Sydney, Australia, 27 October 2026 – New research from Konica Minolta Australia has found that reducing print server management and IT workload is one of the strongest drivers of cloud print adoption across Australia and New Zealand, as organisations look for practical ways to reduce the management burden on IT teams.
47 per cent of Australian organisations and 40 per cent of New Zealand organisations identify reducing print server management and IT workload as a leading driver of cloud print adoption. The findings come as organisations in both markets allocate more than half of their IT budgets, on average, to maintaining and operating existing systems and processes.
The research, based on a survey of 408 IT and business decision-makers across Australia and New Zealand conducted between March and April 2026, is the third and final report in a three-part digital workplace research series developed in partnership with global analyst firm Omdia.
John Harding, General Manager – Managed Services, Konica Minolta Australia, said, “IT workload has become an increasingly important part of our conversations with CIOs. The research confirms just how strongly this pressure is influencing cloud print decisions. IT teams are managing increasingly complex environments with limited capacity, and print infrastructure is part of that workload.
The cloud conversation is becoming much more operational. Organisations are looking at where cloud can reduce the day-to-day work associated with servers, drivers, queues and supporting systems, while giving IT teams more capacity to focus on broader business priorities.”
Hybrid print environments are already the dominant operating model. 58 per cent of Australian organisations and 54 per cent of New Zealand organisations currently use a mix of on-premises servers and cloud, while primarily cloud-managed environments remain a minority at nine per cent in Australia and 14 per cent in New Zealand.
Cloud print adoption is expected to increase over the next 12 to 24 months, with 42 per cent of Australian organisations planning to move either from on-premises to hybrid or from hybrid to primarily cloud, compared with 38 per cent in New Zealand.
The drivers behind this shift differ across the two markets. In Australia, improving support for hybrid and remote work is the leading cloud print adoption driver, cited by 49 per cent of organisations, followed closely by reducing print server management and IT workload at 47 per cent. In New Zealand, lower total cost of ownership leads at 46 per cent, followed by reducing IT workload and print server management at 40 per cent.
Trevor Clarke, Chief Analyst, Omdia, said, “One of the most interesting findings from this research is the importance organisations are placing on reducing IT workload. Moving towards cloud printing can mean less management of infrastructure, licences and the wider print environment, giving IT teams an opportunity to reduce the effort involved in managing print.
“We’re also seeing a clear shift towards greater cloud adoption over the next 12 to 24 months. Typically, seeing this proportion of the market moving in the same direction at the same time is rare, so it’s a strong indicator of continued cloud print adoption.”
For many organisations, the practical path to cloud will be staged: deciding which parts of the print environment should remain on-premises, where cloud can simplify management, and how both can work together without adding complexity.
John Harding said, “This matters when IT teams are already spending so much of their budgets keeping existing systems running. The business case for cloud print needs to be grounded in operational value: reducing management effort, supporting users and creating an environment that can adapt as workplace needs change.”
The research also highlights the constraints shaping the pace of change. Budget is the leading barrier to broader cloud print adoption, cited by 50 per cent of Australian organisations and 42 per cent of New Zealand organisations. Data sovereignty and location concerns are also prominent, at 39 per cent in Australia and 41 per cent in New Zealand.
Australian organisations allocate an average of 55.5 per cent of their IT budgets to maintaining and operating existing systems and processes, compared with 53.7 per cent in New Zealand. This leaves 44.5 per cent and 46.3 per cent respectively for innovation and transformation.
Key findings from The Hybrid Reality: Accelerating cloud printing adoption report include:
- 58 per cent of Australian organisations and 54 per cent of New Zealand organisations currently use a hybrid mix of on-premises servers and cloud
- 42 per cent of Australian organisations and 38 per cent of New Zealand organisations plan to move from on-premises to hybrid or from hybrid to primarily cloud over the next 12 to 24 months
- 47 per cent of Australian organisations and 40 per cent of New Zealand organisations identify reducing print server management and IT workload as a leading driver of cloud print adoption
- 50 per cent of Australian organisations and 42 per cent of New Zealand organisations identify budget constraints as the leading barrier to broader cloud print adoption
- Australian organisations allocate an average of 55.5 per cent of IT budgets to maintaining and operating existing systems and processes, compared with 53.7 per cent in New Zealand
The Hybrid Reality: Accelerating cloud printing adoption report is available to download here.
About Konica Minolta Australia
Konica Minolta Business Solutions Australia Pty Ltd is a market-leading provider of trusted technology solutions to help Australian organisations keep pace with the needs of the future workplace through innovation and investment technology solutions that leverage the technology of tomorrow, today.
For more information, visit konicaminolta.com.au.
About Omdia
Omdia is a technology research and advisory firm focused on helping technology companies and enterprise decision-makers navigate the connected digital economy. Through a global network of analysts, Omdia delivers expert analysis and strategic insight across IT, telecoms, and media sectors. Omdia is part of Informa TechTarget, listed on the London Stock Exchange.
