Artificial Intelligence And Your Dealership: The Next Managed Print Services?

Did you know that back in 2009, the term 'managed print services' was met with outright disdain? Dealers and OEMs would exclaim, 'Shrink the fleet to reduce costs? That's heresy in a world built on selling copiers!' Fast forward to today, and we're on the cusp of another paradigm and the most significant shift—this time, powered by Artificial Intelligence.

As Andrew Ng, co-founder of Google Brain and a leading voice in AI, puts it, 'AI is the new electricity.' Just as electricity transformed numerous industries over a century ago, AI is poised to do the same today. 

So, is AI merely the new MpS, or is it something far more transformative?

• Mckinsey: $4.4T of value added world-wide annually
• 80% of all jobs are subject to being enhanced by Generative AI
• In just the last year, a staggering 400 AI start-ups have emerged, gobbling up an eye-watering $24.6 billion in investment. Source: Visual Capitalist

__________

For the last six months, I've been using Artificial Intelligence (AI)in the form of a Large Language Model (LLM) every single day - cutting edge.  More like bleeding edge.

Why aren't you using AI? Today?

Three Steps for Your #ManagedprintServices Practice

There were dark days.  

Back in 2007, MpS was new, on the edge, and a bit contrarian.  The year was 2007, copiers were flying off the shelf, and everybody signed a 60-month lease with an accompanying service agreement.  A4 was a dirty word.

MpS didn’t flourish it sputtered and more often failed. Stories of fallen MPS practices outnumbered the successful.

I, myself, declared MpS dead in 2011 because the discipline became adulterated into the lowest price possible. The race to the bottom was inevitable.

Today, I look upon the contemporary MpS ecosystem and see customers calling dealers looking to sign MpS contracts, more MpS press coverage, INCREASED membership in your MPSA, ridicule, and criticism from industry "pundits" and “shills” it’s beginning to feel like the ‘good old days.  Sorta. My optimism is cautionary.

ChatGPT: The Next Step in Artificial Intelligence and Its Implications for the Workforce

I've been messing around with ChatGPT over the past week and let me tell you, things are about to change big time. 

To be honest, it's got me feeling pretty scared.

It's worth considering what would happen if we gave it more memory, access to the internet to continue updating its model

Companies Embrace Efficiency to Tackle Inflation and Economic Uncertainty:Without Copier Salespeople

 

Source: The Wall Street Journal

Date: April 29, 2023

Greg's Words

For decades, we in the copier industry have been telling prospects our hardware "increases productivity and reduces costs". We lied. Well, we defined the narrative to fit our mission of selling 10 copiers a month. (or whatever)

The world is increasing productivity and reducing costs through more efficient workflows - and if you are simply selling copiers, printers, or MpS, they are doing it without you and viewing your relationship as a target for cost reduction.

AI eats workflows 24/7 and will decimate everything from middle management to the C-Suite.

More than how the internet shook things up, bigger than that gift from Prometheus, and vastly more liberating than the invention of the Wheel, Generative AI is shifting our world, changing how we work, chit-chat, learn, and more. 

Hold onto your linen, because the speed of this tech revolution is faster than light. These jaw-dropping tools we're ogling at today? They'll be old news by year's end since they're leveling up like crazy and getting mixed into other gizmos and services at breakneck speed. 

Buckle up, buttercups, 'cause we're in for a wild one...

Key highlights: 

• Companies like AT&T and Meta Platforms are focusing on efficiency and productivity improvements in response to economic challenges. 
• AT&T's Project Raindrops initiative aims to simplify and eliminate unnecessary business processes, saving employees nearly 3 million hours a year. 
• While the impact of small improvements on the bottom line is difficult to quantify, research suggests that saved time is often reinvested in the company as additional work.

_________

ConnectWise FirstStrike: ChatGPT Integration and The DOTC AI in Sales Course

ConnectWise has integrated OpenAI's ChatGPT with its remote monitoring and management (RMM) tools, ConnectWise Automate and ConnectWise RMM. This integration makes ConnectWise the first to release an OpenAI integration in the managed services industry. MSPs will be able to automate customer ticketing and issue-tracking processes to provide faster response times and improve customer service and engagement.

