BY CHARLES SCHILLINGER STAFF WRITER Published: Thursday, March 12, 2009 Updated: Thursday, March 12, 2009 6:48 AM EDT
Lackawanna County will save $83,000 a year on copier machines, eliminating 15 of 78 copiers in county offices with a new contract approved by commissioners Wednesday.
Among the 64 departments of county government that takes up 27 buildings, there are 438 copiers, printers and fax machines, said county deputy director of purchasing Jim McLaine. But through efficiency checks and competitive bidding, he said the county is finding some savings. The county asked for bids to replace 78 of the approximately 100 copiers the county owns or leases. Scranton-based Topp Business Solutions won the contract, which will eliminate all county-owned copiers and give county offices new, leased copiers.
Mr. McLaine said when the county bids out the remainder of the copiers, printers and fax machines, he expects there to be even more savings for the county.
“I think we’re on sound track here for the future,” he said.
The county also bid out printing of the 2009 county newsletter — but only two companies bid, and one was disqualified. Printing 70,000 copies for each edition of the quarterly county newsletter will cost the county $37,100 this year. The newsletter is funded by the hotel tax.
The bid was won by Dunmore-based Universal Printing Co.
Contact the writer: cschillinger@timesshamrock.com
TOKYO, March 13 (Reuters) - Japan's Ricoh Co Ltd (7752.T), the world's largest copier maker, said on Friday it had cut its operating profit target for the year starting April 2010 by a third due to a firmer yen.
It now expects profit of 170 billion yen ($1.7 billion), compared with its previous goal of 250 billion yen announced a year ago.
Ricoh also said it aims for 2.3 trillion yen in revenues for the 2010/11 business year, compared with its previous target of 2.5 trillion yen.
The new targets are based on foreign exchange assumptions of 90 yen to the dollar and 120 yen per euro. Its earlier assumptions were 105 yen to the dollar and 155 yen per euro.
They're starting to catch on up there in Washington.
One department is paying for 950,000 images per month, "...the Department of Ecology pays four cents per copy and must pay for 950,000 copies a month, whether it prints that many or not.
Last December, this department was billed $15,493 for copies it never made. In an article here the good people of Washington state have lawmakers who are really looking out for their taxpayers.
Where one department is paying 4 cents, another is paying 0.004/image.
The Department of Printing billed agencies $50,000 for assessments done by OkiData and Lexmark -- but some departments have taken advantage of "free" assessments.
Pam Derkacht, Assistant Director of Customer Services for the Department of Printing says, "It's really easy for any agency or any large organization to want to take the free assessment but it always results in "You need more equipment or you need newer, upgraded equipment."
Canon Inc. (CAJ: News ) lowered its profit outlook for 2010 by 75% to figures more in line with the economic downturn as the company grapples with the impact of a stronger yen and weak demand on its operations, according to media reports Thursday.
Accordingly, for 2010, Canon now forecasts net income of 150 billion yen, down sharply from its prior outlook for net income of 600 billion yen set in 2007. The company also lowered its outlook for revenues for the year to 3.7 trillion yen from the prior forecast of 6 trillion yen.
Canon had recorded profits for eight consecutive years through fiscal 2007 on stronger demand for copiers, digital cameras and other products. However, the company has since witnessed a sharp fall in demand for its cameras and copiers as the global economic crisis hit its major export markets.
IDC - Press Release
FRAMINGHAM, Mass., March 11, 2009 –
Worldwide hardcopy peripherals shipments declined 17.0% year over year to 32.6 million units while revenue from these shipments fell 13% to $15.0 billion in the fourth quarter of 2008 (4Q08), according to IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Hardcopy Peripherals Tracker. This is the second consecutive quarter that the worldwide hardcopy peripherals market has experienced a decline in shipments.
"IDC expects the market to bottom out in 2009, in response to the international economic crisis, and then start a recovery in 2010," said Alyson Frasco, director, U.S. Hardcopy Peripheral Trackers & Forecasts.
According to Phuong Hang, program manager, Worldwide Hardcopy Peripherals Tracker, "Over the next year, vendors will employ several strategies to weather the downturn. The battle will continue in the channel as vendors seek to gain go-to-market strength and capacity. Vendors will also focus on offering cost-cutting and productivity enhancements to customer’s existing document infrastructure as well as driving managed print services."
The inkjet market remained the dominant segment in 4Q08, with 22.8 million units shipped, but it was also hit the hardest with –18% year-over-year growth.
Monochrome laser was the second largest technology segment with 7.2 million units shipped and year-over-year shipment growth of –17.3%.
Color laser shipments, the third largest segment, was essentially flat year over year and was the only segment not to experience a decline in the quarter.
The MFP market remains the dominant product type in the overall hardcopy peripherals market with 63.3% of the 20.7 million unit shipments in 4Q08, and was the least impacted of the product types with a –12% year-over-year decline.
The printer market was hard hit with a –24% growth rate resulting in shipments of 11.8 million units as the market continues to move to MFP devices.
Vendor Highlights
* HP – HP remains the leading vendor in the total hardcopy peripherals market with 41% share, down from 43% in 4Q07. The brightest spot for HP was the color laser MFP segment, where HP grew unit shipments 82% year over year and gained nearly eight points in market share.
* Canon – Canon did quite well compared to its competitors in 4Q08 and remained the number two vendor in the hardcopy peripherals market. Canon's unit shipments declined only 8% year over year, resulting in an increased market share of 19%, up 2 points from 4Q07.
