Post Drupa, what is Xerox’s message to the MEA market?
Xerox had a successful Drupa where we saw excellent results. Furthermore, Xerox highlighted MEA as a benchmark region in terms of customer engagement and lead follow through.
In addition to our Production Line of Business, we continue to focus on our key strategic pillars to support growth in the MEA markets. Recovery of the A3 space is a top priority seeing a number of initiatives launched around the region as well as the ramp up of the new SC2020 product, which is ideal in our market environment. We will also see a range of new products launched in the A4 space fitting perfectly into the SMB markets. We also have continued marketing programs to support our product offering, all of which builds on providing the infrastructure for growth with our channel partners.
What is growth potential of the MEA market for Xerox?
If we are talking about printing industry in particular, we have seen a minor slowdown, which is affecting the GCC region too. The latest end-user printing industry survey conducted by International Data Corporation (IDC) in key Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa (CEMA) countries reveals that the number of pages printed declined in 2015. This is not all black and white, wherever there is a room for a change, it will take place and will evolve in the most positive and efficient way.
This is how we see digital transformation trend that comes in place of high printing volumes. The majority of organizations have either already started digitalization initiatives or are planning to do so in the next one or two years. Most vendors’ acquisitions or areas of development in the last five years have been focused on software solutions — now it is the right time to take advantage of those new capabilities. While newer organizations/start-ups are either already “born” digital or are building their processes based on a minimized need for paper, established companies are continuously seeking to reduce their dependence on paper documents.
Xerox is well prepared for the change and its wide range of digital alternatives is designed to support this area of growth that will keep the corporation at the top of its game and will promote the overall digitization revolution across the industry.
How do you plan to expand your channel network and increase market share?
Channel stakeholders can look forward to the expansion of MPS in the form of the Next Gen Strategy. Big data analytics, mobility, digital transformation, smart applications and Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) continue to generate interest in the Middle East. Channel Partners should collaborate and work as a groups of providers rather than standalone resellers. They ought to progress, assign procedures and resources to match customer expectations as well as to foster and nurture long term and productive customer relationships.
The Xerox Partner Plus Program is a new competency-based Channels Partner program for second tier resellers in DMO (Developing Market Operations), focused on developing people skills as a basis for capturing new market opportunities. The certification process is a key enabler for the partners and our partners’ customers to help differentiate their business and gain a competitive advantage.