"Things that I know or are rumored to be:

Business last year increased by 34% in some areas and 57% overall

The number of endpoints increased over the past 24 months..."

- GW

The Summer of 2011: Integration, Re-Imaging, User MpS Profiles and DOTC Members Only

Optimize Everybody...

Oh boy, I am in the middle of the Anthony Robbins "Ultimate Edge...blah blah blah..." -  it's good, really, I mean it and someday I want a place on Fiji right next door.  So what better way than to study the dude.

He's humongous, you know.

Perhaps you don't know Anthony Robbins or what he does - in a nutshell, he helps point out the obvious to the oblivious.  He sounds sincere, is the consummate selling professional - always closing - and makes an impression.  He attracts - I guess that is one reason he has 'handlers' - huh.  Well, the material I am visiting is dated and timeless pointing out how so unaware we walk through Life.

The waning days of Summer 2011 entice a review of my journey these last 90, a Quarterly Review of sorts - who says our clients should be the only ones to get QBRs?  

This summer has been about breaking through Stage 1 and Stage 2 - wait, that's not 100% - before I could breakthrough, I needed to 'remember' Stage 1 and Stage 2...so yes, now I see S1/S2 completely.  Table stakes.  Temporary.

You can really change, by letting go of the restrictive patterns of our past and you can't let anything go until you remember.

MpS changes all of us, by making us aware, and helping us remember.

Anyway, this summer has been about integrating an MpS Practice into a VAR/MSP's Infrastructure, recognizing End-User's behavior, and Re-Imaging.  

Interesting thoughts. Everything starts with a thought.

The Death of Edgeline

Feb, 2010

I was scrolling through some year-old posts and stumbled upon this one, from Art over at print4pay Hotel's, "MFP Solutions Blog". 

A year later, almost to the day. Has anyone heard anything, at all, about Edgeline? 

Huh. 

See my, historical journey through the odyssey that is Edeline, here. 

###

Wednesday, February 18, 2009,  HP Edgeline "What Went Wrong" Art Post 

 I had an email the other day from an analyst from a major printer vendor. In the email, I was asked "what went wrong with this program?" I thought, geez you're asking me?? 

The Tablet is To Print as The Cloud is To IT Services: The Death of I.T.

 I.T. Services: "...that's a wrap..."

When filming a scene in a movie, once the director has what he needs on set, and the filming is complete, somebody will announce, "That's a wrap!" indicating the end of the scene, show, or movie.

Then they celebrate the completion and bash-out at the "Wrap Party".

While sitting in the first day of presentations at an industry symposium, Lyra 2012 - I had an epiphany.

The days of IT departments, IT VARs and CIOs are numbered.  The ending scene is being played out before us.

Off camera, an anxious Director is about to announce, "That'a a Wrap, people..."

That's right.  Wrap it up.

Ricoh and IBM's Alliance Spearheaded by Ricoh's New Document Security and Management Services (DSMS).

Ricoh to the Channel - "...I can't guarantee it has no impact [on channel partners], but IBM is obviously in a lot of places already,"

According to a press release today, January 5th, IBM and Ricoh will first launch a new Ricoh offering, Document Security and Management Services (DSMS) in the US.

This solution builds upon Ricoh's expertise in helping customers improve their document workflow, security and compliance, while reducing the total cost of ownership of office equipment investment and advancing environmental sustainability practices.

The DSMS offering includes Assessment & Deployment, End User Services, Managed Services, Security, Green Office and Enterprise Content Management services, which will be delivered by Ricoh Document Solutions and Services Division and IBM's Global Technology Services.

In addition, Ricoh has an agreement to resell IBM's Managed Server offering and collaborate on the sale and delivery of IBM software, hardware and services, such as End User Services, Internet Security Systems (ISS) Services, Business Continuity & Resiliency Services, and Storage & Data Services.

In an interview with ChannelWeb, Mark Minshull, recently promoted, Ricoh Vice President and Chief Technologist said, "Ricoh and IBM have been working together for a long time, so I see this as kind of a deepening of that relationship," adding, "We're teaming up at a sales level to go after major global accounts and do what we each do best. Ricoh and IBM pair up very nicely. The promise ... is to lower the cost of implementation -- incorporate an service oriented architecture (SOA) into MFPs so they can more easily integrate into IBM's selling process. Over time, printers are becoming very smart and sophisticated, and it makes sense to use enterprise network monitoring tools like Tivoli."

