"Droid" and MWA - Press Release

“I am excited about this launch, this continues to distance MWAi’s exclusive capability and provide a sustainable ROI in the Service Automation vertical apart from any other solutions available in our channel.” 

said Gavin Williams, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, MWA Intelligence, Inc.

-------

MWA Intelligence Reaches Milestone with DROID Application

Scottsdale, AZ. – September 3029, 2011 – MWA Intelligence, Inc. (MWAi), a leader in enterprise-class M2M (machine- to- machine) and M2P (machine- to- people) solutions and services, today announced the launch in Q4 of the First Generation Droid Applications for MWAi’s Intelligent Workforce (IWF) application adding to the already powerful lineup of supported platforms. The Droid platform expands MWAi’s extensive offering and investment that already includes RIM, iOS, and Windows Mobile.

Wow -

Is Your MpS Locked In An Eight-Track World?

 "Does this look like the past?"

Did you catch the Rolodex? The ashtray? One could sell Edgeilnes outta the back of CougarVan.  LOL!

Yes, this is an advertisement for MicroSoft and the private cloud. Again with the cloud. The MpS metaphor still holds - do you see it?

Is your MpS "locked in an 8-track world" - are you simply providing toner and service, an outdated plan, from the back of a van? LOL!

There's nothing wrong with sticking with the classics, unless all you have is the classics - then, not so much.

S1/S2 are classics.

I'm not suggesting you hire a complete EDM team or bring in CISCO or even become an iPad dealer(Doh!) - just expand a bit beyond the run of the mill DCA installation - get out of the powder blue vest, shave the fu-man-chu and for god's sake, put some product in your hair - yeah, that's right, leave the love-van and get into BeMod.

How Much Data this Year...

Click to email me. 

End Of Summer, End of Days - What Next?

The 23rd of September, fall equinox, was the last day of summer up here in the northern hemisphere.

The Spring Equinox seems like decades ago.  Remembering the Turn that was Summer 2011 one can barely imagine what the next 3 months will bring.

What about the next 12 months?

Unemployment is still up.

Gold is way up.  HP down.

Since 2007, that will be five years ago pretty soon, the only aspect of our world that has steadily increased is the use of technology.  Our technology has forced the growth of content faster and faster.

There isn't today and there never will be, a paperless office - Less paper, but never paperless.

The social networks carry more and more.  Netflix is chewing up bandwidth,  FB has become mundane.  Tablets shipping everywhere, $99.

The Apple store at Fashion Island was packed on a Tuesday afternoon.

Droid, Win8, HP is out, no their in, no their out, wait...we don't know, iPad 2, iPhone 5, thin client, zero client - and the cloud.

That always growing, ever changing "cloud" - Google, Salesforce, Box, on and on.

What about managed print Services(MpS) or selling copiers?  With all this cool stuff going on, you're selling copiers?

Really?

The Aquarian Force

Click to email me. 

Bill Hewlett and David Packard - The HP That Was...

"...The Sky Shall Blow the Heavens into Stars..."

I was reminded today by Jennifer Shutwell, (Leopard and Senior Consultant at Photizo) about "the HP Way".  A set of norms and values HP, the company, lived by and extolled.

I decided to learn more.

Wandering around the 'net, hunting down the HP that was, I found myself a bit morose and feeling bad for today's HP employees, the HP'rs who have been there for more then 5 years.

The ones who bought into the HP ideals -  respect, achievement, contribution, integrity, teamwork, flexibility and innovation.

Those who didn't believe in product launches, silo'd divisions, marketing-by-chaos, press leaks, bribes, spying on employees, questionable expense accounts, revolving door leadership, pompous, aloof executives shouting "ka-ching" on stage or the decimation of every channel birthed.

No.  Right now, I see ten's of thousands of HP employees feeling betrayed, alone and broken.

I mean, where do you go after HP?

If a company, an American Company, one that was built out of a garage on a foundation of hard work, failure and recovery, American ingenuity and honesty can let you down, who can you trust?

Who can you believe in?  General Motors?  General Electric? Boeing?

I wonder how many really, great employees scrambled away or where turned out by HP over the past decade?  How many opportunities were missed, squandered, thrown away, because the HP board appointed oh so many wrong CEO's.

How often do you think innovation was squashed, hidden and digested within the bowls of that once great ship?

Lamborghini Aventador - Relentless Force

Holy CRAP!!!! Meg is In, Leo is Lost...and HP/Mother Blue? Slow-Motion, Disintegration

"...the Sky Shall Shatter the Heavens into Stars..."

