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Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Okidata - VARs/BTA/PSA/RMM - and Agiliant

I just read the press release from Okidata announcing a relationship between Oki and Agiliant.

You'll remember Agiliant is a newcomer to the MpS space(sorta, they pretty much invented MpS back in the day before flipping out to Pitney) - Agiliant is looking to provide third-party IT services to MpS providers, rounding out any managed services portfolio.

Not a bad model.

Okidata adds yet another dimension to their VAR strategy.  Again, you'll remember back in the summer of 2011, Oki announced a re-vamping of their Total Managed Print portal that included interfaces to many of the popular PSA's.(Connectwise, Level Platforms...)

The VARs are coming, and their infrastructure partners are leading the way.  All this is fine and grand.  But software does not an MpS Practice make.

How are these new VARs going to SELL this new service?  Just like helpdesk and the NOC?

It ain't that difficult, so we should see thousands of VARs embrace and prosper in this new realm, shouldn't we?

It's our ecosystem all over again - let's call it the MpS ExoSystem.

Press Release:

OKI Data Americas and Agiliant Join Forces to Facilitate Managed Print Services, Managed Network Services Adoption within the BTA Dealer Channel Mt. Laurel, NJ and Kirkland, WA (December 14, 2011)

– OKI Data Americas and Agiliant, Inc. today announce a platform development agreement through which Agiliant’s MITOS™ (Managed Information Technology and Output Services) offering will incorporate OKI’s proprietary Total Managed Print™ (TMP) solution to provide a comprehensive suite of services to be offered through the Agiliant Affiliate Network™ (AAN) within the BTA dealer channel.

This alliance is among the first of its kind, and will allow dealers the opportunity to provide end-to-end, integrated Managed Network Services (MNS) and Managed Print Services (MPS) solutions to customers to supplement their office equipment sales, lease and service offerings, generating immediate returns and recurring revenue streams.

 The two primary components of the alliance advance Agiliant’s MITOS™ offering by providing dealers in the AAN with a standardized product suite and robust technology platform that streamlines operations, shortens sales cycles and automates many of the integration requirements for building and delivering managed services.

Agiliant will incorporate key aspects of OKI’s TMP Portal into its business processes to standardize asset and life cycle management, sales and delivery components. In addition, OKI’s broad portfolio of award-winning printing solutions will be offered as a preferred printer brand within Agiliant’s MITOS solution suite throughout the AAN.

 The AAN is a highly synchronized, nationwide network of business technology product and service providers, largely comprised of BTA dealers – each having been carefully evaluated and selected as best of breed in its respective market. AAN member companies are exclusively licensed to market and carry the innovative MITOS solution suite to deliver managed IT and document output management products and services to their customers.

 “OKI has been at the forefront of helping channel partners effectively enter the document output management space to embrace the accelerating convergence of the industry,” said Tim Brien, Director of Managed Print Services at OKI Data Americas. “Agiliant’s integration of MPS and MNS via the MITOS™ solution provides a platform which will expand OKI’s reach within the BTA dealer channel.

By continuing to incorporate innovative systems tools and technologies along with best practices for MPS leadership, OKI’s Total Managed Print has become one of the preeminent MPS solutions currently available, delivering fully integrated print fleet and document management services to satisfy the critical demands of today’s cost-conscious workplace.”

Gary Stevens, Chief Executive Officer of Agiliant, Inc., said, “Product standardization is an important initiative for Agiliant, as it enables our Affiliate Network to share the many benefits of a consistent and highly coordinated solution with their customers across the country. OKI’s prominence and expertise within the Managed Print Services arena and innovative TMP solution make OKI an exceptional fit as a foundational product and strategic partner to Agiliant.”

About Oki Data Americas, Inc. Oki Data Americas Inc., headquartered in Mount Laurel, NJ, and a subsidiary of OKI Data Corporation of Japan, markets PC peripheral equipment and customized document management solutions under the OKI® brand, including digital color and monochrome printers, color and monochrome multifunction products, serial impact dot matrix printers, thermal label printers and POS printers, as well as a full line of options, accessories and consumables.

Utilizing Genuine OKI® toner ensures consistent, reliable and high-quality output that maximizes performance. OKI Data Americas also serves the Graphic Arts & Production market with the OKI proColor™ Series. OKI Data Americas takes a consultative approach to supporting every customer's needs and delivering individualized print solutions that optimize business performance.

The company's innovative technology is backed by Tokyo-based parent company Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd., a world leader in information processing systems, telecommunications and electronics; and an approximately $5.2 billion multinational corporation according to its FY 2010 financial reporting. Keeping its customers' needs top of mind, OKI Data Americas is ISO 9001:2008 certified and offers a selection of ENERGY STAR(r) certified products.

About Agiliant Agiliant is a master managed services provider of information technology (IT) solutions that optimize the IT function of organizations of all sizes to better meet their specific and changing needs, while reducing costs and diminishing the many business risks and vulnerabilities that reside within the corporate IT infrastructure.

Agiliant’s MITOS™ (Managed Information Technology & Output Services) managed services offering provides a highly effective best practice for efficiently managing all aspects of business IT systems, assets and operations, while delivering complete cost and service level predictability.

Agiliant provides the core services and solutions engine behind the Agiliant Affiliate Network™, a highly integrated nationwide network of leading technology service providers to deliver complete visibilIT, vitalIT and manageabilIT for business™. # # # OKI, Reg. OKI Electric Industry Co., Ltd. ENERGY STAR Reg. T.M. U.S. EPA, Design Reg. T.M. OKI Data Corp., proColor, T.M., OKI Data Americas. MITOS; Agiliant Affiliate Network; and visibility, vitalIT, and manageabilIT for business are registered trademarks of Agiliant, Inc.


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