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
About Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe
Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe GmbH, based in Langenhagen, Germany, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Konica Minolta Inc., Tokyo, Japan. Konica Minolta enables its clients to champion the digital era: with its unique imaging expertise and data processing capabilities, Konica Minolta creates relevant solutions for its customers and solves issues faced by society. As a provider of comprehensive IT services, Konica Minolta delivers consultancy and services to optimise business processes with workflow automation. The company further offers its customers solutions and managed services in the field of IT infrastructure and IT security as well as cloud environments. With regard to its office printing solutions, "IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Print Transformation 2020 Vendor Assessment" stated that Konica Minolta is "recognised globally as a leader in print transformation". As a strong partner for the professional printing market, Konica Minolta offers business consulting, state-of-the-art technology and software and has established itself as the production printing market leader for more than a decade in Europe (InfoSource). Its Business Innovation Centre in London and four R & D laboratories in Europe enable Konica Minolta to bring innovation forward by collaborating with its customers as well as academic, industrial and entrepreneurial partners. For its innovative service approach that complements their devices perfectly, Konica Minolta was awarded the prestigious ‘"Buyers Lab PaceSetter Award for Serviceability and Support 2020/2021" by Keypoint Intelligence. Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe is represented by subsidiaries and distributors in more than 80 countries in Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa. With approximately 10,000 employees (as of April 2020), Konica Minolta Europe earned net sales of over 2.34 billion in financial year 2019/2020.
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