Printing keeps pace with disruptive technology trends
Printing keeps pace with disruptive technology trends
Advances in technology and printing are inextricably linked. Sometimes it’s easy to assume that technology is a threat to print but consider all the ways technology has kept printing relevant. Print jobs get faster, cheaper and more accurate every year because printing technology keeps improving.
Technology has also diversified the practical uses of printers. They no longer only print documents. Now they process variable data, route documents through workflows, and protect information. And with the boom of technology trends like artificial intelligence and augmented reality, they’re about to do even more.
AI makes printers smarter
AI has been a popular buzzword over the past few years, promising everything from robotic workforces to smart, self-regulating cities. The craze may have failed to deliver on some of these lofty promises but that doesn’t mean AI hasn’t been a game changer in other, more practical ways.
For instance, printing has already found a few ways to make productive use of AI technology. Xerox, specifically, has pioneered several systems undergirded by AI such as waste-reducing smart algorithms in Xerox FreeFlow software which intelligently choose the most cost-effective layouts for print jobs. Then there’s the Xerox iGen 5 – a self-monitoring printing press armed with myriad sensors that allow it to do real-time autonomous adjustments to image quality and paper alignment.
A more efficient future with AR
AR has revolutionised the way we use technology to bridge the gap between the real world and the digital realm. It has had a huge impact on the healthcare sector, education and entertainment. But who would have thought it would be the innovation that could radically streamline technical support in the print industry? Xerox, that’s who.
Xerox piloted an AR-assisted technical support programme for one of its operating companies. The aim of the programme was to alleviate technical skills gaps, reduce costs and repair times and enhance customer satisfaction. This resulted in fewer on-site visits and a higher rate of technical support calls that were resolved in a single visit.
The staying power of print
Whether it’s adjusting to a rapidly digitising world, the universal call for a reduction in paper use or reacting to revolutionary technology trends, printing has always found a way to survive. Office printers have become workplace productivity assistants and digital printing machines are bona fide self-monitoring assembly lines. Browse our full range of printers to see just how innovative these centuries-old machines can still be.