HP has let Leo go - not surprising, and still shocking.

Meg is in, not surprising and still shocking.

The leaks, the rumors, the change in plans, the mystery, intrigue and tragedy that is HP.

Remember what started it ALL - Hurd's girl. Which is only saying Hurd started this.

But Meg? No really?

I do not dislike Meg, its just that I was out here when she ran for governor.

Stilted. Stiff. Planned, formula, handled.

No innovation. She appeared stuck in the old ways. She seemed overly advised, not genuine.

It seems to me, the HP board resurrected captain Ahab from the depths and put her on the bridge of the USS Ronald Reagan.

DOTC is calling it right now - NO GOOD SHALL COME OF THIS.

Earth and Water - Focus and Vision

"We can survive in MpS on either Focus or Vision, but to thrive beyond the temporary confines of toner and service, one needs both – Focus and Vision, Earth and Water."

Check the full post.

Just don't go demanding "Earth and Water" from Leonidas...jus sayin

Is HP Considering Another Seismic Shift? Apotheker, Going Away?

HP stock is up 7% today based on a rumor that Leo is Leaving?

As if we haven't had enough transformation this past summer, it seems rumors are flying around Wall Street and the internet regarding HP's board thinking about letting Leo go.

Oh, it gets better.

Seems the board is thinking about getting Meg Whitman of EBay fame to lead Mother Blue.

WOW!

ECi and Digital Gateway - Merging/Acquired/Transforming/Converging

The Transformers keep on coming.

Reliable sources report that Digital Gateway and ECi will become one - no details yet.

Digital Gateway, the 2011 MPSA Leadership Award, is a class-act and infrastructure pillar in our little industry.

Indeed, I use it everyday in my practice.

ECI is a legacy application in imaging - we all know both.

Expect more details in the following days.

The "Transformation" moves forward...

Thank you, "Deep Throat".

Selling Managed Print Services: The VAR Vs. Us

The oldest profession in the world isn’t prostitution, it’s professional selling. Selling one to one; one to many; many to many; retail; B2B; to that hottie in the corner; to your girlfriend, wife, sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, sales manager, cop, judge, jury; to ourselves – we all sell, and we always have.


Our industry is turning another corner – contracting and expanding at the same time. We’re looking for the next frontier and eyeing the IT cluster.

Thinking about getting into selling servers, storage, networks and network management, aren’t you? Putting all those monitors, PCs, switches and hard drives under a contract and tying that all into a 36-month “rip and replace” strategy, right? Sure.

How hard can it be?

Copiers have been connected now for more than a decade. All your devices scan; you’ve sold or heard of a “fax-server.” Your dealership has at least one “Content Specialist,” and RiKon/Xerox employ thousands of cycle-extending PS peeps – not that there’s anything wrong with that.

There's More...


Click to email me.

Bank of America and the Signature Card

Today, I found myself in a Bank of America, finishing up what I figured would be a 15 minute job.

Sixty minutes later, I was out the door; a new signature card in the system, an additional account added to the DOTC one, new BoA online user account, second ATM card secured and activated, checks ordered.

While completing a wire transfer, all my personal information was set up so I would rarely, if ever, need to step foot into another branch again.

Taping out on the Droid,  registration completed and passage confirmed for the upcoming Preo/HP event in Seattle, DOA procedures outlined and initiated for one of lastweeks installs(I was told that HP's never arrived dead, I was misinformed), client confirmation of delivery and invoicing for 3 Edgelines.

All from inside the bank.

No Fax
No PC
No Printing

Photizo in May, Preo/SNi in June, World Expo July, rained out Xerox in August, Muratec/Vegas, SuppliesNetwork/HP Seattle in September, OPS Elite October

What do you say we finish this year out in Australia? Eh?



I spent 2 days and 5 nights in Vegas last week, for my very first Muratec dealer conference.

It was awful nice being invited, on account I just signed up 30 days ago and haven't sold a single box.

The venue could be called small and intimate relative to the bigger shows, like Photizo, or the other OEM's - I liked it.

A little bit of background.

When I first got into selling technology, there was IBM PS/2's and Compaq desktops; the MicroChannel versus EISA architecture  - #1 and #2.  The Compaq folks were more willing, more attentive and more fun - their events rocked.

IBM? Unless you're Mike Stramaglio, how much fun can you have in a pinstripe suit at 12:30 AM?

