Next-Gen Document Services

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Meet the Experts

Photo of Keith Kmetz
Keith Kmetz

Program Vice President, Imaging, Printing & Document Solutions

Photo of Robert Palmer
Robert Palmer

Research Vice President, Imaging, Printing, and Document Solutions



The market for document-related services is substantial and continues to show strong growth in all segments. Directionally, the print and document services market is heavily influenced by several key factors: the convergence of print and IT, disruptive technologies and business models, important trends around print and document security, emerging channels, and the expansion of services into new customer segments and geographies. As a result, the market has expanded far beyond print management to include a broader set of IT- and document-related managed services. Businesses spend more than $38 billion annually on managed print and document services (MPDS) and basic print services (BPS). In the enterprise, customers are placing greater emphasis on solutions and services to help advance print and document maturity, with a focus on process optimization and workflow automation, print and document security, business analytics, digital transformation, and improved IT integration. In the SMB sector, the emphasis is on helping businesses gain control over document infrastructure, improving productivity, reducing IT burden, and enabling a smoother transition from paper to digital. IDC's Next-Gen Document Services program looks at the increasingly complex market for print- and document-related services. The program examines the competitive landscape and evaluates the broad range of solutions and services coming to market. IDC's Next-Gen Document Services program also looks closely at how buyers evaluate vendor solutions and services to determine which value-added services are gaining traction and to align buyer trends with vendor offerings.


Markets and Subjects Analyzed


  • Size and forecast growth of managed print services (MPS) and managed document services segments
  • Business process and workflow services
  • DaaS and infrastructure services inclusive within an MPS contract
  • Security services
  • Cloud-based information and collaboration services
  • Alternative contractual print consumption models
  • Extensive end-user research to track evolving user requirements for print- and document-related services
  • Evaluation of vendor business models, offerings, and capabilities
  • Review of direct vendor MPDS aimed primarily at the enterprise sector
  • Review of indirect channel programs and SMB market initiatives
  • Case studies with in-depth looks at buyer decisions and implementation strengths and challenges

Core Research


  • IDC DecisionScapes on the Managed Print and Document Services Opportunity
  • Buying Pattern Research and Analysis
  • Case Studies
  • Vendor Profiles
  • Indirect Channel Profiles
  • Worldwide and U.S. Market Forecast
  • Worldwide and U.S. Market Shares
  • Outsourced Document Services Market Forecast

In addition to the insight provided in this service, IDC may conduct research on specific topics or emerging market segments via research offerings that require additional IDC funding and client investment.


Key Questions Answered


  1. What are customers looking for when they make purchasing decisions related to print and document services?
  2. What are the primary differences in market requirements and service delivery between enterprise and SMB customers?
  3. How can vendors offer additional value and offer true differentiation in a maturing market?
  4. Which vendors demonstrate excellence in their core offerings?
  5. How will an expanded document services portfolio translate to growth opportunities for print and document service providers?
  6. How do end users evaluate and select MPS providers?