Office printer fleet refreshes have often been put off by businesses in recent years, but as more people return to the office, some are now taking the plunge and investing – although they have certain requirements that resellers need to be alive to.
Since COVID hit six years ago and turbocharged the rise of hybrid working, many businesses have put off refreshing their office printer fleets. But now, as more people return to the office on a regular basis, and print volumes increase, the overdue printer fleet refreshes are back on the table – but customers’ needs are changing.
Tony Ko, vice president of hardware and business solutions at Katun, says the company is seeing growing demand from businesses looking to refresh their printer fleets. “But the discussion today goes far beyond replacing hardware alone,” he notes. “Organisations are prioritising modern technology that is intuitive to use, built with advanced security features and designed to support sustainability goals.
“They also want the flexibility to integrate their fleets with leading workplace solutions that enhance productivity and streamline workflows. As businesses continue navigating hybrid work environments, tighter budgets, and increasing compliance requirements, their focus is on connected, efficient technologies that simplify operations, reduce costs and deliver a better overall workplace experience.”
Greig Millar, chief revenue officer at Brother UK, adds that print remains essential for many organisations. “Particularly for customer-facing documents, presentations and reports, so businesses want devices they can trust to deliver reliability and performance without adding complexity,” he says. “As a result, we’re seeing a great opportunity to supply colour printing, as teams aim to bring work to life with high-quality, vibrant content.”
Chris Bates, business unit director – print and supplies, UK and Ireland at TD SYNNEX, says quite a few organisations are probably looking for a new, fit-for-purpose print solution in 2026. “That could mean more smaller printers that are easily accessible and on-hand to workers, rather than located in a traditional print room,” he says.
Trends
Within the push for printer fleet refreshes, there are certain distinct trends among customers, which resellers should be alive to. For instance, Tony says that customer demand is evolving across the A3 and A4 segments. “Growth is driven less by device size and more by how technology supports the broader workplace experience,” he says. “Businesses are looking for solutions that help them operate more efficiently, manage costs, and gain greater visibility into their print and workflow environments.
“There is also increasing interest in technologies that can automate routine tasks, strengthen document security and support hybrid work models. Rather than investing in standalone hardware, organisations are prioritising integrated workplace solutions that can scale with their needs. Katun’s Workplace Solutions portfolio offers a variety of leading tools to help businesses simplify their operations.”
Chris adds that most customers are now running smaller batch jobs for office working with the first print-out being the important one. “They want easy connectivity and devices capable of meeting their everyday office printing needs,” he adds.
“There is still a need for ‘traditional’ office print devices, but we can offer multiple options now – for example, TD SYNNEX offers the VASION print service, which acts as a cloud-based print server. This allows seamless driver maintenance and decommissioning of on-premises print servers. When that is used in harness with the OpenMPS service, resellers can provide optimum solutions for their customers that meet everyday needs but are also flexible and cost-effective.”
Greig adds that IT teams are clear that, no matter the format of their new devices, they need to be compact, secure and cloud ready as they adapt their tech for a modern workplace. “At the same time, businesses are increasingly looking for print solutions that are easier to manage, more flexible and better suited to evolving hybrid working models,” he says.
“That’s why managed print services (MPS) are growing in importance, helping businesses scale print infrastructure as workplace practices evolve while delivering predictable costs and remote fleet management. Businesses want print environments that simply work, regardless of where employees are based and MPS helps remove complexity while improving reliability and uptime.”
Sustainability
MPS also helps support firms’ wider sustainability goals, which are becoming a much bigger factor in purchasing decisions, notes Greig. “Demand for remanufactured consumables continues to rise as businesses look for practical ways to reduce waste and lower emissions without compromising on quality or reliability,” he adds.
“Through Brother’s free toner and cartridge return programme, customers can return used supplies to be remanufactured to a ‘good as new’ standard, helping support circular economy goals while reducing reliance on virgin materials. We remain the only print vendor remanufacturing both toner and ink cartridges, and continued investment in this area is helping make remanufacturing more accessible for customers through MPS agreements that simplify returns, reporting and ongoing fleet management.”
Tony agrees that sustainability has become an increasingly important factor in purchasing decisions. “Especially as businesses face growing pressure to meet environmental goals and comply with evolving regulations, particularly across Europe,” he explains. “Organisations are no longer viewing sustainability and cost savings as separate priorities; they want solutions that deliver both.
“Energy-efficient technologies, such as Katun’s Arivia MFP line, help reduce power consumption, lower operating costs and minimise maintenance needs. At the same time, longer device lifecycles and improved reliability help reduce waste and total cost of ownership. As a result, businesses are placing greater value on technologies that support operational efficiency while aligning with broader sustainability and corporate responsibility initiatives.”
Chris adds that TD SYNNEX can support partners by predicting the carbon footprint savings a customer will make when looking at a print refresh.
Reseller conversations
When discussing printer fleet refreshes, there are various things resellers should be highlighting to customers. Chris says there are four areas that partners should be focusing on. “First, is it best for them to go for a ‘fit for purpose’ refresh or look at a contract-driven approach that is based on historic print volumes,” he says.
“Thousands of businesses still have printer estates or contracts that are no longer suited to their current print volumes or needs. It’s often the case now that print volumes have decreased and the printers that they have are over-spec’d, which means they will be paying more than they need.
“Second, look at the carbon footprint in detail and what savings be made.
“Third, consider security and whether the current set-up is safe or exposes the business to risk?
“Finally, they should look at how accessible and manageable the solutions are and need to be. Are they easy to connect? What happens when they are running low on ink or toner? Are they good value for money?”
Resellers should position printer fleet refreshes as an opportunity to improve operational efficiency and support broader business goals, not just replace hardware, according to Tony. “Customers are looking for technology that is secure, energy-efficient, reliable and easy to manage,” he adds.
“A modern fleet can help reduce downtime, lower operating costs and improve the overall user experience, while also supporting sustainability and compliance initiatives. The most effective conversations focus on the measurable business impact and long-term value that the latest hardware and workplace solutions can deliver.”
Future
Looking ahead, it is anticipated that demand for printer fleet refreshes will continue to grow, despite current economic uncertainties. Chris notes that there will always be a need for organisations to refresh their printing devices and good opportunities for resellers. “Today, that refresh need not be expensive, and it’s perfectly feasible to convert print from CAPEX to OPEX,” he adds.
Tony says demand for the latest devices is expected to continue growing. “Even though some organisations may delay decisions in the short-term due to economic pressure,” he notes. “Because MFPs are critical to everyday business operations, keeping print environments up to date is essential for maintaining efficiency, security and reliability across the workplace.
“When approached strategically, modernising print infrastructure can help organisations reduce operating costs in the long-term. As a result, print modernisation remains an important investment for today’s businesses.”
This presents ongoing opportunities for resellers. Greig notes that the resellers that ‘win’ will be the ones delivering reliability, predictable costs and proactive support through solutions that are simple to manage. “MPS enables resellers to combine secure devices, automated supplies replenishment, predictive maintenance and cloud-based fleet management into one seamless service that helps reduce downtime and improve efficiency – these are all the foundations of the modern workplace,” he adds.
“Economic pressures may be prompting some businesses to delay tech investment decisions in the short-term, but they also reinforce the value of flexible contract printing. Refreshing printer fleets gives organisations an opportunity to introduce newer, more efficient devices that are better suited to their day-to-day needs, helping reduce maintenance demands and lower running costs over time.”
