2019 - Questions to Ponder for Production Printers

We were asked to share our views on what the print community might expect over the coming year. The following bullets are our thoughts on 2019.  

How many production printer OEMs will merge or die?

• One A-level OEM will merge its office/MPS business with another A-level OEM.
• One A-level OEM will focus greater resources to products outside of production print.
• One B-level production print OEM suppliers will cease operation.

How many production print providers will there be?

• The decline in the number of production print providers will increase.
• Profits will increase for printers who sell client’s solutions versus just print.
• The number of non-print-based services offered by profitable printers will increase.

Will printed pages increase or decrease?

• Printed pages will continue decreasing.
• Revenue per page will increase based on the incremental value providers are applying to pages in the form of:
  • data management;
  • social media integration;
  • postal tracking;
  • post-processing;
  • page embellishments.

Will any revolutionary hardware or software print technologies be introduced?

• No, as many OEMs have reduced their R&D budgets.
• More emphasis will be placed on refinements to existing technologies which can generate incremental profits for providers with minimum investments.

How can print providers ensure their future?

• Select OEM providers who are financially stable and are willing to act as business partners in assisting your company in developing new, profitable applications.
• Focus on the client’s business needs versus your print technology resources.
• Serve as a business consultant to help clients better communicate with their customers and stakeholders.

Thanks for reading. Your thoughts on this topic are appreciated.

Promoting print tech for the digital age,
Andy & Julie Plata
Co-CEOs, American Printer and the OutputLinks Communications Group

Stay tuned for our continuing Commentary on the evolving print community - its clients, employees, dealers, partners and financial partners.