The trends, companies, people, and products we are watching in 2025.
Each year, The Cannata Report sets as its mission to spotlight the developments shaping the future of office technology. With a keen eye on the horizon, we’ve compiled this year’s WatchList to provide our readers with insights into what to follow closely in the coming year. This list captures a mix of familiar and emerging trends, companies, people, and products that will define 2025.
Creating this list is no small feat. Our team spends months immersed in research and conversations, distilling the vast expanse of our industry into a comprehensive feature. It’s not always flawless, and yes, sometimes we overlook a noteworthy trend or company or two, but as we note every year about the companies on our list, we’re watching every company; we just can’t list everyone in the space allotted for this article. However, year after year, we aim to give you a reliable guide to navigating the industry’s evolving landscape.
2025 WatchList: Trends to Watch
As-a-Service Models. Software-as-a-service and device-as-a-service (DaaS) models may not be the go-to business model in the office technology dealer channel, but they can’t be ignored. They allow customers to bundle devices, services, maintenance, and upgrades into a predictable monthly fee. Dealers who pivot to these models can potentially build longer-term client relationships and consistent revenue streams.
The AI Revolution. Everyone is talking about AI, and many of us are still trying to figure out how to leverage it in our businesses. Plenty of products and solutions already use AI. It’s also slowly making its way into the dealer channel, partly driven by West McDonald and his company, GoWest.ai, showing dealers how to leverage AI in their organizations. AI is already used for sales, service, data analytics, business intelligence, and enhancing communication. One dealer recently told me when I asked how his organization uses AI, “We write better emails.”
Cloud Control. The cloud has become a transformative force in the office technology industry, driving innovation and operational efficiency for dealers and end users. For starters, think cloud-based MPS, print, document management, workflow, and IT services solutions. Expect more solutions that leverage the cloud to emerge in 2025.
Cybersecurity. For dealers offering managed IT, cybersecurity has become an essential add-on and a customer expectation. However, it does come with risks as cybersecurity threats proliferate, and even the best cybersecurity offerings can sometimes be breached. Just ask ConnectWise where flaws in its ScreenConnect remote access platform were exploited by hackers this past February.
Digital Transformation (DX). Nothing new here, but it’s still a trend to watch, especially since every new technological development in the office technology industry can be called a digital transformation. But what about DX as a dealer sales and marketing strategy? That’s where DX has enormous potential beyond a dealer walking into a client or prospect talking speeds and feeds, and hyping the latest solutions.
IoT (Internet of Things). One example of how IoT is making a difference is IoT-enabled devices that offer data-driven insights, remote diagnostics, and predictive maintenance (Did someone say “AI”?) to help businesses increase productivity and reduce downtime. Will we see more of these devices in 2025? Count on it!
Manufacturing Partnerships. The most prominent partnerships in the office technology industry include Ricoh and Toshiba, announced in 2023, and Konica Minolta and Fujifilm Business Innovation, announced in July. Incidentally, the latter joint venture was scheduled to go into effect on September 30, 2024, but has since been put on hiatus until a later, unannounced date. And let’s not forget Xerox and Fujifilm, Sharp and Fujifilm, and Katun and Fujifilm, and the long-standing partnership between Canon and HP. Will we see more similar partnerships and joint ventures? You bet!
The Decline of Large Dealer Meetings. With few exceptions, it seems as if the days of OEMs hosting large extravaganzas for their dealers have come to an end. In their place are smaller regional dealer meetings that allow for more one-on-one time with their dealers while communicating the same message as those larger meetings. We’ll continue to see the occasional extravaganza (Sharp has one scheduled for October 2025), but, for the most part, the smaller, more cost-effective regional meetings will rule.
Data Analytics. Businesses increasingly seek data to optimize workflows and cut costs. Expect vendors and dealers to leverage devices and solutions that provide analytics on usage patterns, cost-per-page insights, and department-specific reporting to help clients make informed decisions. Not to beat a not-so-dead horse, but did someone say “AI” again?
Growth of Personalization and Variable Data Printing (VDP). An article on Ricoh Business Booster, a site for the company’s production print customers, identified this as a significant trend “driven by the growing demand for customized marketing materials.” Based on our conversations with developers of VDP software, we agree.
