Many independent office technology dealerships are barely able to keep up with the rapid developments in generative and agentic AI. So, what’s a dealer to do when profitability improvements depend on optimizing the service experience? The adoption of advanced technologies, such as cloud- and artificial intelligence-based workflow solutions, can be a lot to digest.
To help stay current and focused, dealer owners can lean on their software and equipment vendors. These partners can get you up to speed on newer technological advancements that make your customers’ devices hum. And let’s face it, your dealership needs to get its head around the best ways to incorporate AI. Two points for consideration:
- Understand how customers who are nonchalant about AI can use it (and cloud services), and demonstrate to them how these high-tech tools add value. This means gaining a better understanding of their businesses and how the technology you provide can help them. It makes what you offer more valuable and turns you into a resource customers can count on. (AI ranks as our No. 1 takeaway from the recent Executive Connection Summit.)
- Know which vendor offerings can be best leveraged by your customers. Your OEMs aren’t developing office technology for fun. They see the tools they develop as ways of helping you and your customers do more, be more, and increase profits. Listening to both OEMs and customers can be a path to profitability.
The almost daily changes in AI make keeping up difficult as it pertains to information accessibility, document management, and automation. Like the cloud, AI is becoming an integral part of these and many endeavors. For example, office technology dealers offering managed IT services are already rubbing shoulders with AI. You don’t have to know all the answers, just how to get them and how you can address a customer’s latest challenge.
The connectivity conundrum
Connectivity’s downside is that it makes customers vulnerable in the office technology space, even though many prefer not to think about it. One bad guy with the right software on his phone or laptop can tell when a customer is unprotected while sitting in his car. This software is available on the regular internet or on the dark web for short money. To get a sense of what can go sideways, read the quarterly and annual “MSP Threat Report” from ConnectWise. This report is technical, informative, and scary all at once.
Ransomware hit record levels in 2025, but attackers didn’t break in—they logged in. According to ConnectWise: “Threat actors consistently abused trusted identities, software, automation, and user behavior to bypass defenses and move quickly to impact.” The 2026 “MSP Threat Report,” based on real-world investigations by the ConnectWise Cyber Research Unit (CRU), breaks down how modern attacks succeeded and what managed service providers (MSPs) can do to stop them earlier in the attack lifecycle:
- How attackers gained access without exploits by abusing identity, VPNs, and trust
- Where traditional defenses failed to detect attacks early
- How techniques like ClickFix bypass endpoint and email security
- What security controls MSPs should prioritize to reduce risk and impact
The report translates threat intelligence into practical insights (see sidebar). Every dealer should pay attention to it, even if you don’t yet offer managed IT services. Why? Because you may have customers who use an MSP and are experiencing problems that can affect the networked printers you provide. Moreover, if you are considering rolling out MSP services, you need to know what can go wrong.
One example of an office technology partner that saw this trouble brewing was Sharp. Its new Synappx software comes in Manage and Go versions. Most comprehensive is Synappx Manage, a cloud-based monitoring and management platform for Sharp’s smart office technology that includes the OEM’s MFPs and displays. According to Elyse Biel, associate manager for product marketing at Sharp, Synappx Manage, “Is designed for dealers of all sizes. Its remote capabilities make it capable of managing large, distributed accounts and supporting smaller customers.”
Cloud-based automation
Synnapx Manage keeps end-users apprised of device status, including usage, firmware, and security. According to Sharp, this creates both conversational and collaborative service experiences. This level of communication is an advantage of AI when service is required. The conversational function allows users to ask questions about Sharp MFPs. The contextual mode goes a step further by automatically pulling device-specific data, such as current device conditions and active errors, into the AI engine.
The advantage here is that service teams obtain immediate, relevant guidance for troubleshooting issues. Knowing more can make service calls faster and more efficient with higher repair rates and even reduce on-site technician visits. “This allows IT administrators and service providers to manage multiple devices from a single portal, even [while] remotely using a smartphone,” said Biel. Having such firsthand knowledge of a customer’s devices can be an advantage for techs.
Making all of this possible is Sharp’s link with Microsoft Azure, a cloud-computing platform for building, deploying, and managing applications and services. Azure lets Synnapx provide information on infrastructure, platform, software, AI, analytics, storage, and networking. This connection comes with pay-as-you-go pricing, so dealers can charge what the market will bear while providing the support that customers need.
Some office technology dealers and customers will become quick fans of Synappx Go, which Sharp describes as “portable productivity” that is deemed essential in a world of remote and hybrid workers. For instance, attendees of remote meetings are often connecting via their phones, tablets, or laptops. The pages they see often appear only on a person’s device and are possibly printed later from a phone.
