Here is the third and final part of our annual print predictions feature where more key industry players share their thoughts on what 2025 will hold for the print and IT sectors
Stuart Miller, Director UK&I Channel Partners, Canon: The year ahead is set to be one of major technological advancements, with the role of applications, software and AI that businesses rely on growing significantly more complex. In the year ahead, it will be important for print manufacturers to foster strong relationships with partners, resellers and distributors, providing them with the support and counsel they need to succeed.
We expect to see high quality and productive MFPs continue to be at the heart of any business’ printing ecosystem and this will remain a priority for Canon.
On top of providing cutting-edge hardware, ensuring partners are up to date on the latest software will be fundamental, especially for breaking into the SaaS space for businesses across a variety of sectors.
With the value and volume of data held by businesses ever increasing, it will also be important for resellers to share the cybersecurity benefits of such software with their customers. It is important to keep in mind that sometimes the most secure solutions focus on going back to the basics – offering powerful user authentication and zero trust architecture, for example.
When it comes to production print, media versatility will be at the forefront in 2025 – to meet a wider range of customer requirements. Alongside exciting new inkjet and toner devices announced at drupa this year, we at Canon recognise the growth opportunities offered by wide-format printing, including interior décor, wallpaper, packaging and fine art. We expect to see increased interest in devices that support this type of media in the coming year.
Of course, sustainability will remain high on the agenda in 2025 and should be at the heart of product development and lifecycle processes, including for consumables.
For example, many businesses and sectors still heavily rely on paper – from healthcare to AEC. In recognition of this, manufacturers should be looking at how to make consumables such as paper as climate compensated as possible, which will continue to be a big focus for Canon.
As customers look to work with printers that align with their sustainability and wider business goals, it is important for manufacturers and PSPs to work together to offer the best expert advice as possible.
