Ramsey, NJ (May 11, 2021) — Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A. Inc. (Konica Minolta) is pleased to announce it has been named a market leader by global market insight and research firm Quocirca, reaffirming Konica Minolta as a market leader for the scope and breadth of its portfolio in its latest ‘MPS Vendor Landscape, 2021’ report.
Managed print services (MPS) are a catalyst for digitalization, helping businesses save time and money and allowing their IT departments to focus on business-critical tasks. As a result, MPS is becoming an increasingly essential cornerstone of secure, cloud-based digital workflows that empower flexible and remote working. At the heart of this paradigm shift, Konica Minolta has helped businesses large and small transform into Intelligent Connected Workplaces.
In Quocirca’s latest ‘MPS Vendor Landscape, 2021’ report, the firm notes that Konica Minolta has an offering that is “comprehensive, spanning digital print, IoT, artificial intelligence and augmented reality solutions.” Konica Minolta’s investments, particularly in IT services “enabled it to deliver on its strategy to provide integrated IT services and become a reliable partner for digital workplaces.”
“We are extremely pleased to have been named a leader in this space by such a trusted source in the global print industry,” said Kevin Kern, senior vice president, digital transformation and emerging technologies. “This recognition is a testament to our efforts supporting our customers’ digital transformation through effective solutions that bring together managed print, secure IT infrastructure and leading-edge cloud services.”
Subtitled ‘Transforming the hybrid workplace,’ Quocirca’s report notes that in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic the MPS market has become more mature, and businesses are demanding more from suppliers. With 47 percent of workers now working remotely, organizations are seeking to adapt office capacity through the use of satellite offices and flexible working. The report finds that “56 percent of organizations rank workplace services in their top three selection criteria that would make them more likely to choose a specific MPS agreement, followed by Cloud Print Services (45 percent) […] sustainability services (30 percent) and managed security services (29 percent).”
The need for a cloud printing partner
The report describes an increase in organizations transitioning print infrastructure to the cloud to help achieve cost efficiencies: 39 percent having implemented a cloud print management platform and 37 percent intending to do so. While the majority of companies are managing print jobs on-premises, Quocirca found that three-quarters of organizations expect to see greater use of cloud print management by 2025.
With regard to Konica Minolta’s offering, the report flags the customer benefits of Konica Minolta’s cloud print services, which has options for private cloud or hybrid solutions and converts an existing on-premise print environment to a cloud-based service. They offer users the flexibility of location-independent printing, while at the same time unburdening IT from the complexity of managing printers, servers, drivers, applications and network. This ensures the infrastructure is always up to date and meets the latest security standards. Customers benefit from the usual as-a-service advantages like consumption-based pricing and the ability to easily flex the solution up or down as needs change.
An integrated security approach is essential
With regard to the overarching importance of security for organizations mentioned in its report, Quocirca also noted that Konica Minolta’s scalable security services were “an integral element in all of its Intelligent Connected Workplace services and built in to all of its solutions for digital workplaces.” The company “has developed scalable solutions to meet the IT security needs of organizations of all sizes, and address a wide array of threats – from harmful email attachments to third-party intruders attempting to gain access to customer data. Additionally, Konica Minolta provides vulnerability management to assess and monitor a customer’s critical IT systems.”
Depth of MPS offering and services make a vendor a market leader
Konica Minolta’s managed print services are aligned to meet the emerging workplace needs and its requirements. As a vendor, it empowers customers with a holistic offering that includes consultancy services, hardware and software implementation, and workflow management. Quocirca categorizes market leaders, such as Konica Minolta, as vendors that have “both strategic vision and depth of service offering.” Such leaders have made “significant investments in their service portfolio and infrastructure,” which “are supported by strong delivery capabilities.” The report further explains that Konica Minolta “is taking a holistic approach that enables its solutions to be seamlessly integrated with each other to optimize customer workflows and processes – both digital and in print.”
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About Konica Minolta
Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A. Inc. is reshaping and revolutionizing the Workplace of the Future. The company guides and supports its customers’ digital transformation through its expansive office technology portfolio, including IT Services (All Covered), content services, managed print services and industrial and commercial print solutions. Konica Minolta has been included on CRN’s MSP 500 list nine times and The World Technology Awards recently named the company a finalist in the IT Software category. Konica Minolta has been recognized as the #1 Brand for Customer Loyalty in the MFP Office Copier Market by Brand Keys for 14 consecutive years, and received Keypoint Intelligence’s BLI 2021 A3 Line of The Year Award and BLI 2021-2023 Most Color Consistent A3 Brand Award for its bizhub i-Series. Konica Minolta Inc. has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index for nine consecutive years and has spent four years on the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World list. Konica Minolta partners with its clients to give shape to ideas and works to bring value to our society.
