and printing must follow suit, more secure, remotely accessible, and seamlessly integrated into various applications. We are already starting to see that AI will likely play a growing role in predictive maintenance, usage analytics and supply automation, reducing downtime and improving cost control. Generally, we are seeing that sustainability is no longer optional, with clients expecting energy-efficient devices, recycled consumables, and data-driven insights to support carbon reduction goals. In IT services for 2026 I think most companies are done with experimenting with AI and are ready to fully deploy it. I would expect to see an increase of managed intelligence providers rather than just managed services as businesses are investing in intelligent infrastructure, AI-powered monitoring, automated patching, and predictive analytics. Managed IT providers are becoming strategic partners, not just support desks. The convergence of MPS and IT is accelerating and clients want more unified solutions. 2026 won’t be about doing more, it’ll be about doing it smarter. www.sossystems.co.uk ways of working, automating repetitive processes and enabling more data-driven decision-making. Alongside this evolving technology, it is important that manufacturers and partners maintain the authenticity and trust that underpin strong customer relationships. Overall, 2026 will be defined by intelligence and insight. The print and IT sectors will reward those who can turn data into action, using AI, automation and connected services, to deliver measurable business value. Success will come from partners who combine innovation with agility, investing not just in technology but in the expertise and collaboration for smarter, more sustainable customer experiences. www.canon.co.uk Mike Barron, UK Managing Director, SYNAXON: Last year we said that we expected the main trends to be AI, cybersecurity and a boom in hardware sales due to the Windows 10 end of support. That proved to be quite accurate. What we have not really seen yet is the following wave of printer upgrades for shared office devices and for personal desktop printers for the workplace home. There is still time for that through – we expect the laptop upgrade to have a long tail, and we’d advise resellers to keep asking customers if there is anything else they need into the new year. Increased costs mean that all businesses are looking for ways to save money. Print devices that consume less power and that don’t compel the customer to buy a constant stream of replacement consumables and are therefore more economical to run, will be more popular. AI is being embedded into many devices and is also being used to make managed print services even more efficient. This part of the market will keep growing. We had hoped for greater economic stability in 2025 and while it was an improvement on 2024, we did not see any really strong upturn in business confidence. We’d hope to see a little more of that in 2026. Whatever happens, we will be making use of all our resources, both here in the UK and in Germany, to support our partners and help them grow. https://synaxon.com/gb-en Stuart Miller Mike Barron James Overton
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