Content Management Not Good Business for Printers. Several years ago I completed a comprehensive study on Digital Asset Management for Print Providers. [b.cognosco]

I think there is an opportunity for clever print delivery firms with some spare cash and an eye for where print does add value.

If they can adapt their processes to be simple and hook into things like web-services (e.g. deliver from application, not on floppy disk or via e-mail) they can be relevant.

I guess the key to this will be digital print technology.  That likely spells doom for lots of established companies who operate on tight margins with ultra-expensive equipment to pay off.

Example Scenario of what I have in mind (I'm not suggestion any printing company could make a living off this):

I have a DeskJet 940c at home on which I print endless numbers of papers and articles.  For anything up to about 50 pages it's great.  Lovely little printer.  But beyond that I try and avoid it.  500 page e-book?  Forget it.

If I could click Print in IE, Word, Acrobat, whatever...  And then get a marketplace of local printing companies who could accept the job.  Let me pick the one with the right combination of quality, paper, speed and price.  Select it, enter my PayPal authorization.  Hit print.  And then either go pick it up next time I pick up the newspaper or have them mail to me.

That's a service I could come to like.