“Synappx Go provides smarter, modern printing capabilities for mobile users,” said Biel. Sharp says Synappx Go lets PC users submit a print job by tapping an icon on their mobile device to release the job whenever it’s needed. Users can also print directly from their devices by selecting files from OneDrive, MS Teams, Google Drive, web pages, or email attachments. Made with remote workers in mind, Synappx Go seems poised to provide a tap-to-start meeting experience that enhances collaboration.
Elevated cloud
Meanwhile, at Toshiba, the Elevate Sky Print Management platform (ESPM) uses what Matt Bull described as “intelligent automation and analytics for leveraging cloud technology . . . for simplifying print management and improving decision-making.” Bull is the director of technical services programs at Toshiba America Business Solutions. While AI is a core part of ESPM, the company’s focus seems to be on efficiency and delivery control of cloud-based automation. This spans user experience in print management, automation, cost control, deployment, reporting, and visibility.
Also worth dealer attention is Toshiba’s recent acquisition of Youmebee, Ltd. Not limited to AI, this could be another way of helping customers use technology in ways they may ask about: so, be prepared. “Toshiba’s acquisition of Youmebee accelerates the shift from device-centric selling to fleet-wide management and recurring software revenue, regardless of OEM,” said Kerstin Woods, Toshiba vice president for solutions and outbound marketing. “This increases dealerships’ ability to standardize management, simplify service, and expand wallet share without being limited to their primary OEM vendor.”
Woods’s “regardless of OEM” distinction is significant in a world of mixed print environments. The cloud provides consistent deployment and management experience, improving security, uptime, cost control, and reporting while reducing complexity. According to Toshiba, this can help dealers secure more recurring revenue across their client base by helping organizations manage diverse fleets more efficiently.
On the purely software side of office technology are ConnectWise and DocuWare. One of ConnectWise’s specialties is guiding companies and dealerships through the maze of cyberthreats to managed service providers (MSPs), hence the aforementioned “MSP Threat Report.” The company’s Asio platform can combat threats, helping streamline operations and strengthen security while helping to harness the benefits of automation. ConnectWise says its Asio platform supports the governed data architecture and workflows needed for effective AI delivery.
Another office technology firm that can identify threats before they land on a network is DocuWare. This company helps dealers and customers navigate the strange new world of AI, document management, and workflow automation. To do some of the heavy lifting and put AI in terms you can understand, DocuWare has rolled out a research and development center it calls AI Hub. The center is tasked with developing AI solutions for intelligent document processing and enterprise content management: high-value services for which your dealership can charge premiums. Ask DocuWare and other vendors what may make sense and how you can better support customers.
How to get future-ready
AI and the cloud are tools OEMs are adopting to make products and services better attuned to the needs of dealerships and their customers. They will change and evolve, based on needs and on technological improvements. By delivering intuitive, scalable, and impactful solutions, manufactureing partners ensure that dealers, regardless of size or software focus, can offer meaningful value.
It’s impossible to be ready for all of what were once inconceivable challenges. But you can be prepared for many of them by asking vendors about the latest developments and learning from what they say. They have people who live and breathe technological threats and problems. While no one can foresee every bump in the road, they may have solutions that can help your dealership and your customers handle trouble when it raises its gnarly head. Never hesitate to ask why or how.
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HEALTHCARE: A Prime Dealer Vertical Market Opportunity
Beyond hardware in the office technology world, the healthcare sector presents a high-potential vertical market opportunity for independent office technology dealerships, especially from a cybersecurity standpoint. According to The Cannata Report (May 2025 sidebar “Securing Network Opportunities”): As “data breaches have skyrocketed . . . increased criminal interest in healthcare records is of particular concern. In 2024, more than 180 million U.S. healthcare records were breached, affecting 53% of the country’s population.” Forbes and other sources report that “healthcare records are considered 10 times more valuable than credit cards.”
Is customer compliance with HIPAA (the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) compromised by printing environments that aren’t as secure as they should be? User authentication and secure capture can help. Access Control Devices, Inc. (ACDI), a leading service and solutions provider and one of the largest PaperCut software resellers in the United States, is focused on healthcare. PaperCut can provide healthcare organizations with functionality that secures all printing (both office printing and that from an electronic medical record) by hold and release as well as traceability of jobs if someone misuses data.
For additional security, document scanning and capture capabilities are available from Scanshare, an ACDI software partner since 2022. Used through embedded devices or mobile clients, Scanshare’s Health-Level-7 module (based on standards developed by Health Level Seven International) can extract data and automatically create HL7-compliant messaging. As a bi-directional tool, the HL7 module also captures and parses HL7 messages, extracts the data, and exports it for storage into ERP/CRM systems or job databases.
To protect personal information and sensitive electronic health records, ACDI offers a wealth of resources on healthcare workflow best practices. Within this high-value market, success and security come down to control and accountability. For more guidance on the healthcare vertical opp, check out the ACDI Resource Hub.
Editor-in-Chief Mark Vruno contributed to this report.
