Transformation is the watchword for 2026 as the print industry wrestles with persistent market decline and shifting customer expectations. The combination of print volume decline, workplace change, hardware commoditisation, and sustainability imperatives demands urgent recalibration from vendors and channel partners.
Significant market shifts are already underway; vendor consolidation and collaboration have featured in 2025 and will continue to in 2026. AI’s impact will create greater waves as successful industry adopters start putting distance between themselves and AI laggards. Differentiation will rest on software and services, not devices, and IT and data ecosystem integration will be table stakes.
Quocirca has identified 10 trends that vendors and channel partners must master to secure future relevance:
- AI maturity in the workplace will accelerate digitisation. Demand for data to drive automated, AI-powered processes will see a push to digitise remaining paper-based workflows. MFPs should be positioned as secure, AI workflow-facilitating devices operating in tandem with Intelligent Document Processing (IDP). Vendors must develop AI governance capabilities to ensure sensitive data is protected across its lifecycle.
- AI-ready print and capture environments will unlock new value. Integrating AI directly onto MFP chipsets, developing AI literacy among sales and channel partners, and building function-specific AI-powered print offerings that integrate with CRM and ERP systems should be prioritised.
- Hybrid cloud will prevail, driven by security and data sovereignty. Cloud infrastructure will evolve to meet AI-related demands for compute, storage, and low-latency data access. Vendors must align their solutions portfolio with diverse customer requirements across security, sovereignty, and data governance.
- The multigeneration workforce will shape smart workplace technology adoption. The transition to hybrid work has amplified the strategic importance of the physical office, with younger workers (18–34) appreciating the technology they can access there. Static, siloed print environments won’t meet the needs of highly mobile digital natives, so infrastructure modernisation is essential.
- Identity management will become a foundation for print security. In 2026, authentication for multifunction print and capture devices will shift from basic credentials to robust, identity-centric frameworks. Vendors must prepare print infrastructure for a password-free future, embedding advanced authentication in devices and integrating with identity management platforms.
- AI-driven security will become essential for print endpoint protection. AI will shift from being a reactive security layer to a proactive, embedded defence mechanism across print fleets to counter AI-driven cybersecurity threats. On-device ML and continuous behavioural analytics across print and capture workflows will be the foundation of robust defence.
- The ‘Q-day’ countdown: 2026 will mark the tipping point for quantum-resistant devices. Two thirds of ITDMs say protecting devices from quantum threats is important, and 2026 will see an acceleration in the market availability and adoption of hardware and software designed to withstand future quantum-based attacks.
- Circular design and device longevity will drive the next wave of innovation. Regulations such as ESPR and internal sustainability targets are driving vendors to design for longevity, repairability, reuse, remanufacture, and recycling. Hardware differentiation will be based on sustainability performance rather than feeds and speeds.
- Digital workflow automation will unlock new revenue streams. Two thirds of ITDMs expect scanning volumes to increase in 2026 as legacy workflows are digitised. Platform-based intelligent workflow services incorporating IDP, automation, and analytics will represent new opportunities as vendors evolve into transformation partners.
- The next-gen print partner will lead the shift to digital services. To stay relevant, OEMs and channel partners must evolve rapidly, offering a more diverse range of services and consultancy across cloud, security, sustainability, and AI. The most successful will evolve from print-based MPS specialists into broader IT service providers delivering deeply embedded solutions that form the foundation of AI-powered, data-driven business processes.
Industry transformation is no longer on the horizon; it is here. In 2026, we will see stakeholders moving fast to broaden and deepen offerings across the pillars of security, cloud, AI, and sustainability, developing tailored solutions at the enterprise and SMB levels. We expect to see continued market consolidation and partnership activity as the industry evolves to meet increasingly well-defined future demands. 2026 will be a year of accelerated change, and Quocirca will be tracking its progress through our comprehensive market research, monitoring, and reporting programme. We look forward to sharing it with you.
Find out more about Quocirca’s 2026 print industry predictions here.