When I served time in IKON, there was Canon at #1 with Ricoh a very close #2.  Again, the Ricoh folks, tried harder, worked with us, and were a hell of a lot more fun, especially in Vegas, at the Wynn.(Jus sayin, I 've seen them in action)

Just like Compaq, Ricoh knew their place as well, at number 2. They knew. They didn't pretend to be the largest or most installed. They didn't have big laser beams and fog machines at the national conference.

Point is this, #2 always tries harder - so wouldn't an admitted "third tier" player try even harder?

The answer, Yes.

Red Tails: "...We Fight...We Fight...We Fight..."

Technology All Twisted Up...

"...Go be the Rock Star..."

"...This song ain't about no bootie, it's about transistance. You dig?"

Yeah, I'm still in Vegas...

I just like saying, "HoobaStank..." and going to Vegas...

Like I need another reason to go to Vegas - I will be there for the Muratec celebration.

And I am looking forward to it.

There are few remaining MpS Frontiers; not so many of us Crawling In The Dark as once was...

Evanescence - "What You Want"

Do what you, what you want

Your world’s closing in on you now (it isn’t over) Stand and face the unknown (got to remember who you really are)

We're coming into the last quarter.  2011 pushing out, keeling over, 2012 more than a twinkle in the eye.

And how will it end?

Will you make quota?

Will your commission check be "correct" this one time?

Looking forward to the NEW comp plan?

How many of your co-workers won't be next to you in March?

How's that new MpS manager working out?  Another new manager?  Really?

Are you still a solutions provider on the 1st and a box mover on the 18th?

Is this "What You Want"...

MpS going downstream - Way DownStream - SMB/SOHO - wait, WHAT??

HP recently announced a slew of new machines, MpS enabled aimed directly at the small business niche.

Oki - is bundling scanning options built for Quickbooks, integrated with hardware, under their MpS, for around $800.00.

And I swear, I can almost hear Samsung slowing down through re-entry, landing in the water and waiting to come ashore en mass, with cheap, bundled MpS devices.

The Sky Shall Shatter the Heavens into Stars -

The great double-dip recession of 2008-20xx, is recognized by layoffs,  jobless figures, the California exodus, the Detroit melt-down and the not so stark difference between government created jobs and government jobs. (Think about it...wait for it...wait....there.)

As corporations are reducing headcount and squeezing every ounce of productivity from the zombie-like survivors, home offices are sprouting up like poppies in Afghanistan .

HP is getting out of PC's because they see less value for their shareholders in PC's - and as the PC goes, so too, goes the printer.

Downstream.

All these laid-off executives,  managers and cube rats are going to find their way in the world, most won't simply lie there, on the couch, collecting "Obama-bucks" forever.

The new Aquarian Workforce will be mobile, they will work simultaneously for multiple employers, and be based at home - printing. All those individual stars falling out of the sky, landing and thriving - on smart phones and tablets; no more brick and mortar.

But wait, there is more.

As the corporate world shrinks, and the need to print fades to white, smaller, cheaper and MpS Bundled devices will be the norm; if by "MpS Bundled" I mean S1/S2, which I do.

Machines talking to machines, toner automatically delivered, directly from the OEM.

Service you ask?  Really?  How about the OEM's go and design devices as reliable as your flat screen? How often have you called for service on that one?

From B2B to M2M to B2C and NOTHING in Between.

You feeling that?

That's my L.A. - How many times does L.A. need to get blowed up by aliens?

911 - The Mayor, "...we've never been here before, we're just going to have to make our response up..."

For Three Years - This has been played here on DOTC on 911

It isn't that they hate Us - they hate themselves...

It isn't that we are arrogant - we are envied...

It isn't bragging, if its True...

Deep down, our identity is there, supported by hundreds of years of pushing every  frontier between Plymouth Rock and Tranquility Base.

We are not Broken...

We are not Alone...


GRW - 2011

I Knew the Day Would Finally Come! We were There - Americans Were on The Moon, for all Mankind.

Astronauts' tracks, trash seen in new moon photos - Yahoo! News: "WASHINGTON (AP) —

A spacecraft circling the moon has snapped the sharpest photos ever of the tracks and trash left behind by Apollo astronauts in their visits from 1969 to 1972.

Images taken by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter from 13 to 15 miles up show the astronauts' paths when they walked on the moon, as well as ruts left by a moon buggy. Experts could even identify the backpacks astronauts pitched out of their lunar landers before they returned to Earth.

"What we're seeing is a trail," said Arizona State University geology professor Mark Robinson, the orbiter's chief scientist.

"It's totally awesome.""

=============================

Isn't it cool, when chief scientists get quoted saying something like, "It's totally awesome." ?

