Why the Copier Dealer Channel Is Built to Power the Humanoid Revolution

I'll say it: "the humanoid robots aren’t coming. They’re here." 

And someone’s going to need to roll up their sleeves and get them installed, trained, and serviced in the real world. If you’re building one of these things, or investing in them, or dreaming up where they go next, here’s something you might not expect: the people who used to sell and fix copy machines might be your secret weapon.

This is for the C-suite folks at robotics OEMs. Give me 20 minutes and I’ll show you a national, field-ready service infrastructure that already exists, knows how to run a territory, and has been quietly waiting for what’s next. It’s the copier dealer channel. And they’re not dead. They’re just evolving.

The robots are already walking. Now it’s time to think about how they’ll get to the customer.

Legacy Strength: Dealers Who Already Do This

These aren’t box droppers. Dealers built their businesses on complex machines that jam, update, break, and reboot. They know how to assess a site, plan logistics, offer leasing, and meet SLAs. Sound familiar? That’s exactly what your robot needs. They’ve been training non-technical users for 30 years. Add humanoids to the truck and go.

Infrastructure Already in Place

Warehouses. Vans. Dispatch boards. Helpdesks. Loaner units. Remote monitoring. Trunk stock. It’s all there. OEMs spend years and millions trying to build this. Dealers already have it—and they’re bored of pushing print.

Leasing and Billing Expertise

Need to bundle software, hardware, service, and support into a monthly invoice? These people invented it. They’ve lived through every nightmare billing model and came out smarter. If your GTM includes RaaS or monthly contracts, this channel’s already fluent.

A Trusted Sales Motion

You know what copier reps are good at? Walking into a business and selling a mission-critical, misunderstood piece of tech that nobody asked for—but now can’t live without. If they can do it with \$25K multifunction boxes, they can do it with a robot that waves at customers.

Immediate Market Fit

Schools. Hospitals. Courthouses. Municipal offices. Dealerships. These are the places where MFPs live, and they’re the same places that will deploy humanoids first. The channel already has entry, trust, and contracts.

OEMs Need the Channel

Most robotics companies are heavy on engineering and light on field ops. Building a support team? A nightmare. Managing installs? Worse. Copier dealers have been doing both for decades. What you call “the last mile” is just Tuesday for them.

A Call to Action

This isn’t a five-year roadmap. It’s a “who do we call next” situation. OEMs: partner now. Dealers: start training your teams. The match is obvious. The window is open.

Copier dealers have feet on the street, hands on the machines, and contracts in the drawer. They just need the call.

You’ve got the robots. They’ve got the infrastructure. Let’s go.

— Greg Walters, The Death of the Copier