Ramsey, NJ (Feb. 24, 2022) — Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. (Konica Minolta) today announced it has been named a “Leader” in the IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Print for the Distributed Workforce 2022 Vendor Assessment (doc #US48596221, January 2022). According to the report, “Konica Minolta’s approach to providing for a more distributed workforce begins with a mindset that “work is not where you are, but what you get done.”
The IDC MarketScape study assessed “the strategies and capabilities of the major office printing vendors to support an increasingly distributed workforce on a worldwide basis,” in order to help companies “identify vendors with strong offerings and well-integrated business strategies to provide for this growing market need.”
According to the report, “The concept of a distributed workforce is not new, but its expansion caused by the ripple effect of the COVID-19 global pandemic is a significant development on how work will be conducted in the future. During the pandemic, organizations were forced to collectively operate remotely, mostly in home offices, while aiming to demonstrate no decline in productivity. This experience, over an extended period, has led to the notion that a remote workforce can function effectively. As a result, we anticipate that work from home will be more normalized in the future, even with the passage of the pandemic and its substantive business impact.”
“As we guide our customers through their digital transformation journey, we strive to be in constant lockstep with them and their changing needs, which became even more challenging during the past two years,” said Chris Bilello, vice president, business solutions development, Konica Minolta. “Being named a Leader by the IDC MarketScape confirms that we have been successful understanding and anticipating their needs and transforming them into solutions that will best serve their business.”
Empowering the Intelligent Connected Workplace
Konica Minolta’s key success is its ability to help businesses succeed with digital transformation to meet the challenges of the pandemic and beyond. The company’s foresight pre-empted the transformations in the world of work that have subsequently been accelerated by COVID-19. The IDC MarketScape notes “The company has been transforming its business for some time from a print/copy provider to a digital services supplier. Its vision of the Intelligent Connected Workplace (ICW) was in place long before the onset of the pandemic and provides an array of document-related services (workflow and automation, information management, managed application, infrastructure management, security and cloud, with more to come) that naturally extend into supporting a more distributed workforce.”
Furthermore, the IDC MarketScape observed that “Konica Minolta demonstrates holistic thinking in its go-to-market strategy that is more than just a focus on print. It includes IT services, workflow, security, voice over IP, enterprise content management (ECM), BPO and vertical-specific applications. While initially intended for the traditional office, all can be ported to new ways of work in the office and home hybrid model.”
Key to this transition has been Konica Minolta’s anticipation of emerging requirements. For example, the ability to secure and measure print and document activities undertaken irrespective of location – whether in the office or from home. And in the field of cloud printing, Konica Minolta provides the solutions and platforms, as well as the ability to host the services. The IDC MarketScape report noted, “The company’s managed print-as-a-service offerings are intimately intertwined with the company’s approach to a distributed workforce. It means having several options available for the delivery of print, a focus on the highest level of security (SHIELD GUARD and bizhub SECURE) and service (CS Remote Care/vCare) for the company’s equipment, and a customized user interface with the use of the company’s Personalize with Follow-You Persona, which enables the work style of each employee to be tailored to their use requirements, regardless of device.”
“One of the most significant developments anticipated out of the global COVID-19 pandemic is the development of a more hybrid business operating model that combines the traditional office setting along with home/remote locations. Over the past several months, organizations learned how to effectively work outside of the normal office environment, and we expect that this business model will be maintained in the future,” said Keith Kmetz, program vice president for imaging, printing, and document solutions research at IDC. “As such, both print providers and end-user organizations will need to consider the adjustments needed within the print infrastructure to support an increasingly distributed workforce. If done correctly, there are numerous benefits to be gained. On the other hand, if done incorrectly, the organization could suffer with undue costs and productivity shortcomings.”
Download a copy of the IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Print for the Distributed Workforce 2022 Vendor Assessment here.
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About Konica Minolta
Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A. Inc. is reshaping and revolutionizing the workplace to achieve true connectivity through the Intelligent Connected Workplace. The company guides and supports its clients’ digital transformation through its expansive office technology portfolio, including IT Services (All Covered), intelligent information management, 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 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 15 consecutive years, and is proud to be ranked on the Forbes 2021 America’s Best-in-State employers list. The company 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.
About IDC MarketScape
IDC MarketScape vendor assessment model is designed to provide an overview of the competitive fitness of ICT (information and communications technology) suppliers in a given market. The research methodology utilizes a rigorous scoring methodology based on both qualitative and quantitative criteria that results in a single graphical illustration of each vendor’s position within a given market. IDC MarketScape provides a clear framework in which the product and service offerings, capabilities and strategies, and current and future market success factors of IT and telecommunications vendors can be meaningfully compared. The framework also provides technology buyers with a 360-degree assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of current and prospective vendors.