A Pressing Need to Diversify. For office technology dealers, diversifying their product, solutions, and service offerings is no longer an option; it’s a necessity. Even if they have a lifestyle business and aren’t looking to grow, diversifying remains critical to keeping pace with the competition.
Mega Dealers Keep Getting Bigger. DEX Imaging, Marco, Pacific Office Automation, Flex Technology Group, Visual Edge It, UBEO Business Services, and others in this elite pantheon are not scaling back. Although some of these organizations experienced revenue declines during COVID, the sky is the limit as to how much more they will grow.
Production Print Volumes Growing. According to the PRINTING United Alliance/NAPCO Research In-Plant Printing KPI Report Summer 2024, total pages increased for 61.1% of in-plants surveyed last year. Output representing four or more pages, which increased for 64.1% of respondents, contributed to this increase. In addition, 60.6% of all in-plants surveyed expected their total page volume to increase in 2024, with 60.9% expecting an increase in four-or-more-color volume, 41.0% an increase in one-to-three color volume, and 39.5% an increase in black-and-white volume. We expect that trend to continue in 2025.
OEM Restructuring/Downsizing Initiatives. In 2024, Epson’s and Ricoh’s parent companies in Japan announced that they would reduce their global workforce. In the U.S., Xerox has embarked on similar workforce reductions as part of its restructuring. The question remains: Will these workforce reductions make these companies more profitable, and what impact will a reduced workforce have on their U.S. dealers and customers?
E-Commerce. A few years ago, we heard a lot of talk about e-commerce in the office technology dealer channel. Although some dealers embrace the e-commerce opportunity for lower-end devices and supplies, the e-commerce evolution is moving slowly. I notice this every month when preparing for my monthly dealer interview. I always have their website in front of me while conducting the interview, and I can’t remember ever seeing an e-commerce component on their sites. We think it’s going to take some time before more than a handful of dealers embrace it.
Production Print and Industrial Print on the Rise. Frank G. Cannata has been preaching the gospel of production and industrial print for years. Some dealers have perceived his advocacy for this segment as if he were the boy who cried wolf. Those dealers may need to think again, as Phil Buysse of U.S. Bank recently told us that these two segments are legitimate, with U.S. Bank more heavily involved than ever in deals for this equipment with mid-size and large dealers.
Hiring and Retention Challenges. Our Annual Dealer Survey continues to identify hiring and retention as one of dealers’ biggest challenges. We guarantee hiring and retention challenges will continue in 2025.
An Aging Service Tech Workforce. We hear all the time from dealers we interview for our CR-Connect Dealer Tour profiles about the long tenure of their service personnel. Yes, that’s an asset, but on the other hand, we also hear how more service techs are fast approaching retirement age, and the supply line to find replacements is anything but plentiful. Servicing legacy office imaging technology isn’t all that appealing to younger job seekers, which is the primary problem. The challenge for dealers going forward will be to re-imagine and redefine tech positions to battle the stereotype of copier techs in order to attract talent from other industries.
Shaking Things Up at the Leasing Companies. Let’s start with President David Pohlman’s departure from GreatAmerica Financial Services and Martin Golobic’s promotion, followed by the sale of its managed services group, Collabrance, to The 20. Then we saw The Macquarie Group quietly exit the office technology leasing space, followed by some key employees joining a new company, Verdant. Meanwhile, DLL expanded its roster of talent in the office technology arena with several former Wells Fargo employees, including Rob Parker, a familiar face to dealers. Will 2025 be another newsworthy year for the leasing companies, or will things simmer down?
Textile Printing. A recent Fridays with Frank video made a case for textile printing as a print technology destined to explode in 2025, so we’d be remiss if we didn’t include it on our list. Companies of note in this segment include EFI with its Reggiani machines, Epson with its Monna Lisa direct-to-fabric printer, HP with its Indigo digital presses, and Konica Minolta. Another manufacturer that may not be familiar to dealers is Kornit Digital, which specializes in high-speed industrial inkjet printers and related products for the garment and textile industry.
