Think Piece
Is the office printer dead yet?
#According to a 2017 study by project management company, Workfront found only 28% of workers surveyed thought that printers would become obsolete in the future.
With the rise of digital technologies in workplaces, many experts predicted that offices would do away with office printers and paper for good. However, are we any closer to this paperless vision of the office?
Well, not really… According to a 2017 study by project management company, Workfront found only 28% of workers surveyed thought that printers would become obsolete in the future. Physical documents are still a requirement in many places, especially smaller businesses.
In addition marketing materials such as brochures and flyers, still use paper as their preferred medium. This has meant that overall print volumes have still increased, while print volumes per person have not, making the humble office printer far from dead.
With many workers still seeing the value of using print, it looks like it is well and truly alive albeit adapted to the modern office.
#How office printing has changed in the modern era
Even though business printers are still in widespread use in offices and businesses around the globe, the way they are being used has changed dramatically.
Gone are the days where all a printer could do was print, scan, copy and fax.
These days multifunction printers have many advanced features that enhance their functionality.
Modern office printers now have the ability to scan print documents and convert them into digital files for automatic online storage and easy retrieval by utilising the power of cloud computing.
This technology has improved significantly since it was first introduced and has become both more advanced and affordable.
Aside from increased digital capabilities, businesses are increasingly using their own printers to produce materials such as pamphlets, signs, and banners.
This was traditionally done externally but with advances in printing technology, it’s now possible to do in-house.
No longer does marketing have to wait days for their latest campaign to be printed, when they can print it right away in the office.
This also provides businesses with greater flexibility in terms of smaller batch sizes and document revisions.
Many business printer companies are now offering ‘managed print services.’
This provides an all in one printing solution with integrated monitoring software to increase printer efficiency.
In addition, it also incorporates printer security features such as biometrics and digital signatures.
#How we can help
If you want your business to tap into these new printer capabilities or simply want a better deal, we can help.
Our print solutions experts will work with you to tailor a printing solution for your needs. Simply contact us for a free office printer consultation today.
