As the mobile workforce expands and the lines between the office and the outside world become more transparent, the demands and expectations of mobile workers will increase as well. This evolving mobile landscape presents tremendous opportunity for mobile enterprise print applications that are geared toward providing users with a seamless, more convenient way of printing their documents both inside and outside the office. According to new research from International Data Corporation (IDC), the rapidly expanding mobile worker population, the proliferation of smartphones and media tablets, and the explosion of mobile apps will converge to drive demand for mobile printing solutions over the next five to ten years. IDC's research also shows that smartphone users are more likely to report year-over-year increases in their print volume, whereas nonusers are more likely to report flat or decreased print volume.
"A print solution will be a 'must have' for mobile users expecting the ability to print from their handheld devices," said Holly Muscolino, research director, Hardcopy Peripherals: Software and Services. "But the market is young and the plethora and variety of solutions has been very confusing to both hardcopy device vendors and end users, with no clear-cut standards emerging."