2025 WatchList: Companies to Watch
Brother. In the past three years, the percentage of dealers carrying Brother printers and A4 devices has grown in our Annual Dealer Survey. Consider this: In 2022, 14% of dealers were carrying Brother A4. In 2023, that percentage had climbed to 16%, and this year, it rose to 20%. Dealers carrying Brother printers have also been growing, from 14% a year ago to 24% this year. Brother is doing something right as it continues to gain more traction in the independent dealer channel.
DEX Imaging. The mega dealer is as strong as ever, and now that Staples has sold it to Gamut Capital Management, it looks like DEX Imaging will be back on the acquisitions track in the coming year. Also of note is DEX Imaging’s commitment to expanding into IT services, a business segment it shied away from until this year.
Distribution Management. Plenty of reasons exist to watch this distributor, which has become an asset to both the dealer and vendor communities, but we’ll focus on its partnership with Zebra Technologies because of the diversification opportunity it offers to office technology dealers. Zebra Technologies offers a comprehensive range of barcode label and RFID printers. These products, if a dealer commits to marketing them, can allow for product offering expansion beyond traditional imaging technology.
EFI. What does the future have in store for EFI? With all the changes happening at the company during the past three years, particularly with the sale of Fiery to Epson earlier this year, it may seem as if EFI is a shell of its former self. However, a strong presence at PRINTING United, where it showcased its new wide format and VUTEk digital printers, underscores the company’s formidable presence in the production and industrial print segments. From what we can surmise, EFI is still a player.
Epson America. Epson was rocking the independent dealer channel with its inkjet A3 and A4 devices and printers for a few years, providing dealers with an alternative talk track to toner-based devices. Based on our Annual Dealer Survey, its traction seems to have peaked. Whether this is a temporary setback on the way toward Epson’s inkjet dominance in the traditional office and within the dealer channel remains to be seen, especially after its parent company, Seiko Epson, announced global workforce reductions earlier this year. Beyond that, we’ll also be watching Seiko Epson after the acquisition of Fiery in September. (See next entry.)
Fiery. What’s next for Fiery, the manufacturer of digital front ends and workflow software, after its acquisition by Seiko Epson from the venture capital firm Siris Capital Group for $591 million this past September? Now that an OEM owns Fiery, how will this impact the company’s R&D, which has historically been driven by Fiery’s close relationships with the various hardware OEMs? That could create challenges, especially if those OEMs are expected to share proprietary product information with a Seiko Epson-owned entity.
Fujifilm Business Innovation. Formerly known as Fuji Xerox, the company introduced new A3 and A4 MFPs this past fall and is signing up U.S. dealers, including Marco, to market its products in the U.S. Does the dealer channel need another A3 and A4 provider? We’ll get some answers in 2025. (Also, see entry on partnerships under Trends.)
GreatAmerica Financial Services. Between executive changes and promotions, a big lawsuit, and selling its Collabrance managed IT division to The 20, this year was not business as usual for dealers’ favorite leasing company (based on The Cannata Report’s 39th Annual Dealer Survey). For those two reasons alone, we’ll be watching GreatAmerica in 2025 to see if there’s any fallout from these developments.
GoWest.ai. West McDonald, founder of the AI consulting firm GoWest.ai, has reinvented himself from an authority on managed print services to the go-to analyst for all things AI in the dealer channel. A partnership with Keypoint Intelligence lends credibility to this new venture, which started in 2022. As interest in AI across all segments of the office technology industry accelerates, we expect the same acceleration for GoWest.ai.
HP, Inc. We’ll be watching HP, Inc. this year because of the recent introduction of its HP Amplify AI Program. Of course, we can find a dozen other reasons to watch HP, but this introduction is extremely interesting. The press release described HP Amplify AI as “a customizable program designed to boost partner capabilities in achieving positive AI outcomes, offering AI guidance, tools, resources, training, and certification.” With partners, including office technology dealers struggling to understand AI technology, the program allows them to achieve certification opportunities and recognition for HP AI proficiency and AI-powered sales tools to track their progress. In the coming year, we plan to delve more into this story with examples of HP’s partners’ progress.
Intermedia Cloud Communications. Dealers keep voting for this company as Best Diversification Partner in our Annual Dealer Survey, which is why it makes our WatchList. It doesn’t hurt that Intermedia makes it easy for dealers of any size to get into the unified communications business.