* Epson – Epson rounds out the top three with 15.4% market share in 4Q08, an increase from 14.8% in 4Q07. While its overall year-over-year growth fell 14% worldwide, Epson's inkjet MFPs experienced 43% sequential growth in 4Q08 – the best percentage expansion among the top 5 and across regions.
* Brother – Brother took a distant fourth place in the hardcopy peripherals space, with 6.2% market share. However, Brother is the only vendor in the top 5 showing a positive trend year over year. While growth is stalled in the Americas, Brother's units shipments grew, sequentially and year over year, across Asia/Pacific and EMEA in both single-function printers and MFPs.
* Lexmark – Lexmark rounds out the top five worldwide market players, losing nearly two points in total market share this quarter (4.7%). The strongest growth for Lexmark was the global Laser MFP segment where its shipments grew 20% year over year.
Over at the MSPMentor site, Joe is taking a very educated guess based on some reliable sources - Dell is poised and ready to move into the MPS space.
Go check out the post and the "where the heck is HP" responses.
In seemingly unrelated news, today Dell confirmed rumors that it will trim hundreds of workers from its payroll this week.
A Dell spokesperson, David Frink, told The Austin American-Statesman that the cuts began Wednesday at Dell's factories in Central Texas and North Carolina. "We've been streamlining the company where it makes sense for more than a year," Dell spokesman David Frink told the paper. "Any actions this week are part of that effort. The layoffs are not about individual performance but about properly sizing Dell's business for the economy and business environment."
“We are excited about the software developmentopportunities in this agreement with FMAudit and the expansion of our global partnership,” states Jim Salzer, President of DocuAudit International. “The combined offering will provide the industry with a simple, cost effective, and manufacturer independent solution for automating managed print tasks.”
Off the site:
The combined offering will incorporate DocuAudit’s 2009 proposal generation and assessment reporting software with FMAudit’s WebAudit assessment tools and FMAudit Central remote monitoring software. As part of this agreement, the software integration between DocuAudit and FMAudit will be expanded to include such features as automatic capture and calculation of TCO based on the device’s actual toner fill rates.
With the integration, print management resellers will not have to go back and forth between assessment software and meter collection applications. This will streamline the sales process, allowing resellers to focus on creating profitable transactions.
DocuAudit and FMAudit have also integrated their device databases with 12,000 models and growing by the day. The combined databases will give the dealer access to hundreds of fields of data that includes device attributes that range from product images, consumable yields and costs, to duty cycles.
Kevin Tetu, President of FMAudit is excited about the integration.
“Most comprehensive MPS offerings today are very expensive and in the industry's excitement, we rushed forward and built solutions that were too complex with too many pieces. FMAudit and DocuAudit took a step back and focused on the key successful elements. As a result, our offering makes it much simpler and cheaper to get started with profitable managed print contracts.”
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With all this focus on the collection and assessment "tools" rolled in with the automatic proposal generation, is it any wonder we are looking at the commodization of MPS?
"Gartner estimates that printer problems account for between 30 percent and 40 percent of helpdesk calls—a significant cost to any company."
In a great article by Louella Fernandes, Principal Analyst, Quocirca wrote all the way back in January 2009, here, she goes on:
"...Meanwhile the downtime of any printer device generally leads to reduced user productivity—and the problem can be exacerbated by users who may be slow to report printer faults such as paper jams or toner running low.
Robust print management tools that claim to mitigate these issues are available. For example, HP's WebJet Admin offers features such as services and supplies alerts to enable proactive device management.
However, many organizations often find their IT staff simply do not have the time or experience necessary to utilize advanced tool capabilities to their greatest advantage..."
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I find the statement above pretty illuminating, and slightly dated. As with most issues in MPS, everything is in flux; including the tools available. If all this "change" is affecting us inside the industry, how is it affecting our clients and prospects?
One big change I am seeing is IT departments trying to "get a hold" of all these "new" costs.
New as in, "the costs that have been growing for the last two decades right under you nose" kind of new? Yes, that kind of "new".
Back in the olden days, the days of Novell Networks, Micro Channel Architecture, and Expanded Memory,
IT departments grew in power because they understood computers and regular people did not. They were the Wizards; socially unapproachable. Their decisions were absolute, like the Oracle at Delphi.
Fast forward a couple decades, mix in some economic uncertainty, and spice this up with a "new", unchecked yet extremely manageable mountain of cost - and today we have the best opportunity for IT departments around the country to justify their existence or at least one or two IT staff by tackling this new menace - Un-Managed Print Services.
Think I am off base?
Just this month, in some of the larger organizations I work with, I am beginning to hear more and more about internal "Density Studies" being performed by the IT staff.
"Density Studies" means calculating the number of printers relative to the number of users - a good start, but how will this all end? Well, first off, instead of the IT department supporting network and technology issues with end-users, they are performing internal Density Studies.
As open help desk tickets grow in number, IT staff is combing through hundreds of toner, supplies, and overage invoices.
Worst, IT departments are notorious for "overcomplicating" and reporting to end-users in an Orwellian manner. This is one of the reasons end-users don't like IT people; the IT folks talk down to the end-users. I do not think most IT departments really want to wrestle away all those "expensive desktops" - I wish them luck.
Here is my primary concern, as IT attempts to understand MPS internally and interpret MPS for the organization, will they re-shape the true issues associated with real MPS? Will the definition of MPS be changed once again, this time by the "propeller-heads"? And will this new definition neutralize any "value add" that the MPS players can provide?
We are witnessing MPS gain acceptance and increase in popularity, this new rush to boil down and commoditize our expertise will begin - it already has.
