Printelligent Announces PrintAlert(TM) -- Remote Monitoring Software

SALT LAKE CITY, Oct 31, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) --


Rob Wellman, CEO of Printelligent, announced the release of PrintAlert(TM) -- a proprietary software application enhancing Printelligent's Managed Print Solution by remotely monitoring clients' networked printers, resulting in flexible and proactive service programs.
"PrintAlert was developed in-house because our clients wanted extreme flexibility in Printelligent's service response resulting from data collected from their printers," said Wellman. "We tried using third-party remote monitoring software applications, but none of them provided the flexibility needed."

Printelligent customers receive multiple benefits from remote monitoring of their printers, ranging from simple page count readings to proactive consumables service. Printelligent is able to tailor service response programs for each client, with varying levels of service for specific printers. With PrintAlert installed, initiation of on-site client service no longer depends on an employee calling Printelligent to request service. The service visit is often completed before clients are even aware of a service need. Reporting becomes extremely accurate and eliminates the need for the physical gathering of printer page counts. PrintAlert is a free application to all Printelligent clients receiving Managed Print Solution services.

PrintAlert scans for devices in standard network environments that have IEEE management information bases (MIBs),ensuring only print device data is captured. Data is collected using SNMP -- a standard monitoring protocol. Collected information includes the printer's lifecount (pages printed to-date) and status messages such as a low toner alert. Data is collected periodically, pushed through the client's firewall and sent over the Internet to Printelligent's internal database using secure data transfer protocols. The resulting network traffic is negligible, similar to a user surfing the Internet. Data encryption keeps information secure, and the only firewall ports used in data transfer are those typically already in use for web traffic. No ports are "left open" but rather PrintAlert pushes data back to Printelligent, opening a port as needed in much the same way a web browser functions.

PrintAlert is already monitoring over 1,200 client print devices for Printelligent. Curt Schaefermeyer, LAN administrator at Mountain America Credit Union, said, "We have been using PrintAlert with great success. Installation was very straight forward and took all of 15 minutes. It's been quietly residing on our network gathering printer data and passing it to Printelligent for several months now. Printelligent is more aware of our printer fleet activity as a result."

Printelligent clients enjoy the benefits of working with one trusted provider for all printing needs. Clients receive remote monitoring of printer fleets, supplies and service on-demand, as well as tailored management reports regarding the company's networked printers. On-going reviews reveal over/under utilized printers and recommendations for strategic printer purchases. Printers are placed to serve the needs of employees, and maximize printer use by funneling the majority of print volume to lowest cost printers. Service costs are summarized in a quarterly invoice including all print-related costs.
"Printelligent's clients reap rewards whenever technology can automate a workflow process because time savings and service improvements are the result," said Wellman. "PrintAlert is helping Printelligent be extremely flexible and very proactive in the delivery of our services."

About Printelligent

Since 1988, Printelligent has managed networked print environments for mid- to large companies with typical cost savings of up to 38% in general office printing costs. Printelligent's clients print smarter through remote monitoring of printer fleets, service and supplies delivered at time-of-need, tailored management reports, strategic printer purchases and one simple quarterly invoice. Printelligent is the industry's most experienced Managed Print Solutions provider, and enjoys a strategic relationship with HP as an Office Printing Solutions Elite Partner and Authorized Edgeline Access Partner. Headquartered in Salt Lake City, Printelligent has offices in Atlanta, Chicago, and Los Angeles, serving a diverse group of local and regional clients. Visit our recently updated website at: www.printelligent.com.

SOURCE: Printelligent

HP Buys Printelligent - Whadda Think 'bout THAT?

DOTC 5/2011

From an article on CRN -

"Founded in 1988, Printelligent was an early mover in the managed print space, launching its first MPS solution in 1993. Once the deal closes, Printelligent’s work force and technology assets will become part of the LaserJet and Enterprise Solutions unit within HP's Imaging and Printing Group."

This makes it sound like the integration will be at the enterprise level...but then...

"This acquisition puts us even further ahead by strengthening our ability to deliver services and solutions through our channel partners to SMB customers,” said Vyomesh Joshi, executive vice president of HP's Imaging and Printing Group, in a statement.