Katun Corporation. It’s a brand new Katun. The company’s announcement that it would sell Fujifilm-made A3 MFPs is the primary reason we’ll watch Katun in 2025. As I questioned in a previous entry, do dealers need another source for A3 devices? Will businesses embrace a Katun-branded A3 over the other A3 legacy brands? We have our doubts, and it will be interesting to see if Katun can gain traction in the A3 space in 2025.
Konica Minolta. After a couple of challenging years due to COVID-related supply chain issues, the company is back on track and keeping the supply chain flowing. We’ve also seen some key personnel moves at Konica Minolta during the past year, including the additions of Frank Mallozzi and Jordan Liebman (see separate entries under People to Watch), which are expected to strengthen the organization. However, despite those moves and improved dealer relations, concerns about the company’s financial performance and profitability will be another reason to watch Konica Minolta in 2025.
LEAF Commercial Capital. During the past two years, only one other leasing company has had more dealers identify it as their primary leasing partner in our Annual Dealer Survey. This year, 75 out of 401 dealers rated LEAF Commercial Capital as their primary, 26 behind the leader in this category and 31 ahead of the third-place leasing company. LEAF Commercial Capital also received the second highest rating in our Survey at 4.5. Those are excellent reasons to watch this company in 2025.
Lexmark. More than a few key personnel changes have occurred in the past two years at Lexmark. Former executives have observed that it’s not the same company they once worked for. Meanwhile, dealers still swear by Lexmark’s A4 and printer products. The jury is still out on its 2024 A3 introductions. All that said, one still can’t ignore the issues surrounding its parent company, Ninestar Corporation, and the slave labor allegations circulating despite Lexmark executives declaring their independence from their parent company. We have noticed that the company is no longer as open to talking to the press even about product-related information, preferring to maintain a low profile. Perhaps that will change in 2025.
Motivation Check. This company has its sights set on the office technology dealer channel with its intriguing model, which it maintains “makes training more accessible for today’s learners.” Motivation Check has developed a learning app that enables users to learn via concise text and video segments that don’t require much of the participant’s time. We’ve viewed some of these videos, and brevity does indeed rule. The question is, will office technology dealers invest in this tool no matter how affordable it is?
MPS Monitor. Although MPS Monitor seems to have lost some support in our Annual Dealer Survey when we ask dealers to name their Best Print Management software provider, it’s gaining traction in other industry segments. In October, the Managed Print Services Association (MPSA) recognized it with an MPSA Leadership Award for Best MPS Software Provider. We expect to see further traction across the industry from MPS Monitor after The Executive Connection Summit, where it is a Gold Sponsor for this year’s event.
Nexera. There were doubts about Nexera’s future after it was acquired two years ago by Valsoft Corporation, but all signs indicate a sound future. What used to be a company that offered only a service-centric solution is now diversifying to provide dealers with a data-driven sales solution. Yes, even software companies can diversify.
Pacific Office Automation. It’s impossible to ignore the turmoil at Pacific Office Automation this year, especially with the disturbing news concerning President Doug Pitassi, which has led to him taking an indefinite leave of absence. It remains to be seen what impact this will have on the mega dealer’s huge customer base. Still, controversy or not, Pacific Office Automation will remain a significant player in the office technology dealer channel. However, the question remains: Will this controversy slow its growth? We look forward to learning more about the future direction of POA after we attend their annual sales meeting in January.
Ricoh USA. Ricoh USA remains a force to be reckoned with in the production print space (It won the Frank Award for Best Production Print Manufacturer at our 39th Annual Awards & Charities Gala). The company remains one of the more formidable players in the office technology space. Kudos to Ricoh for building out its A4 line in 2024, which dealers have been waiting on for a few years. Despite those positives, we’ll watch the company to see if any global workforce reductions announced by Ricoh Japan will impact Ricoh employees here in the U.S.
RISO. When one thinks of inkjet in the office technology space, two companies come to mind, and RISO is one of them. The company experienced some challenges during the COVID years, but it seems to be back on track and is the go-to source for affordable high-speed inkjet where “good enough” output quality is required.
