If It Prints, I'll Let You Know

A survey of 800 individuals found that smartphone and tablet users will strongly boost printing, scanning, and document management during the period of 2012–2016.

According to an analysis by the International Data Corporation (IDC), smartphones and tablet users are more likely than non-users to print more business applications from their PCs. Expanding travel demands, access to color printing, and corporate requirements to print certain documents are driving  printing from tablets and smartphones both in the office and on the road.

The report revealed percentage of users who printed from their mobile devices increased dramatically in 2012, and the percentage of those who do not print and do not want to print will decline from nearly 50 percent in 2012 to just 25 percent in 2015.

Other interesting findings of the IDC survey indicates the following:

->>A higher percentage of tablet users than smartphone users can’t print but want to.

->>Smartphone and tablet users at large and medium companies print more applications more frequently than their small company counterparts.

->>Business-use smartphone/tablet users are more likely than their personal-use counterparts to print, and to have an interest in printing.

->>Most consumer applications are cited as having flat print volume, but photo and coupon printing are increasing, while newspapers/magazines, explanation of benefits, event tickets, games, airline boarding passes, and flight itineraries are decreasing.

->>Three mobile print services dominate at small companies whereas at large companies, a greater variety of mobile print services are cited more often.

->>A smartphone or tablet camera for document capture, and cloud file services (e.g., Dropbox) are used by more smartphone and tablet users than mobile scanners, and mobile printing services.

->>Smartphone and tablet users are more likely than non-users to scan most applications examined.