In the October issue of ENX Magazine, we examined the trends and tactics that are impacting dealers’ success with managed print services (MPS). Included in the editorial package was a manufacturer feature on the state of MPS.
Unfortunately, one of the acknowledged pioneers of MPS—Toshiba America Business Solutions (TABS)—was unable to participate, as the company was gearing up for its LEAD Beyond conference. The event was a rousing success, and TABS circled back to us with its vision for MPS, courtesy of Scott Robinson, the company’s vice president of managed print as a service (MPaaS). We’ll let him take it from here.
###
Today’s effective MPS offerings must include all things the industry has come to offer as a baseline, including comprehensive fleet management and reporting, automated replenishment, analytics, high uptime ratios, expedited service response, periodic business reviews and firmware security audits, to name a few. With Toshiba’s Managed Print as a Service (MPaaS) program, our partners are positioned to take advantage of all these core competencies including our recent registration and tagging process that are fully cloud-based.
Google search “Growth in Managed Print Services” and you will find a litany of industry analysts projecting MPS to have a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 5% today to 9% in 2027. There has never been a better time for dealers to increase investments in MPS and balance their portfolio of A3 devices with fleets of A4 devices under contract.
However, a shift is occurring in the expectation of our client base that will require greater capabilities delivered in a similar cost-effective manner. A few trends emanating today include:
- Onboarding (Assessments & Tagging)
- Cloud-based assessment and tagging functionality
- Project & change management
- Steady State (Device Management, Reporting, Analytics, Security)
- Cloud device management and cloud output management
- Service diagnostics including self-healing and predictive analytics
- Additional Program Value Adds
- Document capture as a service
- Fax/send as a service
- Integrated platform as a service (iPaaS)
- Sustainability initiatives and carbon footprint neutrality offerings
Sophisticated MPS clients are shifting the landscape of program offerings while also demanding the most appropriate products for their requirements with a vendor-agnostic approach. Partnering with Toshiba positions you to receive the best technology solution – whether ours or vendor partners’ – to fully address all of your print needs.
The horizon appears poised to continue to change with the adoption of more AI-based tools and processes. While we all work to enhance core competencies within our MPS programs, continuing integration with AI platforms will soon reset the bar again. Look for exciting changes in the near term that will continue to attract more clients to managed print while propelling significant growth into the near future.
