IDC: Mobile users will want to print anywhere

Seamless printing key as mobile workforce expands

Market watcher IDC has put its money on mobile printing as the key to the successful expansion of the mobile workforce.

Holly Muscolino, a director into research of software and services for hardcopy peripherals at the US base of the analyst firm, said: "A print solution will be a must-have for mobile users expecting the ability to print from their handheld devices."

However, reseller advice and strategy will be key. IDC's Muscolino said that the market is nascent and the products diverse, baffling both vendors and potential customers trying to find the right roadmap.

"The market is young, and the plethora and variety of solutions have been very confusing to both hardcopy device vendors and end users, with no clear-cut standards emerging," she said.

Products available have been aimed at "vastly different" user requirements, a disorganised approach that creates both confusion and scepticism in potential customers.

Until standards develop – and they will, claims Muscolino – education will likely prove critical, especially as cloud applications become more prevalent.

"Vendors must remain nimble to harness the capabilities of new and evolving handheld devices as well as new opportunities and business models as more and more applications migrate to the cloud," said Muscolino.

The lines between the office and the outside world are becoming more transparent, according to Muscolino, and the demands and expectations of the expanding mobile workforce rising accordingly.

This is a "tremendous opportunity" for mobile enterprise print applications that promise a seamless, more convenient way of printing documents wherever workers are, said Muscolino.