I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the more things change, the more things change. Having covered this industry as a journalist for 27 years now, I’ve seen a lot of changes as have many of you who have been in the industry longer than I have. Then again, those of you who have only been around for a decade or so have witnessed your share of changes as well. Let’s sit back and look at the way things were yesterday, and the way things are today. And by the way, enjoy it while you can, because it’s all changing as you read this.
Yesterday: Analog copiers
Today: Digital, connected copiers
Yesterday: Monochrome
Today: Color
Yesterday: Hardware
Today: Services and Solutions
Yesterday: Hardware Sales Quotas
Today: Hardware Sales Quotas (This hasn’t changed has it?)
Yesterday: Konica, Minolta, Mita, Kyocera, Océ, Kodak
Today: Konica Minolta, Kyocera Mita
Yesterday: IKON, Global, Danka
Today: Ricoh, Xerox, Konica Minolta
Yesterday: Maps and printed directions
Today: GPS
Yesterday: Phone calls and cold calls
Today: E-mails and text messages
Yesterday: File cabinets
Today: Cloud storage
Yesterday: The NOMDA Show
Today: OEM-Specific Dealer Meetings
Yesterday: Managed Print Services
Today: Managed Services
Yesterday: Local Office Supply Stores
Today: Office Superstores
Yesterday: The Dream of the Paperless Office
Today: The Office with Less Paper
Yesterday: Dozens of fax manufacturers, including names like Mitsubishi and dex.
Today: Who needs fax?
Yesterday: Teleconferences and Press Conferences
Today: Webinars
Yesterday: Independent dealers
Today: Direct branches
Yesterday: Thousands of independent dealers were the future of the industry.
Today: Hundreds of independent dealers are the future of the industry.
Yesterday: Selling to the Purchasing Department
Today: Selling to the IT Department
If you’ve got anything to add to the list, send them my way and I’ll publish them in an upcoming issue in The Week in Imaging.
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