As with all complex ideas and issues, the best way to understand and explain is to break the idea down into component parts. As we are talking about IT, "breaking down" means extracting all the "hard" costs and allowing those to be the comparative criteria.
When this happens, unfortunately, the focus is shifted away from "the big" picture and the project may drown in the minutia of invoices, meter reads assessments, and lease payment reductions.
We can't and shouldn't fight this.
So what do we do? We present a single dimension, cost savings, and R.O.I. based on agreed numbers. This is simpler. This is easier for people to understand and easier to sell. A great man once said,
"Sell them first, educate them second..."
The good news is if we approach the partnership with high intent, initially selling on hard cost ROI is not that bad and establishes a good foundation for a long-term business relationship.
This can only be negative if the analysis and implementation begin and ends with hard cost savings.
So now I "Tweet" - and now I get to experience "Spam" at a whole other level - Tweet Spam.
But I guess it isn't spam if it comes from someone I choose to follow - arg.
This was just sent to me - we all know the "Green" spin associated with the Phaser's from Xerox - you remember, the Crayola-Printers. (J/K, lighten up).
The Phaser's Green argument involves less packaging, low waste for toner like empty cartridges, ease of use, etc. But nobody ever talks about the energy consumption at start up, the waste of wax at start up, etc.
I have seen the output, it is very, very nice - enjoy this little marketing presentation:
Where anyone can write a blog, discover new recipes, secure airline tickets or purchase luxury submarines.
One common use for the internet appears to be a place where all the "experts" have a forum to pontificate.
And everybody can be an anonymous critic.
So it is with the following. An anonymous expert/critic puts forth Seven Elements of his MPS engagement process as a challenge for and a claim of legitimacy.
I have edited out most of the personal taunts and obvious sarcasm - but this is a really good study into the mind of a current MPS strategy. The author is challenging the intended reader's knowledge of MPS by putting forth his own wisdom in the form illuminating questions:
"Please provide us one (1) example of an enterprise or any size company for that matter where you did the following (please provide details of how you executed each step and your factors for success).
1) Delivered a presentation on managed print and built a business case for doing an assessment.
2) Completed an actual assessment by gathering data on devices by type, copiers (workgroup, production and color), faxes, mono-printers, color printers, wide format printers, and scanners. Gathered data on all the consumables by device type and quantified the total $ value. Gathered all the volume data so as to analyze usage. Please provide an example of the amount of time between volume reads and why you recommend that timeframe.
3) Analyzed the data to do a strategy session with the customer/prospect and identified hardware redeployment opportunities to avoid having high volume printers in low volume areas and vice-versa.
4) Held a strategy session with a customer/prospect to layout the redeployment schedule.
Oh, one thing before I forget. When doing the assessment you find all these gem opportunities to replace hardware. And the temptation/mistake most equipment reps make is during the strategy session they try to go and replace a bunch of the old beat up hardware with new hardware. This usually results in wreaking havoc on the opportunity because you are telling the IT Director they need 50 new MPS pioneer Lexmark printers to replace 50 marketshare leader HP’s. So to avoid this mistake, we don’t go after that hardware opportunity immediately, we wait. We put together a refresh program in the future that addresses future hardware needs but it revolves around device consolidation not hardware proliferation. But more on this when I get to quarterly reviews.
5) Did a financial MPS proposal where you captured all the volume off of the customer/prospects printer fleet.
6) Implemented a contract.
7) Executed quarterly reviews to capture more share of wallet within the account i.e. hardware examples like I listed earlier. This is where you go after the hardware opportunities. Through ongoing monitoring of their usage you will build credibilty and gain trust. The quarterly is the vehicle to showing the client the value you bring and solidifying the relationship. Hardware opportunities follow. " -------------------------------------
At first glance, this all looks reasonable.
But, for me, there is a tinge of familiarity. Something tugging at me from the past. Something just isn't 100%.
For starters, this process seems a little too hardware centric.
Although the author clearly states "...we don’t go after that hardware opportunity immediately, we wait..." and "...Executed quarterly reviews to capture more share of wallet within the account..." one can not help but be suspicious. I mean, why tell me something you aren't going to do, just don't do it.
And then it hit me - these seven steps can be applied to any COPIER deal out there. Even more, this started to smell like an IKON process.
The process is geared around selling more hardware - period.
The assessment is strictly a collection of situational data - no authentic analysis.
There is no real business case, no workflow analysis or even a hope of actually helping the client. Well, he would be helping the client shift costs from many vendors to one. His.
This approach is simplistic. The benefits to the client are hollow. And the practitioner a self serving rube - that is, in my humble opinion.
Another epiphany - imagine this mentality multiplied by 100 or 100,000 sales reps.
Canon USA Inc. has sued William D. Crow, a former employee, as well as 10 other "John Does" for allegedly revealing trade secrets and other proprietary information to Ikon Office Solutions Inc. in violation of a confidentiality agreement. In a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona, Canon sued Crow, for allegedly disclosing Canon's confidential information to Ikon, as part of a scheme to switch Canon's customers from Canon to Ricoh.
In the complaint, it is explained that, Crow resigned Canon Jan. 5 to join Ikon's government marketing division. In his new position with IKON, according to the complaint, Crow is working Canon's customers in violation his contractual obligations to Canon.
As a condition of his employment, Crow signed a confidentiality agreement the complaint said.
"CUSA has been and will continue to be irreparably harmed by Crow's misappropriation of trade secrets, unfair misuse of CUSA's confidential information, and usurpation of CUSA customer opportunities and goodwill," the complaint said.
It is alleged that between approximately Nov. 17, 2008, and Jan. 6, Crow downloaded information such as pricing reports, customer contact information and monthly machine population reports, for use in his new position, the complaint said.
