1. What are your reasons for coming onboard the 43rd edition of GITEX Global, what are your expectations, and who are you hoping to meet at the show?
PFU (EMEA) Limited has attended GITEX on multiple occasions over the years, with distribution partners or at our own stand. GITEX has always been a great space for us to meet both our partners and end-users, showcase our latest products, and connect with the tech industry. PFU Japan has recently been acquired by Ricoh Japan, and we see GITEX as a platform to communicate our re-brand directly with our partners and end-users. PFU will also be launching a number of key new products at the event.
2. Are you planning to launch any products or services, demonstrate new technologies, or sign any partnerships during the show? Please provide details to help us amplify your presence.
PFU will showcase some products under embargo to a select audience, as well as highlight acquisition news to our partners. We will have the full range of Ricoh branded scanners and unveil products in new categories we hadn’t tapped into before.
3. How important is GITEX Global for your business, and what is the volume of business growth you anticipate from your participation in the show?
GITEX offers PFU a unique opportunity to reaffirm our valued partnerships and look forward to the next stage in our journey together. It gives us the chance to demonstrate our new Ricoh branded products, while reconnecting with our partners and customers. It’s also a great opportunity to emphasize our commitment to partners and the market and reinforce our core brand attributes.
4. How important is the Middle East and Africa for your business, and what is your growth strategy in the region over the coming years?
The Middle East and Africa (MEA) region is a vibrant and thriving destination for technology companies. Countries like Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are increasingly capturing global attention and benefiting from a surge in technology investments. It’s evident that the MEA region has become a hotbed of business opportunity. What sets the Middle East and African region apart is the remarkable synergy between resellers and ISV’s ecosystem and the wealth of opportunities across the region. Governments and financial institutions have implemented several policies that encourage a favorable business environment, including establishing innovation hubs and technology free zones. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 are prime examples of government-led efforts to promote entrepreneurship, embracing our technology enabling the Kingdom to hold a competitive business advantage.
5. To what extent can the region’s bold digital transformation missions elevate the global tech ecosystem?
Digital transformation has enhanced the region’s business competitiveness and tech ecosystem. Companies from all over the world are eager to secure a solid foothold in the market. In addition to being haven for tech investments, the region is home to a talented workforce. Many companies are establishing regional offices and hiring local talent to support their businesses. This diversity and growth will only support the global tech market but also accelerate collaboration.
6. GITEX Global is accelerating the epic race for AI dominance in 2023: how is your business embracing the AI innovation wave?
Artificial Intelligence or AI is one of the fastest adopted business technologies. It is not new to us at PFU; we have embedded it across our range of features and software. For example, we use optical character recognition (OCR), which is based on machine learning and computer vision. Paperstream Capture, which is the capture software for our ‘fi’ and ‘SP Series’ uses OCR to automate business workflows so that users save time with manual tasks.
All our ScanSnap scanners come with the ScanSnap Home software. ScanSnap Home can detect and classify separate document types, including document, receipt, business card, and photos. In addition, ScanSnap Home can check the top section of the document for text in a larger font and use the text identified to generate the file name of the document. These are just a few AI use cases across our digital imaging portfolio.
It has been become clear that data, and the ability to process massive amounts of it in a short period of time, is the next focal point in technology. Other trends will become more center field when powered by AI, will be quantum computing, IoT, and even Augmented Reality. The need to manage data will only grow, as digital transformation connects more devices and moves physical input online. Businesses need to prepare for this shift and ensure that the transition is smooth to ensure business continuity without any disruption or delays.
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