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.
The copier hum has long been part of Jacksonville, Tallahassee, and Gainesville offices. Dealers across North Florida kept that hum alive, rolling trucks down I‑95 and I‑10, fixing misfeeds, and keeping fleets running. Work that built trust. But the market is shifting. Global copier demand is steady but not expanding quickly. Transparency Market Research projects the copier market to grow at roughly 3.9 percent annually through 2031 to about 19.7 billion dollars. Dealers are searching for the next engine of recurring revenue as print volumes flatten.
Office Ready Robots™ from companies like Quasi are not industrial arms bolted to factory floors. They are mobile machines tuned for everyday environments: offices, hospitals, campuses, distribution centers. They roll with cameras and sensors, carrying mail, escorting visitors, and running supplies. They need leasing, service, and updates, the very skills North Florida’s copier channel already delivers.
The copier hum has long been part of offices across the Upper Midwest. Dealers in Fargo, Minneapolis, and throughout Minnesota kept that hum alive, rolling trucks through snowstorms, fixing jams, and keeping fleets running. Reliable service that built trust. But the market is shifting. Copier demand is steady but no longer expanding quickly. Transparency Market Research projects the global copier market to grow at roughly 3.9 percent annually through 2031 to about 19.7 billion dollars. Dealers are looking for the next source of recurring revenue as print volumes flatten.
Office Ready Robots™ from companies like Quasi are not factory robots bolted to auto lines. They are mobile machines tuned for everyday environments: offices, hospitals, campuses, and distribution centers. They carry mail, escort visitors, and move supplies. They need leasing, service, and updates—the very strengths Fargo and Minnesota copier dealers already deliver.
The regional economy is adapting. Fargo continues to grow as a healthcare, education, and agri-business hub. In Minnesota, the Twin Cities remain a major business center, with finance, healthcare, and logistics fueling office demand. Colliers and Cushman & Wakefield both report that Minneapolis office vacancy is high but stabilizing, while industrial vacancy remains low at under 5 percent with strong leasing in logistics and light manufacturing. These market dynamics create clear lanes for robots: front offices investing in hybrid workplaces, and warehouses and healthcare systems adding automation to cut labor strain.
The latest Inc. 5000 CEO survey hit like a thunderclap, and I could not help but grin. Half of America’s fastest-growing leaders say Ai will boost sales and marketing. Half say it is overhyped and risky. That tension is the story, and it is exactly what I have been warning about.
I watched managed print services fall into this trap years ago. What started as a smart way to cut costs and fix workflows got whitewashed into “30 percent savings” pitches. Dealers slapped MPS on their brochures without delivering substance. Buyers saw right through it, and the whole category lost its punch.
I’ve been in this business long enough to recognize a pattern. Every few years, the industry dusts off old features, slaps on a new label, and calls it a revolution. Remember how Managed Print Services was supposed to change everything? It could have—but instead it was gutted by over-promises, vendor spin, and a race to the bottom on clicks and toner.
Now it’s happening again with Ai.
I recently read a marketing piece claiming Ai is “transforming” copiers and printers. The examples were familiar: predictive maintenance, scan-to-workflow routing, toner optimization, and centralized fleet reporting. Good features, but hardly new. They’ve been in the field for years, only now they’re being paraded around under the Ai banner.
HotLanta
The copier hum has been Atlanta’s office soundtrack for decades. Dealers like EDGE Business Systems earned trust by keeping that hum alive, dispatching techs, swapping drums, fixing misfeeds. Reliable, repeatable work. But the market is shifting. Copier and printer demand is stabilizing rather than shrinking in many mature markets. Globally, the copier category is projected to grow at roughly 3.9 percent annually through 2031 to about 19.7 billion dollars, according to Transparency Market Research. Dealers are still looking for new revenue streams as page volumes shift and refresh cycles lengthen.
Office Ready Robots™ built by companies like Quasi are not factory arms or warehouse rigs. They are mobile machines tuned for offices, lobbies, hospitals, and campuses. These robots fit into the same service and leasing model that copier dealers already run. They roam with cameras and sensors, carry supplies, escort guests, and handle routine runs. Like copiers, they require parts, service, consumables, and updates, capabilities Atlanta dealers already provide.