Joshi makes it look like this is a channel move.

Time will tell, it always does.

I will say this; the OPS channel is chuck full of MPS training and content.

I know the guys at Printelligent (congrats!) - they are smart. They understand Stage 3/4.

If this is a move to replace the channel, look out.

If this is a move to improve the channel, look out.

Very, very interesting.


OverLords assemble - the Big Three descending.

Childhood's End.

Click to email me. 

Printelligent Picks Up DirectPointe's MPS Practice

Last year, Lawton Smith and DirectPointe received the MPSA's Corporate End User Implementation Leadership Award.

That was great.

One of the best stories Lawton will ever share is the one about him sitting on his couch, at 3AM, in a leopard thong(that is not true, but it paints a picture) remotely configuring dozens of devices all over the country.

Lovin that WebJet Admin!

I am guessing, thong aside, that Printelligent recognizes expertise as well as the MPSA - so much so, they bought them.

I a very interesting move, Printelligent purchases DirectPointe's(an integrator)MPS division.

A sign that integrators are getting out of MPS?

Combine this with all the copier dealers failing, I mean, "getting out of" MPS and perhaps there is something to this.

Too bad there aren't any MPS consultants out there helping both sides get their heads around MPS Purity.

MPS isn't going away - the future of copier manufacturers, hardware dealers and printed business workflow is.

See more here.


Click to email me.

Managed print Services - As The World Turns: First HP/Printelligent today Xerox/Newfield

5/2011

Whose Next?

WOW!

A few of my acquaintances, wait they are more than people I simply know, two close, MPS Pioneers, have now become part of the Machine. In a good way.

Congrats to Robert and his team at NewfieldIt and congrats to Greg, Rob, Lawton and the entire crew at Printelligent.

Well done, well deserved - good luck.

Okay - Now What? This is almost as exciting as when Ricoh bought Ikon.

Questions, questions...

Nature moves in 3's, is there a third shoe to drop?

It's Over and HP Wins

4/21/2017

If copier OEMs are Missionary, HP is Reverse Cowgirl. It's Over and HP Wins

Anyone who knows me, remembers me lambasting HP for past gaffs and missteps: Hawk and Ikon, The "Long March" that was Edgeline, firing Hurd, Leo, and the all too infamous, TouchPad.

And who can forget "The Great Toner Purge of 2013"

During my talk at the Photizo conference back in 2012, I was asked if I thought HP would survive.  My quick answer was "No, not as we know her today."   That was then, this is now and HP ain't what she used to be.

Which brings me to my point: HP is going to win the war for the remaining clicks.  HP will beat Canon, Ricoh, Xerox, and those who attempt to overtake her as the predominant provider of MpS and devices.

Why?  Three reasons:

The Next Managed print Services

From Los Angeles over to Davidson, North Carolina up to Oconomowoc, Wisconsin; from IT to corporate identity programs to copiers, back to IT, then managed print services, managed services, and back to Managed print Services.

What a checkered, varied and wonderful path. The journey continues.

I met Dave Westlake years ago when he was pitching his print security package - back then, nobody cared about security and printers. So he pivoted into asset management. His mapping tool created interest, and received traction in the IT realm, not the print world.

One day, Dave called me up asking for my advice. He was working with a client who wanted to build an MpS practice and was wondering about the hiring criteria for a MpS Practice Manager, inside a $300M VAR. After a 20 minute outline/oration, I simply stopped and said, “Dave, there is nobody out there with this level of experience in BOTH imaging and IT - except me."

One thing led to another, interviews conducted, offers made and accepted. Five months after our initial conversation, I was on my way from Ft. Meyers, Florida(87 degrees, sunny) to Oconomowoc, Wisconsin(12 degrees, cloudy) with a mission to first see if MpS made sense for the organization and then build a practice.

My consultations revealed this VAR, just like many others, did not hold print as a very high priority - for the organization or their clients. The sales people were accustomed to quoting million dollar hardware deals, not $4,500.00/month service contracts. The money was too little, the effort too involved.

So nine months into an engagement, I got the call into HR. “Print is not a strategic initiative of the company. Your position has been eliminated.” All righty then - nice to have met you all, it was a thrill helping you discover you didn’t need me or my expertise. Have a nice day.

