PrintIT Reseller - issue 58

PRINT IT RESELLER.UK 43 VOX POP Continued... As another New Year approaches, PrintIT Reseller asked a panel of the UK’s leading channel companies to share their thoughts on the future of print and IT in 2019 What does 2019 hold for the print and IT sectors? Mark Bamford, General Manager, Hollis Technology “As the costs of print and service continue to be driven down, we expect the move towards e-documents and other technologies to gather pace. Whilst manufacturers such as HP claim that they will ‘disrupt’ the industry after their acquisition of Samsung’s print division, it is likely that they will have a hard time making any significant inroads as the big players have already honed their offerings to a very high standard. I also anticipate that all the recent acquisitions have left a gap that can be filled by independents such as Hollis Technology. “Regarding IT, I predict that there will be a continued stampede towards cloud solutions which presents many opportunities for organisations embracing this way of providing IT services. Local consultancy with national cloud providers is the way forward.” Damien Evans, MPS Key Account Director , ZenOffice “Print is not dead. Although we work in an electronic world, some documents should now become electronic and businesses should look at their processes to make efficiency gains, print is not a dirty word it’s still the right thing to do at the right time. “It is my belief that in certain areas print will grow. For instance in marketing I believe bespoke printing will increase as technology and emails are blocked or not even looked at and there will be an increase in specific printed marketing. “The managed print industry will continue to consolidate: manufacturers merging together, manufacturers purchasing channel suppliers and channel partners purchasing organisations or services that will complement and expand what they currently do into their clients i.e. a traditional managed print company acquiring an IT Services company, enabling them to offer a full section of IT services. “If an organisation stands still next year and doesn’t look to expand their service offering or diversify into new sectors, they will struggle to exist in 2020.” www.zenoffice.com Julian Stafford, Managing Director, Midshire “I don’t see the consolidation of our industry slowing down. Copy costs being driven ever lower make it almost impossible for a small independent to compete with a manufacturer. Damien Evans I anticipate that all the recent acquisitions have left a gap that can be filled by independents Mark Bamford