Hybrid cloud approach still dominant in many organisations
Please find the press release also here: https://www.konicaminolta.eu/eu-en/news/konica-minolta-positioned-as-a-market-leader-in-quocirca-%E2%80%99-s-cloud-print-services-landscape-2025
Langenhagen, Germany, 8 May 2025
Konica Minolta has again been recognized as a Market Leader in Quocirca’s assessment of the Cloud Print Services Landscape, 2025. According to Quocirca, ‘Konica Minolta’s cloud-first approach is designed to reduce customers’ reliance on legacy infrastructure, increase operational efficiency and ensure compliance with stringent security regulations.’
As with every year, this year’s Quocirca report includes a survey of 500 IT decision makers, which finds that many organisations still have concerns over the potential security, performance, and parity of full cloud print solutions, which is inhibiting full cloud print adoption, and therefore making a hybrid approach that combines on-premise and cloud systems the prevailing choice for many buyers. 75% of organisations currently use hybrid print management and only 4% use a cloud-only model. According to Quocirca using a hybrid approach presents a more gradual approach to cloud migration that allows organisations to start with a familiar on-premises setup, which can then transition to more cloud-centric solutions.
The dominant approach ‘reflects a pragmatic approach to IT modernization, where organizations leverage the benefits of both on-premises and cloud resources.’
Comprehensive cloud offering
The Quocirca report assesses Konica Minolta’s position as a provider of a ‘comprehensive suite of cloud print and workflow services.’ In particular, Konica Minolta’s efforts to meet the evolving needs of the market have been acknowledged by Quocirca. This includes its cloud-first strategy that eliminates a reliance on legacy systems, enhances efficiency, and ensures compliance with stringent security regulations, and the report also emphasizes Konica Minolta’s targeted use of integrated AI-driven automation and use of zero-trust security.
Quocirca also cites Konica Minolta’s ‘hybrid and multi-cloud’ approach, offering also its own cloud infrastructure as well as third-party platforms like Microsoft Azure, AWS, and Google Cloud. The company’s own data centres would be particularly suitable for deploying the private cloud ‘for high security industries such as government, finance, and healthcare’.
A proprietary cloud approach
The report underlines that Konica Minolta’s cloud-native MFP solutions integrate native connections to Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, OneDrive, and SharePoint, Box, AWS and private cloud environments ‘… enabling end users to print, scan, and retrieve documents securely from any location using cloud authentication and mobile printing.’ It also mentions that Konica Minolta’s MarketPlace already provides direct access to those cloud applications on its bizhub MFPs without requiring IT intervention.
The report also draws attention to the strength of Workplace Pure: ‘Its own-IP-based Workplace Pure cloud print services platform has been developed to fully leverage the benefits of the OEM’s proprietary technology. Workplace Pure provides device-agnostic cloud-printing capability, with no added hardware or software needed on-premise.’
Robust security
Quocirca’s report additionally highlights Konica Minolta’s focus on ‘Robust Security’ with the use of multi-layered frameworks, encryption, advanced authentication methods, and AI-driven monitoring for proactive threat detection. The report also underlines Konica Minolta’s integration with Microsoft Azure AD and Okta to add additional single sign-on and multi-factor authentication options for its customers.
Olaf Lorenz, Head of International Marketing Division, Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe, stated, “We are proud to again be recognized as a Market Leader in cloud print services by Quocirca. The report shows the importance of robust cloud print in the market and the need for flexibility to accommodate the continued demand for hybrid cloud infrastructure, which are key ingredients in our offering.”
In being categorized as a Market Leader, Konica Minolta is recognized by Quocirca as a vendor that ‘leads the market in both strategic vision and depth of service offering. Leaders have made significant investments in their service portfolio and infrastructure, and are supported by strong delivery capabilities.’
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. With its unique expertise in imaging, data processing and data-based decision making, Konica Minolta creates relevant solutions for its customers – small and medium-sized businesses, large enterprises and public sector – and solves issues faced by society.
As a digital workplace solution provider, Konica Minolta helps its clients to identify and unlock the potential digitalisation holds and reach the next level in the digital maturity of their organisation by rethinking the workplace. In support of an ‘Intelligent connected workplace’, Konica Minolta offers cloud, IT, managed print and video solution services for remote working, collaboration, workflow management and automation and security. The company’s success in driving transformation is also confirmed by IDC, since the ‘IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Print Transformation 2023 Vendor Assessment’ has named Konica Minolta a “Leader” in print transformation. Konica Minolta has been a Microsoft Global Managed Partner since 2021.
Konica Minolta’s Igniting Print Possibilities offering helps printers, converters and brand owners maximise workflow automation to increase efficiency. The company delivers consultancy in all communication matters as well as top-of-the-line production, packaging as well as label printers. Its finishing devices create print products that stand out and create added value. Konica Minolta has established itself as the production printing market leader for more than a decade in Europe (InfoSource).
For an increasing number of organisations, success today is more than the narrow definition of financial prosperity – it also includes protecting the environment and having a positive impact on their workforce as well as the societies they are embedded in. With its commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Konica Minolta has pledged to consistently pursue its sustainability and social responsibility goals. The company has been repeatedly recognised for its rich history of social contribution as well as for working towards achieving the SDGs throughout its business and supply chain. Konica Minolta received a GOLD Level Recognition Medal in the EcoVadis sustainability ratings for 2023.
For its remote services, Konica Minolta was awarded the prestigious ‘Buyers Lab (BLI) 2023-2024 Pacesetter Award in Remote Service for the Western European market’ from 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 more than 8,800 employees (as of April 2024), Konica Minolta Europe earned net sales of over EUR 2.13 billion in financial year 2023/2024.
Worldwide, the company has over 40,000 employees and is operating in over 150 countries.
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SOURCE Konica Minolta
