T
he SMBs have three basic needs when selecting printers: “reliability, cost and performance”.
According to research by analysts GfK (commissioned by Brother) reported on by ARNNet, Australian SMBs still want basic straightforward and cost-effective performance as opposed to high-tech services, whilst larger businesses that have an IT department and an IT manager focus more on “networking, connectivity and touchscreen displays”, although reliability is still paramount.
Brother’s printers have been “marketed directly to business” through “partner[s]” providing all-inclusive sales and support for SMBs and larger businesses. The OEM’s printers feature “in-built NFC scanners for print on demand” as well as cost-effective print management, which SMBs will find attractive – it claims – and toner cartridges that can print up to 20,000 pages. The company’s BRAdmin tool centralises a fleet of Brother printers and is “administrated through a centralised tool”.
Security is a “growing concern” for Australian businesses, but the OEM’s Active Directory Integration feature restricts “public access” and has identity management and a secure function lock, as well as “internet protocol security for remote printing” with print data encryption. There is a preference for inkjet printing rather than laser in Australia, though that is only by a 10 percent margin ,and although this is initially less expensive, the printers are reportedly not as reliable as laser and end up more costly.
According to the survey, six in 10 businesses said “inkjet printers were not robust enough to handle the heavy print volumes” and were “more expensive to run in the long term”. There is a preference for SMBs to use OEM cartridges, as they say that the print quality is better and there is less risk of damaging the printers.
There is an opening in the Australian market for MPS, and the research showed that 50 percent were unaware of their spending on printing and imaging, and that those 50 percent would be open to “engaging a partner to manage some or all of their in house printing”. Larger businesses were more interested in this than the smaller ones.
Brother concluded: “In Australia, Brother partners with a number of service providers that provide managed print services, which can include installation of printers that communicate their status with the provider automatically, automatic consumables replenishment, and on-site warranty service and maintenance.”