Y Soft announced on 6th July 2022 that it has reached a definitive agreement to acquire cloud-based print infrastructure provider EveryonePrint . The deal announcement cites EveryonePrint’s “robust cloud architecture, long-standing and diverse SaaS, Cloud and channel expertise” as the rationale for the move, which will create a combined installed base of 45,000+ customers in more than 120 countries.
Y Soft’s acquisition of EveryonePrint is timely amidst ongoing industry consolidation and growing momentum in the cloud print market. Quocirca’s recent Cloud Print Services 2022 study revealed cloud print adoption is increasing as organisations accelerate their cloud-enabled digitisation initiatives. The market landscape is relatively crowded, with many traditional print management software vendors introducing cloud-based versions of their products. This has led to a diverse market where customers are looking to more clarity on how cloud print models can lower costs and improve efficiencies.
Operating a cloud-based print infrastructure, particularly when print servers are moved to the cloud, offers a range of benefits including increased efficiency, improved security and reduced environmental impact.
There are five main complementary areas between the two companies that will add to their combined strength in the market and ultimately create synergies:
- Cloud platform coverage: EveryonePrint operates in the AWS environment, while Y Soft’s services are hosted on Azure. By combining forces, the two businesses will gain access to a broader customer base and the opportunity to cross-pollinate expertise in the two dominant cloud platforms. Y Soft’s announcement underlines how the acquisition will bolster its cloud strategy and help it address the hybrid office market. To date, EveryonePrint has developed considerable partner and customer experience in the cloud-native print arena which Y Soft will now be able to leverage. While EveryonePrint has a mature cloud-native solution, Y Soft’s roots are predominantly on-premise and private cloud. Y Soft does offer an OEM cloud-native solution and will be providing a SAFEQ-branded cloud-native solution in the near future.
- Expanded global footprint: Y Soft reports it has over 30,000+ installations compared to EveryonePrint’s 15,000. EveryonePrint will benefit from the significantly broader global footprint enjoyed by Y Soft, which will considerably expand its ability to address the market.
- Broader market reach and stronger channel partner proposition: Y Soft has a mature presence in the enterprise market and has succeeded in developing this through its close relationships with vendors/OEMs. EveryonePrint has a strong channel presence and expertise and this will be an advantage to Y Soft, which has not been as strong in the channel to date. EveryonePrint also has a good SMB proposition due to its low-cost cloud-native offering and this is a key advantage for Y Soft in breaking into the lower end of the market and underscoring its commitment to cloud.
- Shared commitment to security: The two companies share a strong commitment to zero-trust security that is critical in today’s environment. Both businesses are ISO27001-certified, which will ease the integration of the two organisations and ensure they retain their credentials with customers.
- Stronger proposition for the hybrid workplace: The combination of EveryonePrint’s cloud print expertise and the analytics, capture and workflow automation capabilities of Y Soft will result in a better range of cloud-native services with which to target the accelerating hybrid workplace market.
Y Soft and EveryonePrint’s offerings are undoubtedly complementary and as such Y Soft now has the breadth and depth of product portfolio to reinforce the company as a leading player in the cloud print and imaging market. In a diverse market, it is key now that Y Soft builds on this strategic acquisition as an opportunity to educate the market on the wider benefits of operating a cloud-based print and imaging infrastructure. It will be interesting to observe how the two organisations integrate and draw on the expertise that each brings to the combined business.
