Top Ten Copier & Imaging Industry Predictions for 2021
So 2020 was a year we would all like to forget! The global pandemic has changed the way we sell and we’ve all lost some great people along the way. Our great industry depression is one we will never forget.
I posted the paragraph below in last years blog.
I’m sure there will be at least two or three bombshells with one of them happening in late January 2020 and then another in late March to early April 2020.
There was no bombshell in January for our industry but could the “late March to early April 2020” bombshell reference the COVID19 pandemic? The time frame was right on track and yes our industry was lobbed a bombshell that we’re still struggling with to this day.
Top Ten Copier & Imaging Industry Predictions for 2021
1. I’ll go out on a limb and predict this merger or acquisitions to take place. Canon & Ricoh will merge or Canon will acquire Ricoh. Currently they are working together in Japan for MFP distribution logistics
2. Ricoh, Canon, KonicaMinolta, or Kyocera will start purchasing large regional MSP providers
3. Speed & Color Licensing will be the new normal as we enter the last quarter of 2021 for copiers with at least one of our manufacturers. They will see the light and reduce the office style A3 devices to two MFPs. One device will will be capable of speeds from 20-60 pages per minute and the other will offer 65 to 100 pages per minute. The dealer can them configure any speed that the client desires and then offer a subscription service if the client needs color
4. The new Fuji Film copier manufacturer, originally was Fuji-Xerox until Xerox sold their equity last year. Fuji will partner with a mega dealer in the US for private labeling of those copiers and software solutions. Names that I keep seeing are Dex Imaging, Marco, Flex Print and RJ Young
5. Look for the top four copier manufacturers also turn their acquisition attention to cyber security companies (mssp). Konica Minolta did an acquisition in 2020 with Depth Security
6. Xerox who is in need of an OEM copier manufacturer will make a purchase to acquire either Toshiba Tec, Sharp from Foxconn or KonicaMinolta
7. The year of wide format. More dealers will make the move to offering wide format AEC and wide format color devices this year
8. Ricoh will exit the AEC wide format market place just as they did with duplicators and projectors in 2020
9. 2021 is the year that copier manufacturers finally get it and start manufacturing more A4 devices with the advanced functionality of A3 MFPs.
10. Our industry will bounce back by the start of Q3, however print volumes from the global pandemic will have reduced page volumes by 15%
I threw this one in for fun since 2020 was such a messed up year!
11. Aliens will make first contact during the 3rd quarter of 2021, just when we were starting to bounce back! lol
I enjoy writing these and please keep in mind that these predictions are intended to be more entertaining than factual. But, you never know what tomorrow will bring. Would love to hear comments!
-=Good Selling=-