It is also alleged that Crow deleted quotes, proposals and pricing from his computer.
The case is Canon U.S.A. Inc. v. William D. Crow et aI., case number: 09-cv-OOllO, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona. ----------------------------------------------
DOTC Analysis, thoughts -
The copier industry is a "revolving door" for sales people in "normal" times, with all the changes going on today, more good people are out of a job or looking for a better position with a more stable company.
The situation displayed above happens daily, but it is rare to have a company sue an ex-employee - but times are different and the battle is being waged on all fronts - something we should be aware of when attempting to better our position in the world.
In California, it is difficult to prosecute a "non-compete" so the angle used could be the confidentiality agreement.
You signed it.
Get a copy, keep it with you, review before jetting...
TOKYO, March 5 - Ricoh Co Ltd said its products accounted for 90 percent of sales at Ikon in January, up from 30 percent before the office equipment distributor was acquired by the Japanese copier maker last year, underlining a smooth consolidation of the key U.S. unit.
Ricoh, the world's largest copier maker, said it aimed to raise its profits in the year from April despite a tough business environment, thanks to bigger contributions from Ikon and its high-end printer business. Ricoh bought Ikon Office Solutions for $1.6 billion in October, delivering a heavy blow to rival Canon Inc, whose machines had represented 60 percent of the products Ikon handled before the October acquisition.
Investors have been keeping a close eye on Ikon's performance during the transition from an independent distributor to a Ricoh unit due to concerns that some of its existing clients may leave Ikon to keep using rival products.
"We ourselves have been worried about that, too. But all of its clients said they have no problem with Ricoh machines except for one company, which did not give us a clear answer," Ricoh Chief Executive Shiro Kondo told Reuters in an interview.
Ricoh competes with Canon, Xerox Corp, Konica Minolta Holdings Inc in printers and copiers.
The Tokyo-based company held a 19.7 percent share in the global copier market in value terms in 2008, according to research firm Gartner, ahead of Xerox's 19.2 percent and Canon's 18.9 percent.
PROFIT REAPING
Kondo said he aims for sales and profit growth in the year starting April 1 as it benefits from a full-year profit contribution from Ikon, and its commercial printing business will likely take off in the new business year.
Ricoh in 2007 bought International Business Machines Corp's digital commercial printer business for $725 million.
Digital commercial printers are used to print such documents as product manuals and direct mail quickly and in large volume, and are a fast-growing segment of the printer market.
"We have conducted various acquisitions such as the Ikon purchase and joined new business areas," Kondo said on Thursday.
"And we are now entering a period of reaping profits, although it is not very fortunate for us that the timing of profit-reaping coincides with this tough business environment."
Ricoh forecast a 45 percent fall in operating profit to 100 billion yen ($1 billion) in the year ending this month due to slumping demand and a firmer yen.
For the new year starting April, analysts on average expect Ricoh to post an operating profit of 62 billion yen, according to Reuters Estimates, making Kondo's target look challenging.
He also said Ricoh planned to stick to its mid-term target to boost operating profit to 250 billion yen in the year ending March 2011 despite a widening recession.
Prior to Kondo's comments, shares in Ricoh closed up 0.9 percent at 1,085 yen, underperforming the benchmark Nikkei average, which gained 2 percent. ($1=99.17 Yen)
I found the article very interesting for those of us hammering out MPS deals - or at least trying.
I found the article very illuminating regarding the current selling to IT model and why it is sometime difficult to get IT providers to succeed with Managed Print Services.
In it, Jay reveals how he "handles" a cold sales call from a vendor; imagine you are setting down with your list of prospects (the yellow pages) and you are dialing up Jay's number.
If he answers, he clearly states to you, "...You have five minutes to tell me what your product is and how it will help me. At the end of that five minutes I will tell you if we’re interested, if it’s something we want to look at in the future or if I want more information.”
It's like Detroit all over again.
Now I disagree with the premise, but let's continue down this road.
You have five minutes to "wow" this guy - the neophyte will stumble into some sort of rote "value statement" ending with "we have the lowest prices around..." click.
The advanced selling professional will realize that five minutes is plenty of time to close for an appointment. Because this professional knows a great deal about this IT guy and his set-up and probable pain points.
The Consummate Selling Professional will never be in this position because he has been introduced into the C-levels and is talking to the person who tells the IT guy what to do.
Which is why I do not like the premise - cold calling. When you read the post, and the comments, a clear view of how the Sales Person is viewed by many prospects. It isn't pretty.
Cold calling is fine if you are "churning and burning" or looking for that one or two machine sale, down the street.
But as a first step in the dance of relationship building?
There is a small firestorm of "concern" brewing around the comments I shared here from the Lyra Symposium regarding the Edgeline.
Couple this with the report that HP moved Edgeline assets "off-shore", and Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt are bound to permeate.
It's referred to as the F.U.D. selling technique and is used by the more shadier copier sales people out there - "X".
If you run your business, your department or your life from a position of Fear, then you have probably been a victim of this selling technique. If so, stop right now, move your mouse over the "X" in the top, right hand corner and click.
No room here for the fearful.
Here's the story - HP is NOT putting Edgeline out to pasture, end of life.
HP IS behind Edgeline, supporting Edgeline, and Edgeline is part of the future.
Resellers are still certified, my techs still service Edgelines, I can still get service parts, toner and engines - all is moving forward.
So if your "X" sales person is telling you that the HP CM8060 is at "end of life" - move your mouse over the "X" and click him out. ---------------------------------------------
All this hub bub has given me pause, so I reflect. It's true, HP has not sold as many units as they would have liked, but how have I been effected?
