Your MPSA Election: Ten Questions For the Candidates: "Consulting" Opening.

This election is heating up, some candidates actively campaigning.

The Managed Print Services Association (MPSA) election is underway for a current opening on the board that will serve a one-year term (May 2010 – May 2011). The open position is for someone in the “Consulting” area which can be defined as "any person working for a research or vendor independent professional services organization, and is not a full time employee of any Manufacturer, Dealer or Industry Logistical/Component provider."

Submitted for your review:

10 Questions from DOTC to all those running.

And by all I mean, Bob Barrette, Fred Berger, Randy Dazo, Merlijn de Vroe, Randy Elliott, Mitchell Filby, Harry Hecht, Steve Juris, Jim Kahrs, Johan Kosters, Steven Power, Gerry Skipwith and Mike Woodard.

DOTC invites all to answer in the form of a comment to this post.

Responses will be unedited.

One detail - EACH ANSWER WILL BE 144 CHARACTERS OR LESS.

The voting is open to MPSA Members.

This should be fun:


1. What is your definition of MPS?
2. Does MPS currently have more in common with Copier or IT Sales?
3. What do you see as the future of MPS?
4. What is the number one benefit your clients receive from working with you?
5. In round numbers, how many clients have you consulted to or trained in, Managed Print Services, as defined in question one?
6. What value will you bring to the members of Your MPSA?
7. When was the last time you proposed, or help propose a MPS solution?
8. Do you belong to any other industry associations? If so, which?
9. What contribution to the MPS industry, do you feel Your MPSA should provide?
10.Who is your hero?

Threw that last one in, just for kicks.


That's it.

10 simple questions, 144 characters for each answer.

Voting procedure and candidate Bio's are here.

Click to email me.

Your MPSA 2010 MPS Leadership Awards Winners

The Managed Print Services Association (MPSA) is proud to announce the winners of the 2010 MPS Leadership Awards. Of the 60 different submissions across 53 different organizations in 12 different countries, the MPSA found quite considerable leadership and innovative thinking from all of the submissions.

Based upon the balanced scorecard voting that rated submissions in Core Abilities (30%), Best Practices (30%) and Business Benefits (40%) the following are the top winners in a highly competitive process.

Free Photizo Webcasts Offer Live Coverage of MPSA General Assembly at North American MPS Conference

Other key MPS Conference sessions also offered

LEXINGTON, KY – April 28, 2010 – Photizo Group and MPSInsights.com will host a free webcast of the MPSA General Assembly live from the 2010 North American MPS Conference, and interactive chat will let viewers participate during the session. The MPSA Annual Meeting and General Session led by MPSA President Jim Fitzpatrick takes place May 5 from 4:45-5:30 pm Central.

In addition, a number of other MPS Conference sessions will also be webcast free of charge from MPSInsights.com, providing viewers with a sample of the MPS Conference. With the North American conference nearing a capacity audience, the webcasts will make portions of the event content available to more people.


“This year’s MPS North America Conference continues the high standard that has been set at each event in the MPS Conference series, and the agenda is loaded with excellent content. We recognize the crucial need for information in this dynamic market, and through these free webcasts, Photizo hopes to extend the educational opportunity a little wider across the MPS community,” said Ed Crowley, President of the Photizo Group.

MPSInsights.com Webcast Schedule: (All sessions are Central time.)

Tuesday, May 4

· 9:15-10:15 am; Ed Crowley--Photizo Group, State of the Industry

· 10:30-11:30 am; John MacInne--Print Audit, Scott Bonck--IKON, Adding Print Rules to Your MPS Program

· 3:00-4:00 pm; Lawton Smith--DirectPointe, SharePoint Servers As a Building Block for Stage 3 Engagements

Wednesday, May 5

· 8:15-9:00 am; Jason Evans--PEQ Services Solutions, Keynote Address

· 9:45-10:45 am; Jose Luis Parga--Pulsartec, Is Selling MPS to SMBs Profitable?

· 1:30-2:30 pm; Greg Walters--SIGMAnet, David Cameron--Photizo Group, Changing Dealer Business Models; Myth vs. Reality

· 4:45-5:30 pm; MPSA Annual Meeting and General Session led by Jim Fitzpatrick, MPSA President

Webcast video access and other information are available at MPSInsights.com.


Click to email me.

