DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--At a hearing scheduled by Collin County District Judge Greg Brewer on July 24, shareholders of Dallas-based Electronic Data Systems (EDS) will be asking the Court to postpone the July 31 shareholder meeting
It looks like stockholders are questioning the sell price of the deal - because of the increase in revenues and better EDS profit over the past 12 months.
They want more money.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Managed Print Services: Leading Edge and Bleeding Edge
I recently had the honor of attending a training session intended for "technical" types. Both pre-sale and post-sale technicians were in attendance - about 13 of them and 1 of me. Resellers from all over the country - Edgeline resellers; Edgeline technicians.
That's right. 13 techs and one salesperson. Oh, the fun we will have.
The classes were covering Job Accounting in session one and Printing Security in session two.
I won't bore you with the details, but I will tell you this - early in the first session the instructor queried, "...what's going on out there in the field, do your customers seem to be interested in reducing printing costs?" - I am paraphrasing the question but the response, or better yet lack of response, I am not.
The collective answer? "Nope." "Not on any customers mind or radar.", "They just want to reduce their lease payment, that's all"
I fell out of my chair - I blurted it out, "MPS is the hottest issue out there right now, if you think your customers aren't on it, you are wrong." - And my reward for being one of the first to contribute to class discussion?
Dead silence. Blank stares. Crickets.
The first time I participate in class, this is what I say? I felt it was going to be a very long two days.
Well, the experience improved - a great deal. The guys represented the highest level of certification available from HP. I found everyone engaging and knowledgeable about the industry and their place in it.
We all have common struggles, challenges, and successes.
Still -
After reading Ken's articles, "Crossing the Document Output Divide" and "Customers Don’t Know What They Don’t Know." I wonder exactly where MPS is in the industry. It doesn't feel mainstream. It feels new and frontier-like. It feels like we are still making this up as we go along.
I wonder about the blank stares and shrugged shoulders I observed in class. I wonder about the blank stares I receive after I explain my version of MPS to a prospect.
With Managed Print Services, "Bleeding Edge" and "Early Adopters" are titles not only applied to prospect types but also Provider types.
This is a special time.
Leaders Lead.
Click to email me.
That's right. 13 techs and one salesperson. Oh, the fun we will have.
The classes were covering Job Accounting in session one and Printing Security in session two.
I won't bore you with the details, but I will tell you this - early in the first session the instructor queried, "...what's going on out there in the field, do your customers seem to be interested in reducing printing costs?" - I am paraphrasing the question but the response, or better yet lack of response, I am not.
The collective answer? "Nope." "Not on any customers mind or radar.", "They just want to reduce their lease payment, that's all"
I fell out of my chair - I blurted it out, "MPS is the hottest issue out there right now, if you think your customers aren't on it, you are wrong." - And my reward for being one of the first to contribute to class discussion?
Dead silence. Blank stares. Crickets.
The first time I participate in class, this is what I say? I felt it was going to be a very long two days.
Well, the experience improved - a great deal. The guys represented the highest level of certification available from HP. I found everyone engaging and knowledgeable about the industry and their place in it.
We all have common struggles, challenges, and successes.
Still -
After reading Ken's articles, "Crossing the Document Output Divide" and "Customers Don’t Know What They Don’t Know." I wonder exactly where MPS is in the industry. It doesn't feel mainstream. It feels new and frontier-like. It feels like we are still making this up as we go along.
I wonder about the blank stares and shrugged shoulders I observed in class. I wonder about the blank stares I receive after I explain my version of MPS to a prospect.
With Managed Print Services, "Bleeding Edge" and "Early Adopters" are titles not only applied to prospect types but also Provider types.
This is a special time.
Leaders Lead.
Click to email me.
Men With Pens
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Edgeline - "Just an InkJet"
I have heard this from a few prospective Edgeline clients recently.
- And I have to ask myself, how did this come to be?
- How did this statement of fact come to be an objection in the selling process?
- How can Edgeline Technology, ink-based, first be compared to and then relegated down to the level of a "DeskJet 500"?
In the phrase, "My Competition and the Ignorance of my Prospect."
The ignorance issue, I can deal with. Ignorance can be cured, but stupidity can not. And in this case, if Ignorance is the disease, I am the Cure.
More importantly, what lies beneath this "objection" is the fact that competitors to Edgeline may be paying attention and developing strategies against it.
I can not tell if this is an organic occurrence or if some "xerographic" people are distributing "talking notes" - to be honest, I can not imagine anyone (Xerox, Canon, Ricoh, K/M) worrying too much about their eroding market share relative to Edgeline.
Edgeline just isn't there yet. Well, the Edgeline technology is but all the necessary "accouterments" around the technology (channel, brand recognition, business philosophy, etc.) from HP are not in place just yet.
Edgeline has only been on the streets for about a year now - and there is a long row to hoe on the way to moving 3400 units a year.