Minshull said he did not anticipate conflict with Ricoh's channel as a result of the alliance, the focus of which, he said, is primarily on the largest, enterprise-level accounts.

"...I can't guarantee it has no impact [on channel partners], but IBM is obviously in a lot of places already," he said. "In both the U.S. and Europe, the focus tends to be larger companies with enterprise-wide initiatives."

"IBM and Ricoh are both trying to solve the same problems," Minshull added. "Take the IBM Tivoli story and meld it with the Ricoh one. There's a lot of strategic symmetry in where they're going and where we're going. Looking at [Hewlett-Packard] and what they're doing with EDS, this is a natural fit for us to offer a high-end services capability."

"Ricoh and IBM's partnership will help clients to incorporate MFP capabilities into their business in the same way a new building block could be added to an existing structure." , said Sandy Carter, vice president IBM SOA and WebSphere.
A SOA-enabled Ricoh MFP facilitates the integration of other new technologies including autonomic computing that proactively alerts customers when a problem arises so they can resolve it before failure of the device occurs. Also, by integrating supply chain management systems with diagnostic data generated within the MFP, the ability to automatically order MFP supplies can be performed.

Ricoh and IBM Alliance:The Shape of Things to Come

Reflections of The Industry

John the Baptist, incorporating elements from the Island of Misfit Toys, set in a 1960s science fiction and splatter art style. 

LinkedIN & Microsoft: One World, One Rule.

Trump, gun control, politics, multi-level marketing, and bikinis - oh, how the mighty have fallen.

...and concerns about censorship on LI were just starting to boil...

LinkedIn and Microsoft are well on their way to creating the second biggest "Brother" - ever.

"Pulse" concerns, missing or deleted posts, Robo-suspended accounts and warnings about content are on the rise or at least being exposed.

This merger bodes darkly for the future.

From the email to LinkedIn employees, today:

"Massively scaling the reach and engagement of LinkedIn by using the network to power the social and identity layers of Microsoft's ecosystem of over one billion customers. Think about things like LinkedIn's graph interwoven throughout Outlook, Calendar, Active Directory, Office, Windows, Skype, Dynamics, Cortana, Bing, and more. "

I know...it sounds great, right? I can have all my LI contacts connected to my Skype and whenever I search on Bing, my 'network' will be searched for relevant connections(and their connections and so on). My email will be searched for relevant discussions. My account listing in the accounting system will be searched, bubbling up customers who may have a parallel or direct influence on the subject in question. The web of connectivity runs deep.

Everything connected to everything, machine-like. One platform to support, one company to rule.

But as the past few months have shown, LI users are beginning to flex their creative and humanistic muscles.

Content is shifting from all business to all but business. People are becoming more 'human', online. Matches are being made, and love connections are paired. Political discourse, a seasonal turn, is on the rise. "Chat" room intercourse often sink into insults and name-calling.

People being people, deviant. A centralized machine does not condone deviance.

I am a fan of technology and I believe the Universal Internet of Everyone is inevitable if not upon us now. Great things are possible when the minds of the world focus on a vision.

But who molds that vision? In a centralized, monolithic realm, the masters of the account/comment/newsfeed, rule.

"They" control the picture.

LinkedIN, AoL, MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and all the other 'free' platforms are not without cost.

We, the users, carry the world of LinkedIn(and every other social media) on our shoulders. Occasionally, we shrug.

In the end, congratulations are in order for Jeff. He built a great product and sold it(out) to a huge concern. Formula.

Next Play.

Strategy Development Does Not Work For THE Death of the Copier(DOTC)

*** THE DOMAIN NAME IN QUESTION, HAS BEEN PARKED...first noticed, January 12, 2011. ***
-----------------
There has been something on my mind, bugging me for a few months - well not bugging me.

More like lurking.

You see, my livelihood is tied directly to Managed Print Services as an MPS Practice Manager.

Interesting little tidbit, 12 months ago I was selling MPS - today I am responsible for the full P/L.

Everything from hiring technicians, hiring MPS Selling Professionals, forging and maintaining MPS partnerships, and building an MPS team. Continuously, every single day, selling MPS internally to other practice managers, Business Development Managers, Executive Management, and Ownership.