Sharp. It just seems Sharp does everything or almost everything right. Based on our Annual Dealer Surveys, the company receives high grades from its dealers. It’s addressing whatever criticisms dealers may have had about its limited A4 offerings and not having a production print offering. However, it’s still too soon to tell how things are going on the production print front, but we’ll be delving into that editorially in 2025. Over the years, industry analysts have considered Canon, Konica Minolta, and Ricoh the top three office technology OEMs. However, it seems to us here at The Cannata Report that Sharp is inching its way into the upper echelon.
TD SYNNEX. We remember when TD SYNNEX was not top of mind with the industry trade press, analysts, or even the office technology dealer community. Thanks largely to its partnership with Sharp and partner events attended by growing numbers of dealers, industry press, and analysts, this distributor can’t be ignored anymore.
Toshiba America Business Solutions (TABS). With the R&D and manufacturing partnership of Ricoh and TABS’s parent company, Toshiba Tec, scheduled to kick into high gear in 2025, we certainly can’t ignore this company in the coming year. However, it’s unlikely we’ll see the results of that partnership in 2025, but just in case, we’re watching.
WiZiX Technology Group. Eight acquisitions in eight years of business. That’s not a bad track record for the California-based dealership. Founded in 2017, WiZiX has become one of Central and Northern California’s largest independent office technology providers, even extending into Northern Nevada. We’re not the only ones noticing WiZiX, the Sacramento Business Journal named it one of Sacramento’s Top 50 Fastest Growing Companies the past two years.
Xerox. Here’s another company that has undergone significant restructuring in the past two years, including the departure of Mike Pietrunti, an office technology veteran with strong dealer channel connections. Pietrunti has since found a home outside the industry. That sidebar aside, Xerox remains a formidable office technology provider, which also has a strong offering in the production and industrial print segments. Another reason to watch Xerox is its acquisition of the IT services company ITsavvy to grow its IT services business. Despite those positives, S&P Global Ratings recently announced that it had lowered Xerox’s issuer credit rating, issue-level rating on its senior secured term loan, and senior secured notes from BB- to B+ in each of those credit areas. Another reason to watch Xerox is a securities class action that was filed against Xerox Holdings Corporation, Xerox CEO Steven J. Bandrowczak, and Xerox CFO Xavier Heiss in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on November 19. According to the complaint, Xerox announced a Reinvention reorganization and cost-saving plan, but “made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company’s business.”
2025 WatchList: People to Watch
Tina Eickhoff. Earlier this year Eickhoff replaced Tony Cracchiolo as head of U.S. Bank Equipment Finance. Her long-time familiarity with the office equipment business and being based in Marshall, Minnesota, where the company’s office equipment business is located, bodes well for the continued stability and support of this market from U.S. Bank.
Kay Fernandez. In her new role as vice president of global marketing at Katun Corporation, Fernandez brings nearly three decades of experience in the office technology industry to her new employer. With all the new initiatives at Katun, including the company’s entry into the A3 and A4 space, Fernandez will play a huge role in those efforts.
Greg Goldberg. Goldberg succeeded his father, Bob, as BTA General Counsel in June of this year and will be embarking on his first full year in that role, starting in January. No doubt he has big shoes to fill, but something tells us he has an excellent mentor who will help him navigate the nuances of the independent dealer channel and its suppliers. As for Bob, the last time we saw him at our Annual Awards & Charities Gala, he quipped that he’s 5% retired. Here’s hoping he’ll be able to double that percentage in 2025.
Martin Golobic. The new CEO of GreatAmerica Financial Services will play a significant role in a company that has consistently been acknowledged as the Best Leasing Company by dealers participating in The Cannata Report’s Annual Dealer Survey. Golobic has some challenges to navigate as he enters 2025 and it will be interesting to see if there’s any impact from the negative publicity GreatAmerica has received of late.
Sarah Henderson. We said it before, and we’ll say it again: Smart move by Valsoft Corporation to bring on Henderson to assist with the Nexera and MPS Monitor brands here in the U.S. If anyone understands MPS and office technology dealers, it’s Henderson, who knows where all the bodies are buried. With her astute knowledge of the channel, we expect both brands to gain significant traction in 2025.
Justin Holmgren. The program manager at U.S. Bank has captured the attention of his co-workers and clients. As Phil Buysse, SVP, general manager, office equipment vendor services, told us, “Justin’s industry and financial knowledge has allowed him to build credibility and trust with a wide network in the industry. His enthusiasm and commitment to providing clients a competitive advantage have produced a track record of solid growth for dealers.”