How have my clients been effected? What does this all mean to me, personally?
Sparking up PrintSolv and checking into our fleet of CM80x0's, I remember the dozens of reasons these clients chose Edgeline.
One company, wanted to explore saving money by reducing energy consumption as compared to their Canons. The Canons had "all the bells", including 3 hole punch, 11x17 and scanning. After looking at the actual usage, 11x17 output was less than 1% of total. Three hole punch, hadn't been used for "...2 years..."
At last month's Customer Review Meeting, we confirmed that since August of 2008, energy consumption for copiers declined 11%.
This was predicted. This is measured. This is a fact. The Edgeline is GREEN.
A side benefit was a reduction in paper purchases from 17 cases/month to 12 cases/month. Duplex was set as default on the Edgeline and all other HP devices.
Scrolling down, I see one client who currently prints about 15,000 color images a month.
Well, I should say, 14,500 Color Accent images a month.
This client was absolutely fed up with the poor customer service, unpredictable color quality, numerous jamming and a ridiculous contract the Konica Minolta dealer was "unwilling to help with".
Indeed, when the unit did print color correctly that is without a "pinkish" hue, a 12 cent/page charge was incurred. After looking at their output, which is revenue generating, almost 80% of the pages had less than 150 characters of text in color. Not many pictures or graphs.
We installed the Edgeline for a 30 day evaluation, which expanded into a 90 day evaluation. Earlier on, the cost savings looked significant for color cost alone. But when we rolled in the ease of use, lower energy consumption, lower amount of disposable service parts(no drum, fuser, etc.) - and the ability to EASILY remove mis-feeds - the Edgeline looked even better "on paper".
I can not say that the Edgeline will not mis-feed, but when it does, end users do not simply walk away from the "blinking wrench"; they easily fix the problem using the AutoNav and live video display. Simple.
Today, because of the Color Accent functionality found only on Edgeline, my client saves a significant amount of money printing color at the black and white rate - printing color text.
The biggest impact on the organization has been reliability - the Edgeline is bullet proof.
But, the client is saving "lots" of money - the Konica is sitting in the corner of the room, used as backup - the lease is still in effect - for another 21 months. Even carrying the lease on this dead machine, they are reducing costs.
One more example -
A very small fleet of Edgelines(4 units) we installed before going with PrintSolv.
These units notify my offices and the client when supplies hit a minimum and service issues reach a certain level. For instance, magenta down to 3% issues an email; three consecutive mis feeds in the ADF, trigger a service email.
To date, we have dispatched 3 service calls to each machine, when notified of a problem, by the machine. That's 12, premptive, non PM service calls in the last 18 months.
Our tech shows up before the end user calls our toll free number. There have even been cases when our tech will show up while the Admin is speaking to our dispatch.
These four Edgelines replaced five boxes from Xerox. My client had been a Xerox customer for DECADES. But saw an "account executive" rarely if ever; the end users knew the service technicians by name, first name.
This account represents quite a few Edgelines - quite a few.
The Take Aways - How to work with Edgeline, from a customer's view and from the Reseller's perspective.
If you arelooking getting more than 4 Edgelines, install a trial unit.
If you are a reseller and you have a prospect who is looking to roll out more than four Edgelines, install a trial unit.
And when going through the trial process, treat it as a sale - perform the site survey, collect end user requirements and network security issues. Train the end users(twice or more) on all the relevant functions.
Set the system up to email your client and you when issues arise.
Do not try to fit this "square peg" into a round hole - do your homework. Both client and provider.
Sustainability - the Edgeline and HP is very Green. Reducing power consumption and landfill materials.
When the unit is installed in an environment that fits, the system performs very well.
I know. I have replaced Canon, Konica Minolta, Xerox, Imagistics and Toshiba with Edgeline.
Edgeline treats business documents the way they are in the real world - hardly anyone uses 11x17 - it's a fact. Sure you can find some who run nothing but 11x17, those are not Edgeline prospects.
Hardly anyone use the 3-hole punch - it's a fact. If it is a "big" issue, pre-drilled is the way to go.
Whenever one penetrates a market with very established players, who apply a tried and proven sales and manufacturing model, such as the copier industry, one is bound to take a few hits.
HP is not going to someday stop printing - but there will be companies that will one day stop copying.
Crazy Disclaimer - the above accounts are a "conglomeration" of cases illustrated as individual clients. The facts remain the same.
Ricoh announced new, embedded intelligence technology with IBM's Tivoli Monitoring and Asset Management for IT.
This solution monitors MFP energy consumption and automates settings based on a corporation's environmental management objectives.
For instance, if all users in a particular workgroup are not using their computers, the system will recognize this inactivity and automatically shut down the workgroup's MFP to a sleep mode.
This is a pretty big step and one that illustrates the significant meshing of IT and MFPs.
The complete Press Release:
LAS VEGAS, Feb 09, 2009 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ --
Company: International Business Machines Corp. (IBM)
New Solution Works Seamlessly with IBM's Tivoli Software to Manage Energy Consumption and Lower Total Cost of Ownership
Ricoh Americas Corporation, a leading provider of digital office equipment, today announced the preliminary showing of its new embedded intelligence technology with IBM's Tivoli Monitoring and Asset Management for IT at the IBM Pulse conference in Las Vegas.
The solution monitors and reports on Ricoh multifunction product (MFP) energy consumption and automates settings based on a corporation's environmental management objectives. The solution will be on display for demonstration February 8-11, 2009, at booth #70 in the IBM Industry Zone at Pulse Solutions Center.
