IDC FutureScape: Worldwide Imaging, Printing, and Document Solutions 2025 Predictions

IDC FutureScape Figure

• Figure: IDC FutureScape: Worldwide Imaging, Printing, and Document Solutions 2025 Top 10 Predictions

Executive Summary

IDC FutureScape Predictions

• Summary of External Drivers

• Predictions: Impact on Technology Buyers

• Prediction 1: By 2027, 35% of All Enterprise-Class Printers and MFPs in Use Worldwide Will Be GenAI-Enabled Devices Driven by the Ability to Enhance the User Experience

• Associated Drivers

• IT Impact

• Guidance

• Prediction 2: By 2028, Global Shipments of Used Printing Devices Will More than Double, Driven by New Regulations and the Growing Demand for Sustainability and Lower Costs

• Associated Drivers

• IT Impact

• Guidance

• Prediction 3: Fueled by AI-Infused Technologies and Advancements in Print Management Platforms, by 2026, 25% of All Businesses Will Transition to a Self-Managed Model for MPDS

• Associated Drivers

• IT Impact

• Guidance

• Prediction 4: By 2028, the Use of AI, Cloud, and IoT with Advanced Capabilities Will Reduce the Number of Total Print-Related Service Calls by 30%, Resulting in Improved Uptime and Efficiencies Across the Fleet

• Associated Drivers

• IT Impact

• Guidance

• Prediction 5: With Channel Consolidation and the Ongoing Commoditization of Print, One in Three Workgroup-Class Print Devices Will Be Purchased Online by 2027, Requiring New Spending and Security Policies

• Associated Drivers

• IT Impact

• Guidance

• Prediction 6: By 2026, 35% of Organizational IT Budgets Will No Longer Provide Any Provision for Print in Work-from-Home Settings, Which Will Place More Responsibility on These Employees

• Associated Drivers

• IT Impact

• Guidance

• Prediction 7: By 2027, 50% of All Production and Large Format Print Ordering Systems Will Be Fully Self-Serviced, Assisted by AI and Automation

• Associated Drivers

• IT Impact

• Guidance

• Prediction 8: By 2027, Pages Scanned on MFPs Will Increase by 50%, Driven by Greater Focus on MFP Scanning Capabilities, Ongoing DX Initiatives, and the Goal to Rightsize Device Fleets

• Associated Drivers

• IT Impact

• Guidance

• Prediction 9: By 2026, 95% of Print Management Solutions Will Have Cybersecurity Features Enhanced or Assisted by AI That Help Boost Overall Organizational Cyber-Resiliency

• Associated Drivers

• IT Impact

• Guidance

• Prediction 10: By 2027, 40% of Public Sector Print Procurement Practices Will Include Guidelines That Take Local Sourcing, Sustainability, and Alignment to Own ESG Policies into Consideration

• Associated Drivers

• IT Impact

• Guidance

Advice for Technology Buyers

External Drivers: Detail

• AI-Driven Business Models — Moving from AI Experimentation to Monetization

• The Drive to Automate — Toward a Data-Driven Future

• Future Proofing Against Environmental Risks — ESG Operationalization and Risk Management

• AI-Driven Workplace Transformation — Building Tomorrow's Workforce Today

• Regulatory Flux — Navigating Compliance Challenges in a Shifting Policy Landscape

• Expanding Digital Security Frontiers — Fortification Against Multiplying Threats

• Customer Experience Squared — Consumer and Citizen Expectations for Digital Services

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• Related Research