Isao Kobayashi. The new president and CEO of Canon U.S.A. as of January 1, 2024, Kobayashi succeeds Kazuto Ogawa, who returned to Japan to take on a new post with the company. To date, it seems Kobayashi has maintained a low profile much like his predecessor. However, Canon U.S.A. remains a formidable force in the office technology dealer channel, and we’ll be following the company’s new leader more closely in the coming year.
Jordan Liebman. Konica Minolta’s new senior vice president of marketing and communications was introduced to the channel in early September. According to a Konica Minolta press release, Liebman has experience building world-class brands, leveraging his expertise in global brand strategy, performance marketing, product development, demand generation, and corporate communications. With all that’s going on at Konica Minolta from a technology perspective, he should be a welcome addition to the team.
Frank Mallozzi. When Mallozzi was introduced as Konica Minolta’s president of industrial and production print in April, the company added one of the most knowledgeable executives in these segments. The changes taking place at EFI created an opportunity for Mallozzi, who had spent 25 years with the company. After leaving EFI to start a consulting company, he’s back in the business doing what he does best, and Konica Minolta is the beneficiary of all that knowledge.
Dino Pagliarello. As Sharp was moving into the production print segment, it needed a production print guru. They only had to look down the road to find one in Pagliarello. In his various roles at Konica Minolta during the past 17 years, Pagliarello has acquired extensive knowledge of the production and industrial print segments. This was a great hire for Sharp and should allow them to continue the momentum in production print that began when it first announced it was entering this segment two years ago.
David Pohlman. The former president of GreatAmerica Financial Services exited the company earlier this year. In October, it was revealed that he was suing his former employer. It’s unfortunate, but both sides will have their day in court in 2025. With an impressive résumé, we’ll also be watching to see if Pohlman finds his way back into the office technology leasing industry.
Manny Rivelo. Announced as the new CEO of ConnectWise this past September, Rivelo succeeds Jason Magee who held that position since 2019. Rivelo has more than 30 years of leadership experience in the technology industry, including his previous position as CEO of Forcepoint. Prior to that, he held senior leadership roles at F5 Networks, Arista, and Cisco Systems, where a ConnectWise press release noted he was instrumental in driving key business transformations.
Laurie Sofield. After leaving Brother, where she served as director of regional sales and, before that, senior dealer sales manager, Sofield joined Konica Minolta in October as dealer business manager. Sofield was instrumental in Brother’s emergence in our Annual Dealer Survey as a rising star in the A4 and printer segments, and we expect her to be a huge asset to Konica Minolta.
2025 WatchList: Products to Watch
A4 MFPs. When I started at The Cannata Report eight years ago and came up with the WatchList concept, I couldn’t have imagined highlighting A4 MFPs as a product to watch in 2024. Eight years ago, these products didn’t get much respect in the dealer or analyst community. Eight years later, with the emergence of remote and hybrid work and the addition of A3-like capabilities, A4 is an essential hardware offering across the office technology dealer channel.
Inkjet Printers. We’re not just watching any inkjet printer; we’re watching those that operate at speeds of 100+ ppm and are used in traditional offices and production environments, such as those offered by Canon, Kyocera, Ricoh, and RISO. We’re still curious whether other OEMs outside Epson will introduce lower-speed inkjet A3 and A4 MFPs for traditional offices. For now, we think the biggest opportunity within the office technology dealer channel is at the higher end of the market.
Packaging and Label Printers. According to an article on Ricoh Business Booster, the company’s newsletter for its production print customers, the packaging world is ready for a digital disruption. The article noted, “Traditionally dominated by flexographic and offset printing, digital printing can produce short packaging runs economically, coupled with personalized and customized packaging—all of which is driving this trend.” This opportunity is backed by a 2024 study from NAPCO, which reported that 62% of marketers and brand owners are looking for print providers who can offer enhancement ideas for their packaging.