The Best In MPS: Your MPSA Managed Print Services Awards 2010

This isn't the Magic Quadrant, these awards are for you.

And everyone who submits, is a winner.

That's right, every submission will be reviewed and an article detailing your solution will posted by your MPSA.

Exposure.

Here's my take; there is no deal or solution or MPS implementation that is too small. Of course all the larger OEM's will submit, huge, global, galactic level MPS implementations.

Let's see some "normal", everyday MPS Engagements submitted - its not the size its the impact that counts.

Check it out, submit a your customer, your client, your process, your favorite vendor.


Managed Print Services – 2010 Leadership Awards
Gain the recognition you deserve

The Managed Print Services Association (MPSA) is pleased to announce the start of the 2nd annual MPS Leadership Awards for our mutual industry. These highly coveted awards provide the industries only recognition for the leaders that are helping to shape and benefit the Managed Print Services industry.

See the following briefing documentthat covers the Award Categories, Benefits of Applying, and this year we have Simplified the Application Process.

New to this years awards:

All submissions will receive the following benefits:

1. MPSA Published Article profiling your accomplishments
2. Communications for your Article to all MPSA Members
3. Balanced Scorecard – Providing equal opportunity regardless of size
4. MPSA Disclosure of final scoring vs. other entries within your category

While award submissions can be received up until March 2010, the MPSA would like to receive your submission within the next 30 days if possible.

Special thanks to the Photizo Group LLC, for sponsoring these awards and their continued support of the MPSA.

Click to email me.

MPSA 1st Webinar - Photizo: Managed Print Services in 2010 - "...the year of the Channel..."

Your MPSA conducted it's first Higher Education webinar.

Ed Crowley from Photizo presented his view of the year to come.

Attendance was strong, the questions pertinent.

Some of the news, ominous.

Not a crystal ball in sight.

Here are some tidbits...

In 2009 MPS moved from a "sales and marketing" program into a Core offering for most MPS Practices - and this will accelerate in 2010.

MPS is moving to the mid-market.

Customers are driving into the third Stage, Enhance the Business Process and software is the way.

The "definition" subject came up - one question, "...what is MPS? Fleet management, CPC ?" Ed's response, "...it's more then the fleet, it includes BPO, document flow and all the items of Stage 3..."

Scale? Systems need to be scaled from the 100's of devices up to 1,000's of devices; this is evolving.

80% of dealers are still "testing" the MPS market - remote meter reads only. A small percentage of dealers are managing their fleets. Not just marketing, not just a sales program, MPS is a change in business model. This is holding most dealers back.

Ed predicts that by 2013, 50% of resellers in North America will be out of business due to inability to be successful with MPS.

The MPS market will exceed $32 billion in revenues in 2010.

Finally, 2010 is the year of the Channel.

MPS as a practice, has evolved from a marketing scheme, or technique into a full blown, functional business model - we are at critical mass - MPS is being taken seriously now. We will see more and more emphasis on those, in the channel, who adapted to MPS, implementing a full practice.

"Hybrid Dealers" will start to take shape and form, with one national Hybrid dealer emerging in the next 3 years.
--------------------

This was a very informative session. Coupled with the recent Lyra content, the times are changing, again, the future ain't what it use to be, again.

Click to email me.

What's In Store For You in 2010? Your MPSA Doesn't Have a Crystal Ball, We Got Ed - ;-)

Good Times? Bad Times? Which One of These?

Last year, at the 2008 MPS Conference in San Antonio Texas, Ed (CEO, Photizo Group) claimed that 2009 would be the "Year of MPS". I was there, I heard it and saw the slide-deck with my own eyes.


True to prediction, MPS is the hottest thing going, well at least in terms of discussion groups and industry buzz - hell, even iTEX is talking about the "hybrid-dealer". Ed should have trademarked the term. Anyway.

Your MPSA is hosting a quick Webinar, January 28th 11:00 AM EST - which of course means I will be attending in a bath-robe and leopard thong, feet up on the desk, sipping my java.

Aren't you happy we ain't doing the webcam thing?

Go here. Register for the Photizo Webinar.

While your at it, RSVP for the webinar February 28th, "The Anatomy of an MPS Deal" presented by Great America - good peeps all around.

Yeah, I doubt the young, bikini clad ball-gazers will be there, but you never know.