It will get there - and in five years, we may be all lauding how impossible it must have been to use machines that only produced color at 60 pages per minute.
If you like this post, try these:
So Really. What is the Big Deal about "Ink Jet"??
A Return to EdgelineEdgeline...and the BreadCrumbs...
A Return to Selling
"Copiers, are all the same."
You could call that statement "The Neutralizer". In one swoop, you have just made all the copiers your prospect will ever see or evaluate into a commodity.
Let's face it, most clients already think that all copiers are the same. So why not confirm their beliefs, putting all the "spec sheet minutia" aside and concentrating on real problems and business cases.
This strategic approach not only puts the prospect into a different mind-set, but re-positions the sales rep into a Selling Professional.
Imagine, if you sell copiers and every single one was the same. How would you differentiate yourself? Think about it...your first copy out time is identical, all the machines scan to folder, use electronic bread crumbs to clear misfeeds, have large, proven, successful, U.S. based, global manufactures behind them, and easily connect to the network.
Well, yes, salespeople in general "take the path of least resistance"(translation, we're lazy) so the easiest way to differentiate is to lower the price. It's also the simplest way to fall into the commodity model. But then again, sales people take the path of least resistance.
For the rest of the story, go here...
Click to email me.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Xerox and HP Stock News, etc.
Some interesting moves with each company's stocks...
"Hewlett Packard Co (HPQ) more shares bought by Exxonmobil Investment Management Inc." Here
HP Green
HP has been recognized as a certified IT Asset Disposal vendor by IDC, a leading provider of global IT research and advice. From this announcement:
"...Older assets with residual value are typically remarketed, while obsolete or damaged equipment is channeled into HP's recycling process. HP recycled nearly 250 million pounds of hardware and print cartridges globally in its fiscal year 2007 - an increase of approximately 50 percent over the previous year. HP also reused 65 million pounds of hardware, refurbishing it for resale or donation, which increased its annual reuse rate by 30 percent.
"Xerox Corp (XRX) holdings reduced by Exxonmobil Investment Management Inc" Here
Speaking of Xerox
From a recent article from ENN,
"Xerox has signed on as a founding member of the Information Overload Research Group (IORG), which will focus on boosting workplace productivity by fighting information overload. Xerox joins Microsoft, Intel and IBM, which are also members of the group. IORG's mission is to build awareness of information overload, conduct research, help define best practices, contribute to the creation of solutions and resources, offer guidance and facilitation and help make the business case for fighting information overload."
Good to see somebody is fighting information overload...except, aren't these people pretty much responsible for all the information overload in the first place?
From Guam:
Auditor: Copier contract may be illegal.
School system says it's an ongoing contract, doesn't need bid-
"...In February, Island Business Systems and Supplies filed a procurement appeal against GPSS with the public auditor. The business estimated GPSS purchases $130,000 of Xerox-brand copier equipment per month..."
Is it me, or does 130k/month sound like alot?
Of course, the appeal comes 3 years into an agreement. This sounds and looks like sour grapes on the part of the losing vendor.
"Hewlett Packard Co (HPQ) more shares bought by Exxonmobil Investment Management Inc." Here
HP Green
HP has been recognized as a certified IT Asset Disposal vendor by IDC, a leading provider of global IT research and advice. From this announcement:
"...Older assets with residual value are typically remarketed, while obsolete or damaged equipment is channeled into HP's recycling process. HP recycled nearly 250 million pounds of hardware and print cartridges globally in its fiscal year 2007 - an increase of approximately 50 percent over the previous year. HP also reused 65 million pounds of hardware, refurbishing it for resale or donation, which increased its annual reuse rate by 30 percent.
Started in 1987, the HP Planet Partners recycling program now operates in more than 50 countries, regions and territories. The program seeks to reduce the environmental impact of IT products, minimize waste going to landfills, and help customers conveniently and responsibly manage products at their end of life..."
"Xerox Corp (XRX) holdings reduced by Exxonmobil Investment Management Inc" Here
Speaking of Xerox
From a recent article from ENN,
"Xerox has signed on as a founding member of the Information Overload Research Group (IORG), which will focus on boosting workplace productivity by fighting information overload. Xerox joins Microsoft, Intel and IBM, which are also members of the group. IORG's mission is to build awareness of information overload, conduct research, help define best practices, contribute to the creation of solutions and resources, offer guidance and facilitation and help make the business case for fighting information overload."
Good to see somebody is fighting information overload...except, aren't these people pretty much responsible for all the information overload in the first place?
From Guam:
Auditor: Copier contract may be illegal.
School system says it's an ongoing contract, doesn't need bid-
"...In February, Island Business Systems and Supplies filed a procurement appeal against GPSS with the public auditor. The business estimated GPSS purchases $130,000 of Xerox-brand copier equipment per month..."
Is it me, or does 130k/month sound like alot?
Of course, the appeal comes 3 years into an agreement. This sounds and looks like sour grapes on the part of the losing vendor.
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