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The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has acted as a catalyst for remote and hybrid work environments. In its "IDC FutureScape: Worldwide IT Industry 2021 Predictions", IDC predicts that "by the end of 2021, [...] 80% of enterprises will put a mechanism in place to shift to cloud-centric infrastructure and applications twice as fast as before the pandemic".[1]In line with these developments, Konica Minolta is now opening its Workplace Hub ecosystem to Windows Operating System (OS) in a bid to significantly increase flexibility in application support, while also ensuring compatibility with a wide range of Microsoft and other third-party solutions.With regards to this technology change, the portfolio will also get a new name: Workplace Hub Pro will become Workplace Hub Smart and Workplace Hub Edge will become Workplace Hub Core.
Through increased system openness thanks to Windows OS, Konica Minolta's customers' IT will be even more flexible and provide much more functionality for new applications, such as greater access to (Microsoft) Cloud applications. By default, Workplace Hub can be initially and natively connected to Azure Active Directory and acts even more as a "Cloud-ready" platform.
Having received much industry recognition — including IDC confirming very recently that Konica Minolta is a leader in print transformation[2] — Konica Minolta feels confident that the Workplace Hub is a key element in its "Intelligent Connected Workplace" approach. "With our extensive portfolio of IT services and our broad network of top-tier partners such as Microsoft and Hewlett Packard Enterprise, we will be able to deliver even more innovative solutions to our clients and deliver what IT professionals need so they can focus on designing the future of their company IT. With our extensive portfolio of IT services and our broad network of top-tier partners such as Microsoft and Hewlett Packard Enterprise, we will be able to deliver even more innovative solutions to our clients and deliver what IT professionals need so they can focus on designing the future of their company IT." concludes Olaf Lorenz.
[1] IDC FutureScape: 'Worldwide IT Industry 2021 Predictions', (doc # US46942020, October 2020), IDC, https://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=US46942020
[2] IDC MarketScape: 'Worldwide Print Transformation 2020 Vendor Assessment' (doc #US45354420, August 2020), IDC, https://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=US45354420
We are very excited by how quickly the Workplace Hub Partner Program has taken off. It is clear that dealers have immediately recognised that the solution offers a strategic opportunity to change the nature of their conversations with customers - moving beyond printing hardware into the broader scope of digital transformation solutions. For SMBs, Workplace Hub brings into reach the sort of sophisticated and secure IT services that would traditionally be associated with large companies. This means our dealer partners can create significant additional value for their customers, making powerful managed IT services easily accessible to them via the Workplace Hub solution.<br />
Olaf Lorenz
General Manager International Marketing Division Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe GmbH