Springboard recommends vendors to invest in educating the market and change current perceptions of MPS as an 'expensive and complex outsourced service'. The demand for higher ROI by end-users is predicted to offer a key challenge to MPS vendors in the region. The industry is also tipped to have its share of mergers and acquisitions, spurred by the entry of new players in the MPS market.

"The MPS model is still in its infancy in Asia Pacific and enterprises in the region need to be educated that this is much more than an alternative print hardware purchase model," said Phil Hassey, vice president for services at Springboard Research. "The challenge for providers is to ensure they manage MPS offerings prices and offer solutions as a long-term strategy, providing immediate and successful results for enterprises."