Ricoh's solution tracks the activity of all Ricoh MFPs connected to a network in order to gauge real-time metrics of power usage through IBM's Tivoli system management software. An IT administrator can define customized metrics by defining parameters on an individual company's cost reduction and sustainability goals. The Ricoh system is able to identify when established thresholds have been reached and will automatically adjust the network's settings. For instance, if all users in a particular workgroup are not using their computers, the system will recognize this inactivity and automatically shut down the workgroup's MFP to a sleep mode, greatly reducing power consumption and costs.
Ricoh's solution can also enable a company to apply print rules that push settings onto workgroups. Therefore, if a particular group is consistently failing to meet the company's sustainability goals, the settings can force users to duplex or limit prints in order to better manage and improve the company's carbon footprint.
"Environmental issues and sustainable practices are at the forefront of business now more than ever. Therefore, Ricoh and IBM are demonstrating an innovative solution for managing MFP power consumption," said Mark Minshull, vice president and chief technologist, Ricoh Americas Corporation. "Ricoh and IBM are leaders in promoting sustainability both internally and to our customers, and this solution, which integrates our leading technologies, is another example of how we can help customers 'green' their operations while also improving their bottom line."
Previously, adjustments for power management had to be made manually, often for each individual product. With the new Ricoh solution with Tivoli, all adjustments are made automatically based on an enterprise's environmental policies. Additionally, Tivoli can change the energy settings for all IT assets connected to the network simultaneously from the desktop of the administrator.
Minshull will also be leading a breakout session at the conference for attendees titled "Leveraging IBM Service Management and Ricoh Embedded MFP Intelligence to Deliver a Total Green Office Solution." The session will focus on the implementation of IBMs through IBM's Tivoli Monitoring and Asset Management for IT software with Ricoh's embedded solution. Minshull will give insight into trends in green management and industry standards, as well as ways to consolidate and improve office equipment utilization with asset optimization. The session will be held at 10:30 am (PST) on February 10 in room 106 at the Conference Center of the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Nanotechnology Helps Paper Exports
Tuesday, 17 February 2009, 10:43 am
Press Release: Victoria University of Wellington
Nanotechnology Helps Paper Exports
Researchers at Victoria University have discovered ground-breaking new ways to capitalise on New Zealand’s increasingly valuable paper export markets using nanotechnology. Dr Aaron Small and supervisor Professor Jim Johnston investigated cost-effective methods of printing or coating nanoparticles onto paper and packaging materials. Nanoparticles are tiny particles 10,000 times thinner than the average human hair.
By adding a simple step to the end of the paper making process, their finding makes possible the development of new magnetic, electrically conductive or optically active specialist paper products.
While nanoparticles are already used to coat materials such as fabric or clay particles, this is the first-time the technology has been used with a New Zealand-grown and produced material such as Kraft board fibres (Pinus radiata), which are exported as newsprint grade paper internationally.
Dr Small, whose PhD results were published in international scientific journals Current Applied Physics and the Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, says the methods have many potential uses.
“We know how to print nanoparticles that glow under Ultra Violet light but are invisible under normal light. They could be used for security labelling to protect against counterfeiting. You could also have a label that might be blue within the use-by-date and when it’s expired it would turn red,” he says.
The results could also provide a cheaper alternative to some metals, such as copper. Copper is commonly used to shield equipment sensitive to electromagnetic radiation such as cellular and wireless network frequencies.
“For equipment that’s sensitive to inference you could line the walls of a room with cardboard coated with nanomaterials to block out problematic frequencies. The same material is anti-static and could be used to package sensitive equipment such as computer components.”
New Zealand exports more than $600 million of paper products a year and new markets in higher value printing and packaging papers are expected to emerge within 10 years.
Dr Small says his PhD research aimed to use “clever chemistry” to increase the value of New Zealand’s specialist paper products.
Over the course of his three-year doctorate, Dr Small worked in laboratories at Victoria University, Industrial Research Limited, the Australian Defence Science and Technology Organisation in Melbourne and the Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, a government research institute in Germany.
He has established how to synthesise the nanoparticles and characterise their properties. Further research or a larger pilot project will be undertaken if financial support can be secured.
As MPS continues to expand in recognition, Ed Crowley gives is 0.020 worth in a recent WSJ article written by William M. Bulkeley.
The article is a simple piece - the content nothing new to any of us "in the industry." I guess if your niche gets mentioned in the WSJ, the niche is likely to start getting crowded.
A mention of a big deal in Michigan, Dow Chemical, was of particular interest. I believe the case is studied in one of Photizo's first newsletters.
From the WSJ article: "...Tom Codd, H-P's director of marketing for enterprise services, says H-P's managed print services business has been growing at a 38% annual rate since 2004.
"H-P comes from a very strong position because we invented network printing, and historically IT guys bought the printers," Mr. Codd says.
Dow Chemical Co. in Midland, Mich., which hired Xerox, says under the managed service it cut the number of printers, copiers and fax machines in its offices to 6,600 from 15,000..."
One other interesting point from Stephen Cronin, president of Xerox's global-services business,
"...Xerox doesn't force customers to switch to Xerox hardware,
noting more than half of the 1.5 million devices the company currently manages are from other vendors. But he says consolidating on a single brand helps cut costs. "Total spending goes down, but my proportion goes up," Mr. Cronin says. Last year, services, including maintenance as well as managed print, contributed $3.5 billion of Xerox's $17.6 billion in revenue."
Nothing new really, security is an issue with every network connected device.
