Print.IT Reseller - issue 78

PRINTITRESELLER.UK 43 VOX POP The huge location shift from office to home will create new opportunities for the channel continued... Jason Cort, Director of Product Planning and Marketing, Sharp Europe COVID-19 will continue to accelerate the decline of print. The slow decline in demand for print has been tracked over a number of years. Those within the industry were convinced that this would continue throughout 2020, long before the pandemic. Like everything, COVID-19 has impacted this area also, with the growing move to remote working leaving offices requiring significantly less print support. This is driven by pragmatic, behaviour-led changes among employees such as becoming accustomed to reviewing documents on PC screens, using digital signatures or documents provided electronically as meetings shift from in person to in video. The impact of COVID-19 has taken declines from a cost-led, conscious business decision and compounded them by a behaviour-led change which is happening far quicker than previously predicted – and will certainly continue into 2021. IT services will continue to benefit. While print continues to decline, the pandemic has led to a boom in demand for IT services, as companies have been forced to move business processes to online platforms. This includes everything from meetings and sales calls to collaborative tasks and finance. Over the past few years, this shift has been collectively termed ‘digital transformation’, and was previously seen as a long-term project for many SMBs. However the pandemic has ensured that this transformation became an immediate priority for businesses in 2020 to complete, in order to support remote working as effectively as possible. This has proved to be a significant advantage for the IT services industry, as businesses now require a wide range of services to keep themselves operational. Video conferencing platforms for meetings, like Zoom, cybersecurity plans to protect a wider array of devices, and cloud-based documents to help with collaborative working are just some of the services that are now required. Rush for diversification to bring more acquisitions. From a business perspective, the decline in print and the clear advantage the pandemic has offered to IT services has laid bare the need for diversification within the print industry. It has become a necessity to offer a range of IT services that go far beyond traditional print. Businesses are increasingly looking for a singular IT provider that can meet all their needs, from print to security and PC support. This will provide the catalyst for an uptick in the number of acquisitions of IT service providers by larger companies looking to add this diversification to their offering. Customers look for reassurance and confidence. Understandably, the pandemic has left businesses concerned about financial commitments, and this will lead to a thorough review of spending. Where there is already a contract in place, services are likely to continue as normal. However, when the time comes for renegotiation there is bound to be a completely different set of needs from the customer. This can be a positive for sales teams, and should be used as an opportunity to reinforce relationships with customers and to showcase the range of additional support they can provide. Customers are looking for a holistic offer, but also a trusted, recognised brand that provides peace of mind that they will be able to offer support despite the turmoil of COVID-19. For a time, small businesses relied on local IT suppliers to provide support – we are now seeing the ground shift on this, as business leaders look to trusted names that are perceived as more robust and able to offer continuous support in uncertain times. Home office provides boost for inkjet and direct mail. On a positive note for print, there has been an acceleration in the adoption of inkjet printing which is a reversal of a trend from last year. While business inkjet has continued to struggle, inkjet print technology has benefitted as it is more suited to the home devices that have enjoyed a huge increase in sales. There has also been something of a renaissance for commercial printing in support of marketing outreach. Direct mail has seen a resurgence during the pandemic as marketers look for alternatives to email which capture customers’ attention. www.sharp.co.uk Phil Jones, Managing Director, Brother UK Predicting the future right now is a difficult business. With millions remote working, offices gathering dust and technology supply chains cleared of stock, the market has seen a temporary boom. But this may well fade as stock availability dictates revenues over the next two quarters. The huge location shift from office to home will create new opportunities for the channel. People will want more sophisticated technology at home and resellers and manufacturers must adapt their business models to provide it. Demand will grow for business- grade devices, such as small footprint printers with A3 capability and automatic document feeders, as it will for cameras, specialist lighting and microphones as employees soup-up their personal offices Phil Jones