Technology Trends

If I had to sum up the Executive Connection Summit 2024 in one word or two letters, it would be AI. Indeed, AI was the prevailing topic of multiple presentations, including some that weren’t specifically dedicated to AI.

This year’s IT Nation Connect was the largest IT Nation Connect conference ever, with 6,500 attendees, including more than 4,000 who traveled to Orlando, Florida, to attend in person.

Canon EXPO 2023, October 18–20, took place for the first time since 2015 at Pacifico Yokohama North with the theme of “Future Focused. Always.”

Are you currently experiencing the fear of missing out (FOMO) on new technology? European Headlines columnist Petra Diener makes a case for why you shouldn’t have FOMO.

New inkjet models from Epson and Canon are encroaching on applications once reserved for laser printers.

No doubt, RISO’s tagline at PRINTING United nailed it: “Printers for Endless Possibilities.” And that’s what PRINTING United is about; printing in 2023 hardly knows any limits.

Positive trends and new opportunities indicate a bright future for a channel ready to embrace diversification.

We like to watch, which is why this time every year we identify the trends, companies, people, products, and events we will be keeping an eye on in the coming year in our annual WatchList.

Although structures vary by company, hybrid work generally lets employees work wherever and however they are most productive.

The introductions and initiatives from the leading document imaging OEMs that made a difference in 2023.

Attendance and participation at Camp ACDI 2023, a digital and diversification-themed event, was dominated by managed IT services and software channel brass from leading office technology dealerships.

This year’s IT Nation Connect conference introduced attendees to the concept of hyperautomation, a trend that will have a huge impact on their businesses as well as the many products and solutions introduced by ConnectWise.

LDI Connect recently hosted a TECHtoberfest celebration showcasing new technologies and innovations from its partners, including AXIS Communications, Brother, Canon U.S.A., HP, Intermedia Cloud Communications, Microsoft, Samsung, Sharp NEC, and Xerox.

In mid-October, Toshiba TEC, the company responsible for manufacturing and selling Toshiba copiers, announced the release in Japan of the industry’s first A3 color MFP with RFID writer capability.

With the latest high-speed inkjet printers, we have entered the era of the book of one. Some organizations have gone so far as the booklet of one.

This year’s Annual Dealer Survey reveals a thriving industry despite the challenges of the past three years.

These are the highlights from Part II of our 38th Annual Dealer Survey.

After expanding the number of concerns to 13 two years ago in our Annual Dealer Survey, we found that a handful of them stood out from the rest, with only a small percentage of dealers selecting some of the other options among the choices.

A year ago, the overall A3 MFP ratings for the Big Six A3 OEMs plummeted to their lowest ever (4.0), which we attributed to fallout from the pandemic and supply chain issues.

The A4 MFP ratings in comparison to the A3 ratings are still lower, which is likely a reflection of the supply chain issues of last year when A4 took a backseat to the higher margin A3 products in terms of where OEMs were devoting available resources.

When tabulating dealers’ ratings of their leasing partners, we only include those companies that have been identified by 25 or more dealers as their primary leasing partner. For the third consecutive year, five leasing companies reached that figure.

AAs one would expect in the production print manufacturer ratings, the majority of dealers who selected the Best Production Print Manufacturer voted for their primary A3 provider.

For the past 10 years, we have asked dealers to identify which software provider offers the products and support that allows them to compete the most effectively. 

After a four-year hiatus, we are once again publishing dealer meeting ratings.

President & CEO Sam Errigo discusses initiatives that will accelerate Konica Minolta’s growth for the next 150 years.