Life.

While employed, I pitched Dave’s software to the VAR as a great way to help IT customers integrate different software systems onto a single screen, and was roundly rebuffed. “Oh, it’s just an asset management package…” The interpretation was incorrect, but for some reason, I didn’t waste time or breath on the argument.

They missed the point. I had customers begging me for a solution like Atlas. IT Directors from large financial institutions and one of the largest healthcare providers in the world were asking me for a way to integrate data from dozens of disparate databases.

Red flags fluttered in my toner-fused mind. I kept my mouth shut.

Days after being let go, I called Dave. Remember, if it weren’t for his phone call 14 months back, I wouldn’t be freezing in Oconomowoc, a gajillion miles from the Pacific. We decided to work together and double our efforts in the already proven niche, IT Lifecycle management. He may have felt pity or guilt - not sure.

But a funny thing happened on the way to the IT Department - we started to see Atlas as a natural choice for copier and print providers looking to pivot from MpS into IT. It’s easier to talk about tracking hardware than outsourcing the help desk or configuring hybrid BDR solutions.

Looking at the different mapping, assessment, ROI, proposal generating, and TCO tools left me exhausted and mystified - I would never purchase or inflict any of those tools on a sales team. We can’t get reps to type information into SalesForce or Oracle, how the heck are to expect them to operate and drive these behemoths?

I’ve managed and built MpS practices. I’ve created and helped institute managed services practices inside copier dealerships. In my own practice and in every other MpS organization I’ve been involved, the tools to sell, service and run the business is a large, complicated, hodgepodge of strung together software packages.

If by chance, an organization had moved forward with an integrated platform, a system that generates everything from TCO to before and after maps, the system is cluttered, complicated and heavy. Lot’s of dealers and most customers do not need or want to review a plethora of charts, graphs and spreadsheets crunching print related data.

 I’ve heard them tell me so.

Atlas isn’t any of these things. I can conduct a simple walk through and interview, plot devices, capture machine data, document workflow involved, etc. right on my tablet or phone. MpS Practitioners can conduct assessments, utilize their wisdom and close more deals. It doesn’t matter if a DCA or thumb drive is utilized. Move forward with end user interviews, collect the data, plot devices, present your solution and close.

As a Practice Manager, I was always downloading invoice and toner costs out of EAutomate, collecting dispatch data from ConnectWise, merging Crystal reports and .CSV files in an Excel spreadsheet. After a few hours, I had a pretty good profit and loss presentation ready. Back then, I wondered if I would ever be able to boil all that data into a single screen, reflecting live data.

One can dream.

This is good stuff. Atlas helps MpS sales people, Practice Managers, Owner/Principles and customers managed and visualize the entire environment. What’s more, the system is designed to work inside existing workflows, organically optimizing processes and steps - not replacing existing tools in a ‘rip and replace’ manner.

For print specific providers, Atlas offers more than just toner/ink device management - out of the box, Atlas can track ALL assets, not just SNMP/MIB based. Manage the printers and copiers for 12 months, then move the conversation to IT Lifecycle management of PC’s, monitors, and phones. That’s just one

I’ve evaluated all the tools even working with some few know exist. I like simplicity. I like low overhead. I like tools that are implements, not replacements for creativity and thought.

That’s why I liked Printelligent. That’s why I picked Preo/Printelligence back in 2011 and promoted PrinterLogic in 2014 - simple, effective, relevant. I’m looking forward to evangelizing Atlas as an easy to use, scalable tool. A tool to be used in the field and in the board room.

Atlas - Mps, Find Your Way.

The Copier Model is Sinking: What's Next?

Rose, after 'A Night to Remember'.

9/2016

“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!” 

- Hunter S. Thompson

In 2009, we jumped on the MpS bandwagon, supporting Photizo, evangelizing Preo, Printelligent and the new opportunities MpS could provide...

In 2011, we consulted companies into the world of managed IT services recommending Collabrance and others...

In 2014, we suggested getting to know PrinterLogic and expanding into tele-medicine...

In 2015, confronted with the most turbulent run ever,  we heralded in the End the copier industry as we knew it...