MFP's have always had issues (small) with possible security breaches. These potential leaks can usually be addressed with "check in a box"configuration, closing the open channels.
But, just like everything else around the print fleet, these issues have been overlooked. A printer or copier or MFP just isn't as sexxxy as a Blade, or Citrix, or VMWare, is it?
Enjoy...
MFP security--or how the IT guy is becoming the security guy Wednesday, 11 February 2009 12:15 Vince Jannelli, Sharp Information and Imaging Company of America
NetworkingI recently read an interesting article in the Wall Street Journal (October 16, 2008, “New Data Privacy Laws Set for Firms”) that outlines new state-by-state regulations for data security. The article contains a great quote that I think sums up the major concerns for IT managers right now, but it doesn’t come from IBM or Cisco or even Sharp. It comes from the network manager for the Northeast-based pizza chain, Papa Ginos, who says, “Anybody in IT has to become the security guy.” I truly believe this quote illustrates how IT managers in companies of all sizes are quickly realizing the importance of data security and are learning more about what steps need to be taken to ensure that the network, and ultimately the company, are safeguarded against data theft.
Technology makes an ever-increasing contribution to profitability in today’s highly competitive business landscape. However, the same technology that enables high productivity in the workplace can easily be compromised if not sufficiently secured. The consequences of inadequate protection could be financial loss, identity theft, risk to intellectual property, or even the ruination of an upstanding business due to identity theft.
Organizations spend significant capital to protect digital assets from threats, yet frequently overlook one of the most used network devices today -- the office multi-function peripheral (MFP). As these devices become more advanced and integrated, they offer companies a myriad of new benefits. However, because they are a document’s entry and exit point on your network, they also pose a number of threats that cannot be overlooked. For a comprehensive security strategy to be effective, it is imperative for organizations to demand a greater level of protection from MFP vulnerabilities.
MFP: The Overlooked Security Risk
An MFP is a powerful asset in your office’s environment. Left unsecured however, an MFP can pose one of the greatest threats to your organization. Just consider the types of documents that are copied, printed, faxed or scanned on a daily basis -- personal information, financial statements, confidential reports, e-mails, memos, customer data and employee information. Much like a computer, this data remains on the unit’s hard drive indefinitely.
The Risks to Office Multifunction Peripherals
Internal Threats
Important information can be at risk at the internal level, from threats within your organization. At the device level, confidential information can be accidentally or even purposefully copied from stored documents on the unit’s hard drive, taken from the output tray or faxed without authorization. Any information stored on a local desktop computer or accessible through the Local Area Network ( LAN) can be printed without authorization. And since many of today’s offices MFPs are running over a network, this provides employees with another entry point to the network that could be used to bypass user restrictions and access information on other computers on the same network.
External Threats
Data is also at risk via external threats, outside the company’s realm. From across a Wide-Area Network (WAN), the Internet or a Virtual Private Network (VPN), information such as stored documents, scanned data or print data can be intercepted. In the worst case, a user from the outside can obtain confidential information, unleash a Denial of Service (DOS) attack, or even place a virus on the device via the network or a phone line. Through a FAX line, or corporate LAN, communications could be intercepted or sent without permission anywhere in the world. Data stored on the copier’s hard disk drive or in memory could also be compromised or even taken off-site and stolen if not protected.
IT mangers need to also consider what happens to office equipment once they have reached their end of life. If copiers or MFPs are being leased, there is always a chance that these units can fall in to the hands of hackers who can unlock data stored on the hard drive.
The Solution: Multi-Tiered Security
In any situation, protecting your MFP from just one threat is not adequate. A solid security suite will offer a multi-layered approach to protection -- providing better control over the users, devices, ports, protocols and applications on your MFP(s). A comprehensive approach to security will account for protection at every step in the document lifecycle, from the initial scan or print to final output and distribution.
Solutions for Internal Threats
The first step is to secure data that is stored right on the MFP that users can access locally. Manufacturers have introduced Common Criteria security solutions to offer encryption and data overwrite features for various levels of use. Ensure that your MFP meets the highest commercial level of Common Criteria Validation.
Data Security
A powerful security suite or security kit protects and controls the major MFP systems, subsystems (print, copy, scan, fax jobs, network settings, operating system, memory components, local user interface, engine and job controller) and all data before it is written to RAM or Flash memory and the disk. Be sure to enable overwriting routines for deleted data so that all information is virtually irretrievable by unauthorized users.
Access Control Security
To limit unauthorized access to each device, specify account codes, user/group profiles, passwords, or external user accounts contained in an LDAP or Active Directory server. And to mitigate the risk of interception, user credentials should be transferred using a proven combination of encryption standards, such as, Kerberos, SSL or Digest-MD5.
An MFP security suite should also enable you to customize your solution to meet your unique requirements and ensure data confidentiality and integrity. For instance, government agencies should seek out a security suite or development platform that can be customized for use with MFD or CAT card readers. Without a CAT card reader, the MFP is not compliant with HSPD-12 (homeland security presidential directive 12) and renders the network functionality of your built-in fax or copier unsafe.
Audit Trail Security
A modern MFP will provide an internal audit trail, and/or third party application software such as Equitrac Office, for comprehensive auditing of all user activity. Certain federal regulations parameters, such as 'to', 'from', 'when' and 'file name' can be logged, reviewed and archived for conformance. Be sure that your MFP is customizable so that, if audit trail software is not embedded, you can easily request or download the appropriate software.
