What does the future hold for the likes of Ricoh, Canon, and KonicaMinolta?
Managed IT Services, 3D Printing, Medical Devices, Managed Services, Production Print Devices?
Let's take a trip back to 1986 in the office equipment industry.
That was the year I started my own copier business here in NJ. Copy machines had one single function, and that was to make a copy of an original. Those older devices were very mechanical, very heavy and service techs had to have excellent mechanical skills to make repairs.
Most companies were still using dot matrix printers for report printing, while typewriters were used for filling forms, and creating proposals. Fax machines were available but very expensive, thus getting documents from one office to another office overnight was dominated by FedEx. Heck, I can remember dropping lease documents in the fedex paks to make sure they were delivered the next day so we could get paid on our signed leases.
Today, stand alone fax machines are all but a memory (I think I've sold one fax machine in the last 18 months), no longer do I see a typewriter in every office, in fact when I see them, I'll always ask, "what do you use the typewriter for?"
Many of the dot matrix printers were sent to junk piles many years ago, in fact I just saw a couple of Printronix printers that were being mothballed in leiu of a Planet Press solution for printing reports.
Ah yes, copiers, the basic copy machine is no longer. That basic analog copy machine has transformed into a digital device that will scan, fax, print and copy in color.
Change
Everything changes, change does not take a holiday nor does it stand still for very long. All of those devices I mentioned from thirty years ago are history, and soon many of the devices that we use today will also be history.
A few days ago, I read an article titled "Ricoh face fraud allegations and “watershed” year." I was intrigued by the fraud allegations and clicked the link, the fraud allegation was something I was already familiar with (was with Ricoh India), however what I was not familiar with was the downturn in profits from Ricoh. Hey, it's not only Ricoh, it's all of the copier manufacturers that are facing much lower profits. In fact this article stated that Ricoh will have a 12% drop in profits for 2016, compared to a 4% drop for 2014-2015. The article then went on to state that 3D printing may be the savior for the Golden Age of 3D printing.
OK, I get it, 3D printing, consumables, devices that need to be repaired, planned obsolescence are good things for manufacturers.
2046
But, instead of looking back at 1986, and 2016, let's fast forward to 2046. Technology is moving at light speed.
Thus, could the next 30 years see technology multiply by 100 times?
If you're a fan of Moore's Law, then the answer is yes, and what happens when technology could increases a 1,000 times!
It's my bet that the likes of Canon, Ricoh and KonicaMinolta will still be around in a BIG way. For me, the most logically transformation of these giants will be robotics. It won't be copy machines!
For those of us that are science fictions buffs, we know that many of the ideas put forth from the minds of the authors will eventually come to fruition.
Robotics can provide manufacturers with a planned obsolescence business model. Similar to copy machines there will be a need for on-site repairs, replacement of worn parts, broken parts and software upgrades.
So, could you look at today's digital copier and come to the conclusion that this device is indeed the first step in robotics? I think so, because when looking at the definition of a robot their are two definitions from Webster:
: a real or imaginary machine that is controlled by a computer and is often made to look like a human or animal
:a machine that can do the work of a person and that works automatically or is controlled by a computer
Our first definition won't work, right? Now, the second definition does work, and here's the reason why. Our digital copier is capable of routing documents, performing software enhancements to the documents with the aid of the computer that is in the copier.
Yes, it's a stretch, but isn't it a stretch with that silly robot (Rumba) that vacuums your floors?
It's pretty much a given that paper will disappear as a form of communication at some point in the future. When? I don't have that answer, but when was the last time you watched a Sci-fi flick and saw a sheet of paper? You don't.
I probably won't be around in 2046, however, this blog will be somewhere on the web (there will be a web right) and I wonder if my prognostication will come true.
The ideas and visions that we write about today will be the reality at some time in our future.
-=Good Selling=
Comments are always welcome!!!
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