Through every turn, zig and zag, one constant remained; there is ALWAYS a tomorrow. So it shall be with our niche.  Once everything settles, when leverage money guys leave, and a single OEM remains, when the channel is nothing but a memory, you can prevail.

You can sell this as a service.

As a copier sales professional, you know how to work with leasing companies and construct a complicated finance deal.

You know how to SPIN, how to uncover business challenges and discover new prospects.  More importantly, you know how to present a piece of hardware with services and derive revenue from your efforts.

These skills translate into the new, 'Everything as a Service', economy.

Ask yourself, "What's the difference between a copier and a commercial air conditioning unit or managing lighting usage/costs vs. managed print services?"

What's the difference? You are the difference.

You know how to assess, construct a proposal and present both complex sales as well as simple engagements.

Also, those industries are going through the same pressures we experienced,  almost a decade ago; shifting from equipment only sales to services-led engagements.  More than managed services or doubling down on MpS, shifting into adjacent industries represents the greenest of greenfields.

Trane is monitoring equipment.

To prove my point, consider this statement:

"...With industry-leading expertise, innovative equipment, and cutting-edge technology, we can help your business operate better than it ever has before. Our clients have found they have the capacity to run smarter and more efficiently. To operate more sustainably and cleaner. To realize better outcomes and provide more for those who live and work in your environments..."

If somebody gave you this value proposition to use in your copier/printer/MpS/MNS/toner sales efforts, you could, right?  It makes sense.

Which OEM made this statement?  Ricoh? Xerox? Konica Minolta? HP? Lexmark?  Did the copier dealer across town or a big MpS software company put forth this value proposition?

No.

TRANE, the manufacturer of heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems and building management systems and controls said this, here.

TRANE has been this business since 1885.  They've experienced turbulence and transformation along the way and are currently trying to address the IoT, remote monitoring and service of their equipment.

This is ONE example.  There are many more and the number is growing every day.

After surviving the Titanic, Rose let go of her past, embracing all possibilities.  Exploring West, elephant riding, barnstorming, family - adventures once imagined, lived.

Our industry has deep damage along the starboard side - the ship will sink.

Darkness and gloom lurk. No one is to blame, it is the way of things.

Do not listen to the OEM's siren song of new partnerships and growing print business.  Do not believe pundits parroting, "Remain calm, everything is under control..."  You are in control, not them.

This night shall pass.

When it does, where will you be?

Shades of Greg: 2016. The Year of The Flood

11/2015

Mergers, acquisitions, sell-outs and less paper.

2016 will see the beginning of the End.

More signs.  The tipping point is in your rearview mirror, if this is news to you, it's too late.

• Today, Xerox may be running out of ink with quarter after quarter of declining technology business. They've also decided to scrap the wax.
• Lexmark, after years of building a portfolio of MPS contracts is finally ready to sell out.
• HP, the thickest of the thick, is splitting into two. HPG, (HP Inc.) can now move quicker and turn their profits into R/D for print.  Will this five billion dollar start-up be the last print vendor standing? Can the old Printelligent model work?  Mother Blue has been adding vans almost as fast as she's laid off employees.  She has an impressive array of services, and a behemoth of a team ready to take the argument to the streets - direct.
• Samsung may gobble up Nuance, enhancing a practically non-existent MpS program.
• The independent channel continues to shrink and evolve.  Just this week, Loffler joined the Xerox dealer channel and Marco cashes in, selling to an equity firm.
• On top of all this, the American Forest & Paper Association released their yearly report stating, "...total printing-writing paper shipments were down 4% in September as compared to September 2014."  The same report a year earlier sited a 7% drop from 2013 to 2014.

Taken individually, the list has one dimension.

But observed from a distance, and just to the side, these points reveal a multi-dimensional reality: The deluge is here.

Knee deep in a receding surf for the last 18 months the final Wave is coming.  If you haven't sold or gotten out the only choice you have is to hunker down and hope for the best.

So what does it mean?

The End is just the beginning...ask yourself this one question,

"If office print disappeared tomorrow, what would I be doing the day after?"

Whatever answer you come to, you are absolutely correct.