This Week in Imaging: A Look at What to Expect in Managed Print Services this Year

by Kathleen Wirth · January 17, 2025

There are a lot of definitions for managed printer services (MPS) but let’s face it, when it comes down to it, it’s basically: “Let these printers and copiers be your headache not mine.”

In a nutshell, with MPS, an enterprise pays another enterprise to monitor, manage, and secure their print fleet, with the goal being to cost-optimize the fleet as much as possible, prevent downtime before it occurs with proactive service and supplies, secure the print fleet against attacks, make it easy for users to use the hardware with solutions such as cloud printing, maintain the equipment by, for instance, ensuring necessary firmware upgrades, and, increasingly, minimize the enterprise’s print impact on the environment.

Since its inception since about 2008 and the Great Recession, when companies looked to curb excessive printing costs, the U.S. MPS continues to grow. According to IMARC, it’s now worth about $9.9 billion, with the market expected to reach $30.3 billion by 2032, with a compound annual growth rate of 13.20 percent. That growth rate will far surpass that of sales of hardware and supplies.

What can we expect in the coming year for the market? In general, we can look forward to:

Cloud Integration

Cloud-based solutions can enhance printer accessibility, integration, and security. Chief among these solutions is cloud printing, which enables users to print from any location, supporting remote and hybrid work environments. This transition reduces the need for on-premises infrastructure, for lower costs and streamlined operations.

Enhanced Security

With printers and MFPs as network endpoints, they are potential entry points for cyber attacks. MPS offerings can distinguish themselves from other MPS solutions with security features such as data encryption, user authentication, and secure print release.

Protecting the Environment

Enterprises are increasingly considering protecting the environment when it comes to MPS programs. That can include everything from deploying more energy-efficient printers, to reducing paper usage.

Artificial Intelligence and Automation

The big buzzword in MPS is AI, along with automation. Analytics obtained with AI can provide MPS providers with insights into usage patterns, enabling proactive maintenance and optimization of print resources. For its part, automation can be used to streamline workflows, reduces manual intervention, and improve overall productivity.

Market Growth and Consolidation

The biggest event in consolidation will of course be Xerox’s acquisition of Lexmark, which Xerox expects to close in the second half of 2025. Both companies are MPS leaders, and the merger should also make them stronger.

What are some wild cards that could occur this year to affect the MPS market? Probably the biggest one would be the implementation of tariffs on hardware and supplies imported into the U.S. That would cost MPS providers a lot more and they’d have to consider how to handle the increased costs, whether to absorb them or pass them on to customers.

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