2010 predictions - Printacom's Neil Rom has his say

With the recession still upon us, keeping costs under control, growing revenue and increasing efficiencies will remain the focus for the duration of 2010.

Consumables make up a considerable part of the office equipment budget, but by utilising the machines' functionality to their fullest extent, companies will not only save on unnecessary expenses, but also cut down on power usage, reducing their carbon footprint and joining the green movement - something most companies around our country are trying to achieve and look for it in their vendors, distributors and suppliers.

Recycling and reverse logistics that have traditionally been costly will also move higher into corporate and SMEs' consciences. I predict that within the year, printer vendors will start an initiative that will see them combine their efforts into one cartridge recycling programme in order to achieve economies of scale and make it a truly viable, sustainable programme.

Even though office automation is a proven and established model in South Africa, 2010 will see it making further headway as a means to maximise company resources while keeping the balances in check. Companies will also be looking to do business with organisations that can provide an all-round service and maintenance, rather than purely specialised products or services. 2009 saw the collapse and resurrection of one international printer vendor, I believe that at least one more is on the cards for 2010 and it's not OKI.

All in all, the landscape of the hard copy output industry has changed; end-users and the rest of the channel are looking for real value, good stock holding and good after-sales service. The days of lip service are over. We have to give customers technology that works at the price they are willing to pay. If not, I am sure there could be even more casualties in the industry in spite of the market starting to recover in the second quarter of 2010.