Change is accelerating rapidly; it’s now more important than ever to look for solutions that combine the strengths of existing technology with new innovations. Sometimes the best ideas are found not in creating something entirely from scratch, but in revolutionising the way we view a device, the ease with which we can connect devices together or the new workflows which can be unlocked.
There has been much discussion about how AI is changing the software landscape, creating faster cycles of development, autonomous coding and in some cases replacing the need for user interfaces as we move towards agentic AI. However, we also need to understand what AI means for hardware, and what it demands from the way we design, deploy and support devices in the real world.
AI-empowered hardware
As employees are expecting more from their technology in their personal lives, devices at work must also meet those expectations. Workplaces are increasingly fluid with hybrid and remote access remaining a high priority, as well as seamless connectivity from one device to another. That is why AI-ready hardware can’t just be powerful, it has to be fit for purpose, securely connected, and built to keep delivering value long after installation.
The role of hardware in modern workplaces is no longer just functional; it must go beyond static devices and integrate fully into workflows. The MFP or the digital display is the link between an employee’s personal workplace, such as their laptop, and collaboration with the wider business. Hardware can transform ideas from conception, such as scanning in documents, to distribution with printing or out of home signage. These devices must support content to the next level – reliably, at scale, and in environments where downtime simply isn’t an option.
Many devices, from displays to MFPs, already have built-in sensors that allow them to capture different inputs from external factors to feed into their performance. AI-powered automation allows this data to be centralised in one cloud-based system, and tools such as Synappx Manage give the power to the end user to turn these insights into action. Specialist MFP and cloud management solutions give businesses the flexibility, security and oversight to operate device fleets more efficiently. They also enable easy monitoring of energy usage, and save time, money and emissions on maintenance call outs by allowing remote monitoring and repairs where possible. The common threat is lifecycle thinking: making devices easier to manage, simpler to upgrade, and more resilient in mission-critical use cases, so organisations can protect their investment over the long term.
Scanning: the portal between physical and digital
Scanning is seeing a renaissance in the new digital era. While we must embrace the new opportunities of the digital world, particularly as agentic AI opens new workflows and perspectives for businesses, we must not leave behind the knowledge of the previous decades.
Scanners are now more pivotal than ever in capturing previously analogue data, documents and records that are invaluable in informing the next stage of a company’s development.
A recent report from Quocirca shows that scanning is still growing, with 61% of business and professional services organisations say scanning functionality is very important. So, by embedding AI within MFPs, businesses can maximise existing investments to more easily support the digital transformation journey.
For example, with Synappx Cloud Capture, Sharp’s AI-driven software solution, businesses can automate repetitive manual document processes. Working with both scanned and digital documents from multiple input sources, Cloud Capture can then use AI to intelligently extract key information from documents, empowering teams to bridge the gap between physical and digital worlds more effectively.
These real, practical ground advances in AI are needed to transform existing device fleets and make them work more seamlessly in today’s hybrid business environment.
Interactive experiences
As all our experiences, not just work, become increasingly hybrid, it is now an automatic expectation that hardware such as displays will be experiential rather than static. Whether in retail or wayfinding, interactivity is defining digital experiences as end users move between in-person and digital worlds subconsciously. Displays are the interface between the physical experience, such as shopping or navigating through an airport, and digital content amplifying that experience.
It is now more vital than ever that displays guide users easily between AI-experiences and real-life functions to deliver an added dimension. To maximise the impact, collaboration between software and hardware is essential. Partnerships with interactive experience software providers enable dynamic, multiuser engagement across large format touchscreens. The integration of eyefactive technology on the Sharp 55” PCAP touch table shows how software driven interactions can enhance digital signage, especially in settings such as retail, museums and public spaces.
Similarly, Sharp’s Smart Display Module (SDM) MPi5 Kit was designed with AI extensibility in mind – a plug-in compute module that slots into compatible professional displays, allowing organisations to add processing power and run AI applications directly on the screen. Collaboration with AI specialists such as Hailo means professional displays can support advanced computer vision and emerging AI workloads at the edge via an internal upgrade slot that allows an AI accelerator to be fitted inside the display. Compatible with Hailo’s AI accelerators, this enables advanced analytics and AI-driven display applications with no cloud dependency, for maximum privacy and real-time performance.
For signage, it is pivotal that organisations have control over large networks of inter-connected devices and can trust that all devices will function securely and efficiently. The integration of professional grade Raspberry Pi solutions into displays offers low power consumption and a high price-to-performance ratio, combined with the modularity and serviceability expected in enterprise environments. This is the perfect example of building together, with new possibilities unlocked through combining Sharp technology with partnerships.
And this is where the “hardware mindset” is changing fastest. In professional display environments, product development must start with the reality of where the screen will live: always-on operations, public-facing or regulated settings, distributed estates, and mission-critical applications where reliability and security matter as much as image quality. Future-ready displays are therefore designed to be more intelligent, more securely connected, and more sustainable.
Fresh connections, fresh ways of thinking
Hardware is no longer left on the side to perform set functions in silos. It is now at the heart of the modern, connected and AI-powered workplace. Rather than seeing developments as a threat to existing technologies, we should view this AI revolution as an opportunity to unleash the full potential of our hardware.
The answer is not always buy more or buy new; often the quickest win for businesses will be to use what they already have more efficiently. Cloud and AI features cannot replace hardware, but they can enhance it. The goal is long-term value: fit for purpose performance today and the flexibility to adapt tomorrow – without forcing a rip-and-replace cycle.
We are now moving beyond software to a future of agentic AI-powered devices. Companies that move now to reflect on their existing fleets and how best to empower them to interact, connect and maximise each other, will be best placed to capitalise on AI within their business operations in the future.
