HP Security Alert - HP Lasers and Digital Send units

At issue is the potential ability of unwanted to access print jobs through HP's Embedded Web administration tool.

HP says a firmware update is available to secure their printers.

The affected printers/MFPs: HP LaserJet 4345mfp; HP Color LaserJet 4730mfp; HP LaserJet 9040mfp; HP LaserJet 9050mfp; HP 9200C Digital Sender; and HP Color LaserJet 9500mfp- these units have firmware updates to fix the problem.

HP LaserJet 2410; HP LaserJet 2420; HP LaserJet 4250; HP LaserJet 4350; HP LaserJet 9040; and HP LaserJet 9050 all have preliminary updates.

Details regarding the firmware update, etc. can be found at HP Alert.

HP Enterprise Sales Training for the Masses - down from Mt. High, to the Channel...The Death of Socrates?

"What we are seeing is the transactional business or the run-rate business really fall off," Frank Rauch, vice president of HP's Solutions Partners Organization said.

"... People that used to buy a few servers a month, whether they needed them or not, as part of a regular routine are taking a second look at that. What we are seeing clearly accelerate is (sales for) partners focused on cost optimization projects. We are also seeing that the buying cycles are becoming a little bit longer because the customer governance processes are becoming a little tighter. What used to be a CIO decision or an IT director decision now goes to the CFO or the board. So what we are trying to do is equip our partners with training..."


"We want to get a healthier channel," Rauch said, "We want to get a more competent channel..."

HP Enterprise reps undergo training in the "Socriatic Selling" methodology - the art of asking questions. With the economic downturn as a trigger, HP is now offering this sales training to its partners.

"Appointments are getting harder to get. Projects are getting harder to justify," Rauch continues, "There are a million distractions not only in the partner organizations but in the manufacturer organizations and in the customer organizations. The ability to have that laser focus and a methodology to boil through that is going to be key."

But HP will not be doling out this wisdom to all -

"My approach is not a peanut butter approach," Rauch stressed, "My approach will be to work with partners that are dedicated to acquiring new HP customers selling the HP portfolio and providing a reasonable ROI (return on investment) on the money that we give them."

"We have a lot of competitive partners knocking on our door right now," he said. "And we are not opening that door to everyone."

Source: HP Provides Sales Punch For VARs Grappling With Downturn

By Steven Burke, ChannelWeb
3:27 PM EST Fri. Feb. 06, 2009

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Copier Crime - From Cleveland

Invoices do not match deliveries.

It started with three "missing" copiers, but records released by the Cleveland schools indicate the district paid for six machines in 2007 and 2008.

Invoices obtained show the district paid $160,200 to buy the six Ryobi offset duplicators from Toledo-based Superior Offset Supplies. The district paid $24,750 apiece for the machines and gave the company $11,700 for consulting on "copier-duplication requirements." The company charged a $150 hourly consulting fee.

"If they say they bought six, six are missing," he said. "Every school property has been physically checked. There's nothing."

The purchaser for the Cleveland Schools, his name listed on the invoices, is Dan Burns. Mr. Burns was placed on paid leave from the $184,000-a-year job, in December, after state auditors questioned the purchase of six machines investigators say apparently never arrived. Mr. Burns' assistant, Shenee McCoy-Gibbons, was put on leave at the same time.

Burns ultimately resigned from his job in January, 2009.

The invoices show that the district bought two machines at a time, in December 2007 and last April and May. Each bill totaled $49,500, which was just under the $50,000 limit for no-bid purchases.

As with most State/Local/Education organizations, bids are required when consulting fees exceed $10,000 - yet services for these devices were billed in two installments, one for $5,800 and another for $5,900. The invoices do not state when the consulting was done.

But it gets better...

Additionally, before Burns went to the Cleveland Schools he spent 30 years working with the Toledo School district - where he started as an offset duplicator operator and technician.

Burns left the Toledo Schools at the end of FY2006.

Total billing from Superior Offset Supplies from FY2001 through FY2006 amounts to $952K.

Most of this is in FY’s 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006 with billings of $116K, $254K, $189K and $262K, respectively

State auditors are investigating the Cleveland case with the help of Cuyahoga County sheriff's detectives. Detectives seized two laptop computers, software and files from Cleveland school district headquarters Dec. 10.
The auditors also are reviewing purchases made in Toledo under Burns' supervision.





Johnny Carson - Copper Clappers - The best video clips are right here


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Print4Pay Hotel: What is "Print Management"

Art has a great article by Trevor Hoffer from PrintAudit offering up another definition of Managed Print Services.

Print4Pay Hotel: What is "Print Management"


Of course, this gets my wheels spinning as well.

I like to define a Managed Print Services Engagement as,

"...any program, provided to a client, by a Partner, that allows the client to easily track and reduce costs associated with printing, can be considered a Managed Print Service..."

The definition is broad. It is supposed to be broad.

Within a MPS offering are a score of different processes, tools and knowledge bases - all or partially applied to a client in order to help save them money.

That's all.

So in a broad sense, a copier, CPC service agreement (coupled with a lease agreement) can be considered a MPS - I would argue this should be considered an Entry Level MPS Engagement but an engagement non the less.

Check it.

Sharp Expected to Post Operating Loss: Another "First" in the Industry

NEW YORK/TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Sharp Corp will post an annual operating loss of more than $112 million which is a milestone for the company, as it is its first ever full-year loss.

Not much of a surprise for those who attended the 2009 Lyra Symposium - Sharp did not bode well, receiving a "D" on their Vendor Report Card, for their lack-luster earning trend.

Sharp is the world's No.3 maker of LCD TVs behind Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (005930.KS) and Sony Corp (6758.T).

Sharp had forecast an operating profit of 195 billion yen at the start of the financial year, which it cut to 130 billion yen in October as cellphone sales weakened. It reported an operating profit of 183.7 billion yen for the previous business year.

Panasonic to Cut 15,000 Jobs

Japanese electronics giant Panasonic is to cut 15,000 jobs worldwide and close 27 plants. The job cuts amount to 5% of its 300,000-strong global workforce.

"The company's business conditions have worsened particularly since last October, due mainly to the rapid appreciation of the yen, sluggish consumer spending worldwide and ever intensified price competition," a company statement said.

Panasonic now projecting a net loss of 380 billion yen or $4.2 billion for the year ending March 31, rather than the 30 billion yen profit it forecast on Nov. 27.