Are printers still relevant?

Let's separate my target audience, if you're a home user yes, no need to read on. The battle here is in corporate America.

I've heard "we will place no more printers" lately. Do devices that only print still make sense in a output savvy corporation? I'd say yes, but the noose is tightening. We've had multi-function machines for about a decade now. Good device planning says that we place what's needed to support the needs in the area. Usually that means we consolidate in a couple ways. We consolidate printers, fax machines and scanners into one machine and we consolidate several printers into one device. That leads us to plunking a big multi-function device in the middle of a pod of people (size related to volume.) Great, solved. Hold on:

• I have a user that's on a manufacturing line that needs black and white print ability to be next them.
• I have a user who needs photo realistic printing.
• I have a disabled person who can't easily move to central device.
• People are pooling up around the one device waiting on everyone else.
• etc.!

What's the answer? A point specific printer.

However, what else am I saying? Placement of printers is and should be in decline. Unless the price difference becomes nil between printers and multi-functions (multi) there will always be a home for single function printers. All pricing being equal if I'm given the choice between a printer and a multi I'll choose the multi every time. Yes, they give you and some of your users more functionality, but in addtion to that they enable future capabilities. One day "Mary" in shipping will figure out that faxing costs them $ and scan to email is free. In addition it allows you to slim down the number of different models placed. What does that buy you? Less support headaches and less supplies laying around.

Sometimes I think people think I'm a printer centric person. My mindset is that I want to bring output technology to the corporation in a smart, efficient manner. Sometimes that means a printer.

Finally, the printer in the picture? That was my Christmas decoration a few years back. An old broken Tektronix that found a glorious new life for a couple months.