HP, MotherBlue, Just Sneezed...

No, really, potatoes.

Change?

You could say that. Transformation is the new convergence, the new change.

Was the HP decision to let go it's PSG division, one of the Triad, Wall Street driven or some emotional knee-jerk reaction to dismal TouchPad sales?

The answer is 'Yes'.  And HP is genius.  Mother Blue see's a future without desktops.

It's a crazy world, upside down, inside out - we'll make sense of this over the next 18 months - rationalize or remember.

And we'll hear everything from "business is proceeding as usual, you will experience little impact", the typical HP Edgeline, Mopier, 9065 talk track to "see, we told you HP has no loyalty to you, why should you to them?" Dell, Lenovo, Samsung, PC dejour...

We'll read industry pundits explain how 'so and so' will take HP's $42billion company on, re-label and grow.

IPG - Supplies, are big. Sustainable?

Meanwhile, 10,000+ HP employees squirm, VARs scramble, 'loyal' HP Enterprise customers call emergency CIO driven IT meetings, evaluating their 5 year technology refresh plans.

General panic smolders just below the surface and MotherBlue stays the course. She's just too damn big to ignore, she can do absolutely anything she wants...

And this is just the beginning. This is the first in a sequence - tell me, if the largest PC company in the world can get out of PC's, how difficult is it to see the worlds largest printer company, get out of PRINTING?

IPG is 21%(Q1/2011) of HP total revenue - ten years ago, IPG accounted for 43% of revenues.

Guess how much PSG, the division HP is remembering to let go, contributed to total revenues...31%.

Do you see what I see? The biggest question is, who can afford to swallow IPG?  Xerox? Ricoh? Cannon? Lexi?  Nobody.  What about spinning IPG off, all on its lonesome, eh?

Someday...

CONTENT, CONTENT, CONTENT.

Your World: Do I need to Draw you a Picture?

Tell me again, what do you sell?

My Dad still buys a newspaper.

When HP loses PSG, really, it won't be that bad.

Manged print Services, the Economy and Layoffs.  Do you see it?

Click to email me.

DOTC - How to Manager Your Manager

What is the primary function of a Sales Manager?

Let's say you're selling copiers - no big stretch there.

Your company/dealer/branch conducts Monday morning group meetings followed by individual, one on one, 'Sales funnel' sessions.

Consider the following:

Scenario 1 - New Sales Rep

Your company owned, CRM has to be updated, all the stages of the cycles illustrated and filled.

Your funnel covers 150% of your quota - all target accounts diagrammed, bases covered, red-flags seen.    Number of appointments, number of cold calls, demo's, etc. etc. etc.

All normal and ordinary. You're ready and prepared for that meeting with your Sales Manager.

Scenario 2 - Old Salt

Same company, same meeting.

You've been moving copiers since 1980 and remember selling machines on real cold calls; face to face, demo in the lobby, one appointment close.

All your prospects' and clients' business cards are at your fingertips. You've worked with more sales managers than you can remember.

Your Monday morning routine includes reminding the Sales Manager why you're still there, how much gear you've landed over the past decade and how many more are coming down in the next 30 days.  You present this verbally, because you don't get paid to play with spreadsheets and computers.


EMBED-Horrible Bosses: Trailer - Watch more free videos

Unfortunately, this Monday is different.

Today, senior management is in on the meeting to introduce the new manager.  Today, you get to meet the new guy, your new manager.

So you're both in the same spot. Now what?

Listen to the introductions, nod your head, play their game and become part of their agenda.


Is that really what you want to do? Does your manager hold dominion over you? Really?

How about you try to help him define his role in supporting you?

How about you show him he works for you?

What, you think that can't be done?

There's More, go Deeper




Click to email me.

TheDeathOfThe PC: A Call to the Channels Transform Now

My Rover, Grass Valley Fire, 2007

It isn't that we are not familiar with tough business decisions.  We all know somebody who has been a victim of such acts.

HP's announced decision to let die WebOS and TouchPad - a product that lived just 49 days - in and of itself is stupendous.

Spinning off their PC's may seem surprising, unless you once sold IBM ThinkPads and remember selling IBM printers.

Go back to IBM, heck go back the the Mopier, the HP9065 and Edgeline; is it really a surprise that after investing a billion, shifting leadership, HP drops and adds?

There is more, much more here, and it is not all Dark.

"...Kindles and Schmindles..." Print...is...Dead...

Buggy whips, that's all I'm sayin...

911 - Never Forget