Print.IT Reseller - issue 78

PRINTITRESELLER.UK 45 VOX POP FW or the ComColor GD9630 means they can print more, including posters, newsletters, letters, and information sheets, for a fraction of the costs of a more traditional way of printing, and in colour, further enhancing engagement with the recipient. People are taking the opportunity to rethink how they operate and what they actually do. In this environment, there’s a real opportunity for RISO to work even more collaboratively with its partners to thrive and move forward into the next exciting chapter. www.riso.co.uk Martin Fairman, Managing Director UK & Ireland, Lexmark Lexmark anticipates a significant increase in SMBs moving print to the cloud. IDC research has shown that by 2021 one- third of companies with fewer than 500 employees will have adopted structured print and document management policies supported by cloud-based software. The global pandemic is accelerating this trend and it is critical that we equip our partners to capture this growing demand. This year dealers have become all too familiar with the challenges of onsite fleet management. In addition to being costly and time-consuming to deploy, and a hassle to service and reconfigure, partners have faced access issues and employee safety concerns due to the pandemic. Our partners have shown increased interest in Lexmark Cloud Fleet Management (CFM) to overcome these obstacles. Lexmark CFM empowers partners to maintain the entire print infrastructure of their small and medium-size customers from one integrated tool. Lexmark cloud-based device management makes it easy to configure Lexmark printers and keep them up to date with the latest recommended firmware. Lexmark printers can be managed from anywhere in the world without the need to go onsite or be on the same local network. From the time we launched CFM, third-party printer monitoring was the number one request from our partners using it. We have now delivered this significant enhancement, which allows partners to remotely collect data from third-party as well as Lexmark devices. But we aren’t stopping there. Lexmark continues to update our cloud offerings – Cloud Print Management, Cloud Fleet Management and Cloud Connector – to enable our partners to deliver value-add function and differentiated experiences to their customers. www.lexmark.co.uk James Pittick, Partner Channel Director, Canon UK In 2021, the acceleration of change will continue at speed. Opportunities will be present for the partners that have embraced diversification, for those who looked to sell IT services and a broader range of products alongside their traditional print portfolios. To support these efforts, partners will need to invest in the right talent and training programs to support these changes. Products such as smart MFP devices and home scanners should continue to do well, as print partners look to embrace wider product portfolios that support the hybrid workspace. Technologies such as the private and public cloud, and devices with strong security offerings will also be critical to success in the current market, as workforces are dispersed and require secure and mobile ways of working. The increased demand for ‘as-a-service’ type solutions will also likely continue in 2021 as customers continue to seek flexibility from their technology partners. Flexibility and having a strong understanding of the new hybrid working environment will continue to be hugely important throughout 2021. The hybrid workspace throws up lots of potential issues, from how to control print spend, quality and most importantly data. Partners that can offer genuine help in these areas will be able to form deeper relationships with their customers. Partner businesses will need to examine their support infrastructure and ask themselves, ‘how do you deliver customer service and how can you continue to add value?’ Not directly linked to the pandemic, but sustainability, and strong credentials, will become ever more important throughout 2021. Sustainability significantly rose up the business agenda in 2019, through to 2020 and it’s continuing to gain momentum despite the implications from the virus. It is important that print resellers have a robust plan in place to support sustainable efforts for continued growth. In terms of challenges, supporting access to quality prints will be a major area for most businesses. Some industries, such as architecture, require high quality prints to function smoothly. Partners that operate in verticals such as these will need to have a process in place to serve customers smoothly and safely, ensuring that output remains as uninterrupted as possible. Unsurprisingly, the pandemic has brought about a readjustment of print volumes. There are still opportunities for print, but where these opportunities can be found has shifted. The challenge for partners is accessing these areas. Some sectors, such as commercial and signage, have seen demand soar, while the desire for high-end print in other sectors, such as public, healthcare and construction, has remained. Print resellers will need to take a tactical view of the marketplace and challenge themselves to move beyond their traditional comfort zones. www.canon.co.uk Part two to follow next issue. James Pittick