EV Chargers. You can’t stop progress, and electric and hybrid vehicles are the wave of the future. Although they won’t replace gas-powered vehicles in most of our lifetimes, there will be a growing need for charging stations from coast to coast. ACDI Energy Services is on top of this trend and has partnered with several dealers to market these products. The obstacle for some dealers is the lack of a recurring revenue stream beyond the service. Will that impede the demand? Unlikely. We don’t see EV chargers overwhelmingly accepted by the office technology dealer channel. Still, we wouldn’t be surprised if ACDI Energy Services doubled the number of dealers offering this product during the next two years.
Canon U.S.A. varioPRESS iV7. This is the latest addition to Canon’s production inkjet portfolio and its entry into the B2 sheetfed inkjet press market. According to Canon, the varioPRESS iV7 can produce 8,700 B2 4/0 sheets per hour (4,350 B2 4/4 sheets per hour) and print up to 4.5 million B2 images per month. As Canon noted in its press announcement for the device, “the varioPRESS iV7 can help empower commercial printers to migrate jobs from existing digital devices and shorter runs from offset.” It won’t be available until the second half of 2025, so we’ll have to wait and see how it does in the market.
Katun Arivia A3 MFPs. This will be interesting—a distributor marketing its own line of A3 devices. Katun isn’t starting slowly in this segment, testing the waters. No, it rolled out 11 A3 models in September, including five monochrome and six color models. Katun seems to be all in on this initiative, and we’ll be watching to see how many dealers embrace these products in 2025.
Konica Minolta JETvarnish 3D Web 400. This November announcement should be welcome news for the company’s dealers in the production and industrial print segments. Konica Minolta describes the JETvarnish 3D Web 400 as “a one-of-a-kind 100% web-fed digital embellishment solution that seamlessly integrates spot UV coating, hot foil stamping, and variable data printing in a single pass.” The company also maintains that it’s the only single-pass spot-UV and hot foil embellishment reel-to-reel system on the market.
Kyocera TASKalfa Pro 15000c. We have good reason to include a product introduced in late 2019 on our 2025 WatchList. IDC named the TASKalfa Pro 15000c the market leader in high-speed cut-sheet inkjet production print earlier this year. Note that the acknowledgment is worldwide, not just here in the U.S. According to IDC, Kyocera has a 34.5% market share in this category. Just as impressive, that market share was achieved over three consecutive quarters. The caveat we have about the TASKalfa Pro 15000c in the U.S. dealer channel is that in our Annual Dealer Survey, not one of the 11 Kyocera dealers (out of 49 Kyocera dealers participating in our Survey) who offer production print identified Kyocera as their primary production print manufacturer. Because of this, we’ll be watching to see if Kyocera gains any inroads among dealers in the U.S., at least those dealers who participate in our Survey.
Ricoh Pro 8400 Series Production Printers. The series consists of the 8400S, operating at speeds up to 96 ppm, and the 8420, operating at speeds up to 136 ppm. Although we wouldn’t call the series revolutionary, we expect it to allow more Ricoh dealers to play in the production print space.
SalesChain. Let’s not underestimate software’s power across all office technology channel segments. This company has become a prominent player with its business management software. What started with a solution for empowering sales teams with information, organization, and automation with a specific focus on managing lease portfolio turns, SalesChain has expanded the capabilities in its solution to support the entire office equipment enterprise, including proposal pricing, documentation, order fulfillment workflow, service pricing, commissions, delivery workflow automation, and document management.
Scanshare. The latest version of this document capture and workflow automation software, which enables organizations to digitize, process, and route paper-based and electronic documents into various destinations (such as document management systems, cloud storage, and email) was released in 2024. From what we’ve heard, ACDI, the company that markets this software, plans to aggressively promote it to the dealer channel as it has done with PaperCut print management software.
Sharp Production Printers. We’re not going to single out any one product here, but all of them because they’re such critical introductions for Sharp, which now has a formidable line of true production devices to go with its solid lineup of light production machines. The production lineup includes the BP-1200S, a six-color digital press, and the 125ppm BP-1250M and 136 ppm BP-1360M monochrome models.
Xerox PrimeLink C9200 Series Color Printers. Don’t underestimate the necessity of having an entry-level line of devices suitable for production environments and traditional offices. The Xerox PrimeLink C9265/C9275/C9281 offers high-end production features and output up to 81 ppm. Introduced in September, PrimeLink is another example of a light production device that can prepare dealers to move upstream into the true production print space.
