Digital transformation has reshaped the way Australians work, forcing organisations to adopt new business models to keep up with current technology trends. Modern technology has also made it easier for employees to work remotely, with at least one in five Australians likely to continue working from home, at least for part of the week, for the foreseeable future.1
As the digital age continues to evolve, so too will the future of printing in the workplace. One of the biggest factors driving technological change in print is digital print technology, which facilitates mobile worker productivity, reduces infrastructure costs, and offers advanced security features such as end-to-end encryption.
Given remote and hybrid workplace models are likely to persist, it's essential to consider what the future holds for printing and scanning in 2030 and beyond. Konica Minolta expects the following four trends to continue to evolve over the next eight years to help businesses simplify the complicated landscape of print security and streamline their manual processes.
1. Growing cloud print management solutions
According to Quocirca, cloud print adoption continues to accelerate with 43 per cent of organisations having already implemented a cloud print management platform and a further 37 per cent reporting that they have plans to do so in the next two years. Further, 40 per cent said moving to a cloud print management platform was a top benefit of managed print services (MPS) adoption.2 Cloud-based MPS will make it easier to balance the challenges of print management across a hybrid or fully remote workforce. One of the key benefits of a cloud-based platform is its scalability and ability to adapt to the changing needs of a business. Cloud-based MPS will also consolidate physical print servers down to a single virtual server in a private cloud, reducing the need for technical support and maintenance.
2. Integration with digital technology
Organisations adopting digital and mobile technologies will continue to grow; however, print will remain relevant for many businesses across several industries. Businesses are likely to continue to prioritise printers in the digital age and will adopt cloud and mobile printing solutions to provide employees with the flexibility to print remotely. Rather than replace print, digital technologies will support printing needs by improving sustainability and offering more integration for paper-based and digital workflows. As such, the new convergence of print and digital will become closely intertwined, providing new opportunities for growth and innovation.
3. Advanced print security
The digital revolution has transformed the world in many positive ways; however, it has also contributed to a rise in cybersecurity threats. Without proper security, data breaches will become the rule, not the exception. Print software will evolve and establish innovative solutions and security strategies tailored to protect company data. Print control solutions such as Konica Minolta's bizhub Secure will continue to help businesses have the highest possible security protection to protect their data. The rise of the Internet of Things (IoT) will also see organisations heavily invest in security processes such as user authentication and access control to prevent unauthorised access. As a result, businesses will look to leading MPS providers that drive digital strategies.
4. Cloud migration strategy
Cloud migration strategy has revolutionised the way that many businesses operate as it eliminates the need for hardware and software that is costly to maintain and upgrade. The worldwide end-user spending on public cloud services is forecast to grow 20.7 per cent, taking the total to US$591.8 billion in 2023.3 Below are four key reasons organisations should embrace a cloud migration strategy:
- reduces infrastructure, IT complexity, and maintenance costs
- creates flexible, scalable, and high-availability solutions
- supports an increasingly remote and mobile workforce
- enhances data and document security.4
Preparing for the future
Emerging technologies are opening new opportunities to meet hybrid and remote workplace printing needs. By 2030, the printing landscape will see businesses increase their focus on security and implement AI-powered automation to speed up processes and significantly reduce manual workload.
Konica Minolta helps businesses harness the full power of digitisation with a range of innovative solutions and services to reduce printing costs, free up capital, and support and maintain printing infrastructure.
To learn more about how your business can prepare for the future, contact us today.
[3] https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2022-10-31-gartner-forecasts-worldwide-public-cloud-end-user-spending-to-reach-nearly-600-billion-in-2023#:~:text=Worldwide%20end%2Duser%20spending%20on,18.8%25%20growth%20forecast%20for%202022.
[4] https://www.pharos.com/wp-content/uploads/eBook_Pharos_Creating_a_Cloud_Migration_Strategy.pdf
