Interview: Bret Davies, Toshiba

How are AI, robotics and cyber threats changing your industry sector?

Artificial intelligence is at the forefront of the cutting-edge services we offer to our clients, as smart platforms dominate the space of process automation. As clients are continually searching for more efficient and cost-effective methods to operate their businesses, so artificial intelligence offers a way to take burden of the repetitive decision-making processes and data input away from staff. Robot Process Automation frees staff from these tasks, enabling them to concentrate on other, possibly revenue-generating, activities.

But with the continual digitisation of corporate data, cybersecurity threats are a growing concern. Efficiency cannot be gained at the expense of data loss or security, and the Mandatory Data Breach Notification Laws, due next year, will likely have a significant impact on businesses large and small.

What will be the biggest growth opportunities for your company and your customers in 2018?

As our customers continue to look for opportunities to reduce their ICT capital expenditure, naturally virtualising their IT infrastructure in the cloud continues to look an attractive option. For our customers in particular, this is also an opportunity to take a holistic view of their business. This enables us to optimise and streamline their operations and generate exponential savings, as opposed to just a ‘lift and shift’ IT migration. By looking at the business as a whole, and not just the IT side, we’re able to help clients invest in the right levels of infrastructure, data protection, security and process workflows to help them achieve their growth potential.

What innovations/disruptions are your customers telling us they are most excited about?

We have had a lot of excitement from customers about our world’s only printer with erasable toner. Toshiba has recognised that organisations and their staff are more environmentally conscious, but with productivity pressures, they need to be able to print quickly and effortlessly without the need to be away from their desks for too long. Combining the erasable printing technology into one device makes this unique technology more accessible to businesses and gives users time-saving benefits, particularly in smaller offices that often have space constraints. The erasable print technology enables staff to re-use the same sheet of paper up to five times, thus saving significantly on not only paper usage and cost but ultimately decreasing carbon footprint. The latest iteration of this Toshiba technology allows for printing using both the erasable and the more traditional non-erasable print process to provide customers with the choice.

Prior to becoming general manager of the Electronic Imaging Division & Managed Services, Bret Davies was instrumental in setting up Toshiba's Direct Business in Sydney and became the head of its Direct Operation, responsible for sales, service and administration. Before that he had spent 10 years as general manager of one of Sydney’s leading office equipment dealers.

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