And as I continue on this particular odyssey, it is my responsibility to evaluate all things MPS; new and interesting Data Collection software, EAutomate Add-ons, supplies fulfillment programs, devices, OEM MPS Programs, etc.

I attend as many MPS Webinars and read/consume every article I can find - from MPS to Change Management to EDM to ECM to BPO.

I try to get as much exposure to every MPS Selling webinar, class, or program I can find.

The results of this analysis can fill a dozen manuals - perhaps someday I will put my findings into "print".

All this accumulated information, I apply was relevant to my little MPS practice.

My point here is simple - although I know a good deal about MPS and the internal MPS programs, I do not make a living pontificating or selling training classes.

I do not compete with the likes of Water or Print Management Solutions Group. And even though I feel I have an above-average understanding of the global MPS market, my research does not go toe to toe with the likes of InfoTrends, IDC, or Photizo.

Am I opinionated? Yes.

Is this blog followed by many people of like opinions? Yes.

Do I see bad training, stunted vision, and archaic selling techniques? Yes.

Will I continue to point out blaring inadequacies in our industry? Yes.

With this in mind, do me a favor...open a browser and type in www.deathofthecopier.com - just promise to come back...and read on...


##### THIS POST WAS FIRST PUBLISHED ON 12/29/2010. ON 1/21/2011, THE DEATH OF THE COPIER FIRST NOTICE, DEATHOFTHECOPIER.COM HAS BEEN PARKED AND NO LONGER POINTS TO STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT'S SITE #####

#ArcDrive: Thirty Day Report

TeamArcDrive.

#ArcDrive has been alive for a month, launching June 6, 2019.

We planned on measuring interest after the first 30 days to gauge moving forward or if nobody responded, scraping the idea completely.

We did not expect to sell any units in the first 30 days for two reasons:

1. We didn't know if the concept of #ArcDrive would resonate
2. We did not have logo-plates designed or manufactured(no, really. We didn't want any #ArcDrives to go out without proper logo's)

The good news is, interest is going through the roof.  But as you all know, 'interest' doesn't pay the internet bill, does it?

Some interesting process innovations, realizations, and milestones in the first 30 days of existence:

• We've sold units.  
• Team ArcDrive is solidified and growing.  
• Thirty days ago, our innovation path included adding to the #ArcDrive payload in Q1, 2020.  Instead, we're adding to the solution stack in Q4, 2019.
• Interested dealers are nudging us into "up-scoping" #ArcDrive - so we've added an entire EDM module while maintaining affordability.
• We've come to realize that our offering is a new category in the internet of things realm in both the 'fog' and 'edge' computing layer. (Google it)
• Validation of #ArcDrive's supporting belief that "the big are getting bigger, pricing the independent dealers out of SMB advance capture/EDM solutions.' (Ricoh/DocuWare)
• Validation that dealers and their sales team are comfortable talking about business solutions that reside on the physical plane, not the ethereal.

I guess I could go on...but I won't

Email me.

Let me get the team together so we can discuss how defiant #ArcDrive will help you "Protect your Base, Establish Income Streams and Increase Monthly Recurring Revenue."

Enjoy.

The 2014 Executive Connection Summit - "They Let the DeathOfTheCopierGuy In?"

The Executive Summit has been in existence for three years, this is my first one.  For context, I've attended and spoken at every domestic Photizo MPS conference, I attended and spoken at a few ITEX get-togethers and a BTA meeting - I 've attended more shows than I can remember.

I've known of MWAi and the group for years, meeting Mike Stramaglio at a Lyra back in ....2009 or 08, I forget. Mike and I have broken bread and on occasion, we've even solved many of the world's problems over whiskey, Cabernet, or some other variation of libation.  

Three Reasons Your Web Site Should Lead With Your Blog

I've been traveling cyber-land since the days of 1200 baud, BBS, and the MiRC was the only IM in the world. One thing I've seen again and again is how something is popular one moment then thirty seconds later, drab and mundane.  The connected world builds loves obsolescence especially with advertising/marketing.

Because of the internet, gone are the days when a Yellow Page ad or 12 year old billboard out front attracted customers.  Today, for now, its all about 'social media', 'keywords' and 'SEO Experts'.

