The End of Print… and the Rise of the Office Humanoid

Art Post 

ENX Difference Maker for 2022.Top 100 Influencer w/ Office Technology in 2022. 8 Times Awarded "ENX Difference Maker" for Technology. I enjoy helping clients with print devices and digital transformation

September 4, 2025

Why “digital services” won’t save copier OEMs, and what will

Let’s stop whispering: office print is collapsing. When the last tray runs dry, scanning follows, then “document workflows.” Many OEMs are rebranding as “digital service companies,” but that’s a half-measure. Subscriptions don’t replace the fat, predictable annuities of clicks and toner.

Here’s the provocation: the only scalable, defensible path for copier OEMs is a transition from “document devices” to “office robots”, including humanoids. One humanoid for every copier you ever placed. Same buying center. Same lease model. Same service network. Entirely new value.

Why “Digital Services” Isn’t a Moat

• Crowded markets: You’re late to content/cloud/IDP; cloud-natives already own the mindshare.
• Margin compression: SaaS margins + channel margins ≠ click-charge annuities.
• Thin differentiation: Everyone sells “workflow”; few can prove durable outcomes.
• No hardware gravity: Without a device anchoring the contract, churn skyrockets.

Printers → Platforms → People-Shaped Machines

Read the rest here.