PrintIT issue48

26 PRINT.IT 01732 759725 2018 PREVIEW continued... ...continued Print 2017/2018 Nick Parkes, regional sales manager, Y Soft We’ll see more data-related innovations that use AI to monitor and respond to security threats and ways to reduce infrastructure costs, such as better cloud-based solutions. Chris Strammiello, director, worldwide marketing and global alliances, Nuance Document Imaging Division AI is a technology that has started to touch many applications, and it firmly established itself as a hot topic in 2017. Its flame is far from burning out though, and in 2018 and in the context of print and imaging solutions, we’ll see how it is evolving to radically change how paper and born-digital documents are securely accessed and shared to help protect personal information and other valuable data. Outside of AI, from an efficiency perspective, the growing dependency on data analytics means businesses will start to apply a forensic approach to print costs to reduce them further. Colin Griffin, managing director, Blackbox Solutions Advances in biometric authentication, using fingerprint scans to release print jobs, offer considerable time and security advantages, ensuring printed documents don’t get into the wrong hands. With GDPR, the onus will shift to firms to ensure that their document security protocols are robust and we expect to see widespread use of innovative new security features and technologies coming on-stream next year. The market for A3 devices will see increased competition, as HP aims to disrupt the market with new A3 offerings based on its PageWide technology, following its acquisition of Samsung's print arm. Carlo Longhi, director and general manager, indirect channels UK and Ireland, Xerox We know that 40% of staff time is spent dealing with admin tasks and that 80% of document processes still rely on paper (IDC). 2018 will see an acceleration of customers looking to adopt some form of workflow technology to improve productivity and efficiencies. The personalisation of productivity functions will be a key opportunity. We will also see an acceleration of the ‘3rd platform’ (IDC) – the interdependence between data analytics, social media, cloud and mobile devices. Security will continue to be an important requirement. Enabling partners to build their own applications to increase sales and enter new markets will be key and the Xerox ConnectKey products will provide partners with the platform to lock in to these opportunities. In the high-end print arena we are focused on investing in the print industry’s high-growth areas, such as inkjet, packaging and high value application segments. Our legacy for innovation is based on bringing real-life, tangible and deliverable solutions to the benefit of our print customers. We are committed to continuing this tradition. Mark Smyth, chief operating officer, Vision I believe security and digital transformation will be a continued focus and theme in our market in 2018 as businesses look to avoid the risk and impact of security breaches in line with GDPR, combined with the on-going drive for efficiency and cost reduction. Gary Tierney, MD Ireland & UKI printing category director, HP The vision of a world where almost anything (from clothes to food) can be 3D printed seems less and less far-fetched, with an increasing level of media attention covering the latest technological breakthroughs in this field. The first thing 3D printing will seriously disrupt, however, will be supply chains – something we’ll see more of in 2018. Industrial 3D printers are now at a level where they can efficiently print component parts or materials. Why would a car manufacturer wait a month for a new engine part made half way around the world, when they could 3D print it onsite in the factory that needs it? Sustainability will become more crucial to businesses. No longer will CSR be an optional extra but an integral part of a corporation’s long-term planning to ensure they retain the goodwill and loyalty of customers, who have come to see it as a key factor in their decision- making. Jonathan Whitworth, managing director, DSales (UK) Ltd Workflow solutions continue to be an important part of document imaging, so Develop has produced a unique range of document management solutions to meet the needs of customers. For example, the latest version of Develop’s easy-to-use convert+share software brings new functionality and new capabilities to everyday tasks. convert+share does away with manual document processes by allowing original documents to be scanned on a Develop MFP and What do you think will be the main technological innovations in 2018? LED curing, as used by the Oce Colorado 1640, is expected to become more widespread as mercury vapour lamps are phased out HP Industrial 3D printers are now at a level where they can efficiently print component parts or materials Jason Cort Nick Parkes The vision of a world where almost anything (from clothes to food) can be 3D printed seems less and less far- fetched