I know, I know - you've listened to all the pundits (moi aussi) tell you to take those copier pics off and stop pitching logo's.  Great. Your clients don't care about logo's or brand names.

The Death of Print, Predictably, Sooner than We Think

"Book Sellers, defend your lonely forts!" - John Updike, 2006.

Newspapers, except possibly the Wall Street Journal, are not the only organizations facing the same fate as buggy whip manufacturers.

"By the end of 2012, digital books will be 20% to 25% of unit sales, and that's on the conservative side," predicts Mike Shatzkin, chief executive of the Idea Logical Co., publishing consultants. "Add in another 25% of units sold online, and roughly half of all unit sales will be on the Internet."

In his book, "the cult of the amateur", Andrew Keen reflects on the demise of the record store - blaming the internet.

Keen pines about record stores like the Tower Records that spanned three blocks in New York's Greenwich Village or his beloved record store at the corner of Bay and Columbus in San Fransisco. How, ultimately, change came to this world of hidden imports, ad hoc concerts, U2 and Madonna sightings.

Like the music store, book stores, the brick and mortar type, are doomed.

What has all this got to do with Managed Print Services?

If you are seriously asking, leave right now, and never come back to this blog again.


A New Business Model -

This year, publishers agreed to implement an "agency model" for digitally distributed content. The publisher receives 70%, e- book sellers 30%, of the digital price.

Seems publisher can read the writing on the wall - change is a necessity for survival.

The Gorilla in the room, Apple, is poised to rule the publishing channel as it already does the music channel with iTunes.

Consider Barnes and Noble -

In mid-March, Barnes & Noble's named a new CEO.

This new CEO is a veteran of the digital world and is seen as a change agent shaking things up, hiring from e-commerce and technology companies.

His talk track includes the phrase, B&N is "as much a technology company as we are a retail company."

Change or die.

Newspapers are dying, books are changing, retail is evolving - Is it any wonder our little industry, MPS, is considered a $60 Billion market?

Consumers are demanding easier, more portable mechanisms allowing them to read/acquire information and entertainment.

These consumers not only own iPads, DROIDs and netbooks - they have jobs; they work in offices, they interface with paper every day.

How long will it be before they expect to receive the company newsletter, financials, invoices, statements, medical records, mortgage documents, kid's report cards, DMV documents, tax filings, credit card and utility bills, and the latest King novel, etc. on their iPad/Slate/Droid/Kindle?

Change is. This may be "new" to you, to me, to us. But this isn't anything we started, the fire's been burning since the world's been turning, we're just the latest to enjoy.



Click to email me.

Things I Love About the Copier Industry - 2014

One night at the bar, while attending the MWAi Executive Summit, I was in a rather animated discussion about women in the industry and your MPSA.

a remarkable aspect of the copier industry is how some men regard some women.

During the conversation when I mentioned out loud, "The Managed Print Services Association", one of the more elderly industry participants replied, "Managed Print Services Assholes" as he walked away.

Look Into Your MpS RearViewMirror - Here Comes Our Future - Yes, that's a Red Mohawk...

"It's only a night, only a moment..."

As I explore the MpS Galaxy, I can't help but notice the generation gaps.  Like the gaps between Brady Bunch and The Hills; between Lost In Space and BSG.

Gaps in the way our clients, OEMs, and we see our position in this digital realm; IRL.

We, and by we, I mean us in MpS old enough to remember ditto machines, blackboards, automobiles with ashtrays, 73 cents/gallon gasoline, Schoolhouse Rock, and Iron Eyes Cody, are so deep into how technology affects the corporate world, we sometimes miss the point.

Too deep in the forest to see the trees.

It can't be helped, we see things through a lens ground into shape by our personal past.

Mind the Gap -

Up until 3 days ago, I had only heard the name, Thirty Seconds to Mars, not their music. This song caught my ear, while listening to the Sirius Top 45 countdown. I wasn't overly impressed, but interested enough to look them up on YouTube.

Its almost cliche:

There is a young, U2 feel. I saw one or two Billy Idol moves; the gloves are Billy all the way - or Duran Duran.

Angst? Hell yes, but didn't every single generation think their time was 'the end of the World'? Don't all kids feel Lost and circle themselves together?