Solutions for External Threats
Unlocking the true potential of your MFP means having it fully integrated with your network, so employees can scan to email, or browse and preview data from the server right on the MFP. Of course, adding another entry point to the network present another possible threat to a company’s data. A security suite should provide you with the proper safeguarding against external threats too, allowing you to scale up as needed, but adequately safeguarding the network infrastructure and MFP installed base, without affecting network traffic or workgroup productivity.
Network Security
A multi-tiered security suite will feature an intelligent network interface that can limit access to specific computers on a network by IP or MAC address, and selectively enable or disable any protocol or service port on each device. All communications to and from the MFP will utilize Secure Socket Layer ( SSL) for secure transmission over the network, and most devices also support SMB, IPv6*, IPSec* and SNMPv3.
Fax Security
Often times attackers can gain access to the internal systems of the MFP or the local network via fax lines. The MFP should provide a logical separation between the fax telephone line and LAN.
Platform Virus Security
Be sure that the MFP operating platform is secure. A proprietary platform is ideal, since it won’t be susceptible to viruses designed to attack more popular operating systems available on personal computers.
Taking the time to talk to your dealer about these features is vital. The time spent will be minimal but the cost savings, both tangible and intangible, will be enormous. Regardless, do not settle for a cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all security package. Threats to private information and data will always be present and are always evolving. Make sure you are ahead of the game when it comes to security and that your MFP security suite is evolving fast enough to stay ahead of these threats.
Vince Jannelli is the associate director, Applications and Partners, for Sharp Information and Imaging Company of America.
I had to go back and see what the official date was of my first post. I knew it was close to March, but to my surprise, it was a year ago, yesterday (Feb 20).
So I guess it is fitting that I put down some thoughts a year later.
One of the techniques I have learned to drive traffic to a site, is to use easily searchable words in the title of the post, like "copier", "HP", "Xerox", etc. - this post will not show up on many Google results and that is fine with me.
It's fine because I really write to read what I write - that's how this started, and today it's still true. I started this little endeavor without really knowing what a "Blog" was - all I wanted to do was put some information "out there", within reach of potential clients. Information strictly around the HP Edgeline. At the time a revolutionary new technology, a "copier Killer" technology.
Well, I never really wanted to talk about what I ate for lunch or how many people came over for Thanksgiving dinner.
Back in the beginning, "driving traffic" to the site meant me telling my family and close friends about my blog and how they should "go check it out". One month, 12 of my friends viewed one page and spent an average of 30 seconds on the site. Today, I have a months with 16,000 and an average time on the site between 2.5 and 3.2 minutes.
Back then a "Blog", the combination of the two words web and log, was considered a diary created by individuals and stored on the internet.
I looked at the Drudge Report as a functional model. Scanning the internet for information regarding my industry and posting.
Pretty simple.
This idea grew into finding more information, again interesting to me, and writing some commentary or reflection. And ultimately, writing pure content based on topical issues.
As time progressed, I started to refer to the blog as "my site" - because it really isn't a blog, it's not a journal or diary. One of the many things I have learned, most successful, business blogs really aren't diaries. Neither is mine - but I must admit I do like to go back and read older posts.
Sometimes I cringe, sometimes I laugh out loud, most of the time I am just as amused as the day I wrote it.
They say any good experience is one you learn something from. This is the greatest learning experience, ever.
Over the past 12 months, together, we have been witness to the beginning of the largest merger in the history of our industry . We've seen $5.00/gallon gasoline prices grind the economy to a stand still and have witnessed the biggest transfer of private business to government ownership in the history of mankind - this has not been a "ho-hum" year.
I have learned more about smart paper, carbon credits, publishing, killer laser toner, nano-printing, copier leases, copier crimes in Cleveland, winery tours, and recycling centers, soy based toner, Hybrid Dealers, Galactic-Hybrid Dealers, drunk email, umbrellas of silence, Pearl Harbor, and Google Data Barges.
Some of the other things I have learned involve plagiarism, "feeds" vs content, verifying sources and that writing should not be easy, if it is, then it is not writing.
I have also tried to title my posts with a bit more thought - well, I must admit, I do like "The Death of..."
The Death of Xerography The Death of the Sale The Death of the Copier Person The Death of Print The Death of Kaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhnnnnnnn! The Death of Socrates The Death of Windows 3.0 The Death of the "Close" The Death of the Typewriter The Death of the Copier Dealer The Death of Edgeline
I still chuckle, and reflect, when reading "The Death of Kaaaaaaaahhhhhnnnnnn!" I am sure there will be more.
Ah...the people...
This site as introduced me to so many different people. People I would never have met without the DOTC. Great peeps - you know who you are. Collaborators, mentors, contributors, critics - peers. To you, I say thanks.
And the connections...
I have now been published in a new and highly regarded MPS Journal, I have been interviewed by dozens of pundits, industry analysts and peers. I am currently working on articles for a number of industry publications.
I attended the Lyra Symposium and will be attending the Photizo conference in April. I am part of a collection of MPS people focused on helping others make it in this field.
All of this is very flattering and a bit unbelievable. The attention is grand.
And yet, the most rewarding aspect has been receiving emails from folks who read the site everyday - who have made it part of their routine.
The regular, normal, everyday Selling Professional. The people that make EVERYTHING happen. Sometimes it's just a phrase or two and sometimes I receive a nice long letter - and to be honest I haven't received all that many. But a law of marketing says for every "one" response, there are 5.3 people who feel the same.(not sure on the actual figure)
The blog stopped being a blog, the day I received my first "good job" email, back in August of 2008 - since then, its been a odyssey.
And as this writing expedition, this journey into "self" continues to evolve, I am even more honored to have you here along with me.
BY CHARLES SCHILLINGER
