Analyst outfit Context has worked out that resellers are cashing in on managed print services.
Looking at the numbers for the fourth quarter, Context noticed that resellers were showing an interest in managed print services (MPS).
Context beancounter Antonio Talia said that according to the distribution channel, more resellers were complimenting their offering by having an MPS proposition.
“However, vendors still need to expand their security assessment and monitoring services, along with partnering with traditional IT security providers, particularly in the area of threat intelligence to ensure that print security is treated with the same priority as the rest of the IT infrastructure”, he added.
Sales of printer hardware across Western Europe as a whole were flat at -0.1 percent in Q4 2018 but in the UK things were fairly rosy with a 23.5 percent increase in units year-on-year and revenue improving by 7.3 percent.
Breaking it down into product categories laser outperformed inkjet devices, up 4.1 percent and 1.7 percent respectively. Multifunction devices were up 2.2 percent but single function devices saw a 10.1 percent fall.
“Print and digital convergence will drive increased demand for integrated document workflow in 2019, and despite the rapid adoption of digital and mobile technologies, many businesses remain reliant on print to some extent”, said Talia.