Since Elvis, music has attracted like-minded. Like spirited. Counter-insurgents, Contrarians, the idealistic youth.

This generation is no different than all others before them with one exception - the full integration of technology into every corner of their world.  Closer to The Edge.

Which, is, of course, our world too, Closer to The Edge.

ArcDrive Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Greg Walters
June 6, 2019 262-370-4193 or greg@grwalters.com

ArcDrive Delivers Converged Advance Capture, Intelligent Workflow, and Managed Print Services

Oconomowoc, Wi. – Greg Walters Inc. today launched a new entry into the office technology channel that will revolutionize the MPS market for the independent dealer channel. ArcDrive is a self-contained, converged solution stack that will allow vendors to initiate or build out managed print services (MPS) engagements.

A cutting-edge appliance embedded with advanced capture, intelligent workflow, data collection, remote monitoring and automatic supplies fulfillment software, ArcDrive is a small box that can be attached to a network or used as a standalone workstation and provides SharePoint or hybrid storage on the device or through the cloud.

“Since 2009, I’ve promoted managed print services as a bridge to managed IT and, ultimately, managing the Internet of Things,” said Greg Walters, the creator of ArcDrive. “I believe MPS, electronic document management (EDM) and IT asset management should be under one umbrella. ArcDrive is the realization of this concept. All the tools that you typically think of with an entry-level document management system and MPS program are embedded on this device.”

"Today, our industry is transforming like never before. Independent dealers are joining together to form large networks, OEMs are shifting go-to-market strategies, software companies are converging,” said Walters. “ArcDrive will help independent dealers protect their base, establish new income streams and increase monthly recurring revenue.”

ArcDrive is available today with MPS, advanced capture and intelligent workflow software. Future releases will incorporate network probe, RFID, ITIL real-time asset management and a single-pane interface.

Greg Walters is available for media interviews. He can be reached at greg@grwalters.com For more information, visit TheArcDrive.com.

Five To Do's for a Successful Year

It is the first week of the year and you're going to hear a lot about business plans, forecasts, funnel management, and quotas.  Thousands of time-saving, productivity enhancing, sales coaching, articles flow through the digital rivers of the internet - nauseating in its volume.

I ask you, how are you, personally, forging ahead in the new year?   Will you be part of another's plan or will you set the agenda?

My advice is simple - nod your head to whatever your manager says, tuck the dogma away, get alone and do the following five things:

1.  Download and print the chart below

The chart was developed to illuminate intent between clients and vendors. It works on a personal basis as well.

2.  Find your personal position on the chart

Trust yourself enough to be completely honest.  There is NO WRONG position. Think about the past year; did you add value beyond delivery and price?

3.  Find your employer's position

Step back and consider your organization's sales over the past 12 months. Did you see lots of devices delivered yet a handful of software implementations?  Are your equipment quota's higher than services?  Do you lead with the latest and greatest or solve real business problems?  Do you often hear your manager say, "That price is not competitive, bury the profit in the service, bundle installation into the lease..."?

4.  Where do your best client implementations fall on the chart?

Now consider your client base.  Did you sell machines or provide answers? Were most of your deals price-driven?  Did they begin and end with a purchasing agent?

5.  Look at the gaps and imagine moving into a more desirable position in 2015.  What will it take?

Although there is no wrong position, if for example, your prospect is looking for a 'Specialized' relationship and your company only provides 'Transactional' services, your relationship is not sustainable.

By the same token, if your personal position is in 'Specialized' but your employer falls comfortably in the 'Transactional' column, you may have some issues to work out.

If your clients are all in 'Transactional' yet you want to get to the 'Specialized' area, what can you do to elevate the conversation?

This is a simple beginning to personal success - we can get deep on both the provider and client-side of the spectrum.  The devil is in how your customers perceive your offering relevant to how they think of themselves; do you two match?

I'd love to discuss with you how to best use this tool.  It's been effective for providers and end-users alike.

For now, hang your chart in your cube, office, or dashboard.  Embed it into your pre-call planning or (god forbid) your pitchbook - heck, make it your wallpaper.

But make sure to take a pic and email it to me.  The most interesting one will get a Starbucks card on me.

Cheers!

Reach out to me: greg@grwalters.com and enjoy this sweet jam: