Managed Print Services Jobs: Requests Going Through the Roof?

Wow! Check out this graph. It reflects the number of job openings with "managed print services" in the description.

managed Print services Job Trends

managed Print services jobs

Managed Print Services Association: See Your Future, Be Your Future

Evolution is a wonderful thing, even if it is inevitable. As those of us take pleasure in bantering about the "definition and re-definition of MPS" it becomes more evident that a single, unifying force, other than gravity, is called for.

Visionaries see this, critics - criticize, yet men(and women) of destiny, take action.

And so it is with the Managed Print Services Association forming with the help of the Photizo Group.

A bold endeavor to be sure, but we don't run from history, we make it.

Ed felt as though he was going out on a limb with his announcement of such a group. Indeed, in the first round of attention given to the association, on the MSP Mentor forums, arm-chair challenges and the veiled snobbery of the "intelligentsia" greeted the news.


Ed's post, Why Now Is The Right Time for a Managed Print Services Association is here.

Here is one passage I like:

"...One question that may be asked is why doesn’t another group (such as the Business Technology Association or COMPTIA) form an MPS Association. While this could be possible, I believe most of these groups have an existing constituency with their own set of pre-existing motivations, member preferences, and requirements. The MPS industry is unique in that it draws from a very broad base across the technology, reseller, and end user community. As such, I believe it would benefit from the formation of a new organization which does not have an existing charter or direction..."


...Only time will tell...

Managed Print Services to Double: Dude, Let's go to Asia.

Managed print services to double in Asia Pacific

In an article released by CIO Asia, the Asian market for MPS is predicted to be $825 million in 2011.

This according to a recent study conducted by Springboard - the study titled, "Dude, Where's My Printer - Asia Pacific Managed Print Services Market and Forecast".

Who says MPS researchers don't have a sense of humor.

The article is here.

Some excerpts:


"...In the MPS competitive landscape, HP is the clear leader with a dominant market presence in the region, followed by Fuji-Xerox, which has "leveraged its robust set of MPS offerings and a strong partner ecosystem to strengthen its regional presence," says Springboard's report.

Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) will remain as the largest MPS market in the region, cornering over 25 per cent of the market and expanding at a CAGR of 19.3 per cent to 2012. Springboard says that, while India is behind China and ASEAN in overall market size, India is forecast to be the fastest growing market a compound annual growth rate of 22.6 per cent.

"These robust growth figures indicate not just a vibrant MPS marketplace, but they also reflect the emergence of MPS as the best growth bet for the print hardware vendors in the region, who have seen a decline of hardware sales amidst the economic slowdown," said Sanchit Vir Gogia, senior research analyst for services at Springboard Research.

"Enterprises in the region are eager to test and adopt the 'next level' of printing environment, presenting the MPS vendors with a growth opportunity in a difficult economic situation," said Mr. Gogia...

"The MPS model is still in its infancy in Asia Pacific and enterprises in the region need to be educated that this is much more than an alternative print hardware purchase model," said Phil Hassey, vice president for services at Springboard Research. "The challenge for providers is to ensure they manage MPS offerings prices and offer solutions as a long-term strategy, providing immediate and successful results for enterprises."
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OKI Data Americas Showcases BTA-Exclusive Color MFPs and Managed Print Service Product Line/Program Offerings at ITEX 2009

MOUNT LAUREL, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--OKI Data Americas, which markets its products under the OKI® Printing Solutions brand, will unveil new BTA-exclusive color MFPs and a complete portfolio of Managed Print Service (MPS) Ready products and services to BTA dealers at 2009 Information Technology, Education and Exposition (ITEX) in Las Vegas (March 18-19).

Press Release follows. Large.

As an eight-year partner-level sponsor and charter member of the show, OKI Printing Solutions will showcase its expanded line of BTA-exclusive color MFP products, headlined by the award-winning CX3641 MFP, and educate dealers on the newly-announced MPS Ready products and services. These solutions provide an entry point for dealers considering a managed print program, or help take those already engaged to the next level, to increase profitability and develop recurring revenue streams.

In addition, OKI Printing Solutions will incorporate the company’s philanthropic program, Color Me OKI, at ITEX booth #609. This year, the booth will feature the 1950s Automotive Classic, 1959 Pink Cadillac Series 62 Convertible as part of Color Me OKI’s drive to survive breast cancer.

OKI Printing Solutions Highlights at ITEX 2009:

* View demonstrations of the newest BTA-exclusive color MFP products, including the CX2640, CX1145, CX2033 and CX2633 MFPs

* Learn how OKI Printing Solutions’ full-line of Managed Print Service Ready color and monochrome single function printers will help partners expand their MPS program offerings and increase overall hardware and consumables sales

* Attend “Capture and Workflow Solutions – Moving from Print to Scan, Owning the Electronic Document,” a presentation on Wednesday, March 18 at 11:00am with OKI Data Americas’ Steve Feldstein, Senior Product Planning Manager for color MFPs and Matthew Lonergan, Collaboration Specialist - Business Productivity, State and Local Government for Microsoft®

* View an exclusive presentation featuring rare Elvis footage few have ever seen, and meet Joe Esposito, long time friend and road manager to Elvis Presley

* Have your photo taken with 1950s Automotive Classic, 1959 Pink Cadillac Series 62 Convertible and join the Color Me OKI program’s drive to survive breast cancer

* Win the opportunity to have $1,000 donated on your behalf to the charity of your choice

“ITEX is an opportunity for OKI Printing Solutions to interact directly with our BTA dealer partners and demonstrate industry-leading solutions that will further strengthen their profit opportunities, particularly in today’s economy,” said Jackie Paralis, Senior Marketing Manager, Channel Development at OKI Data Americas.

“Further solidifying our commitment to the BTA channel and responding to what we are hearing from our dealers, we have expanded our portfolio of products and solutions to include significant new MPS offerings, giving BTA dealers even more unique ways to differentiate themselves and ensure continued business growth.”

New color MFPs being unveiled at the show include the CX2640, CX1145 and CX2033 MFPs, innovative new A3 and A4 workgroup products that further build on OKI Printing Solutions’ full line of color MFPs offered exclusively through the BTA channel. Featured alongside the CX3641 and CX2633 MFPs, these new products expand the portfolio of color MFPs for OKI Printing Solutions to offer new opportunities and applications for dealers and end users.

Attendees can take part in the many product- and solution-focused demonstrations from OKI Printing Solutions executives featured at ITEX booth #609. Further, the show’s Power Hour, entitled “Capture and Workflow Solutions – Moving from Print to Scan, Owning the Electronic Document,” will take place on Wednesday, March 18 in room N257 from 11:00am-12:15pm. Steve Feldstein, Senior Product Planning Manager for color MFPs at OKI Data Americas and Matthew Lonergan, Collaboration Specialist - Business Productivity, State and Local Government for Microsoft® will provide valuable insight to dealers regarding SMB capture solutions, with an open forum for Q&A following the session.

At ITEX booth #609, OKI Printing Solutions will also feature live music and entertainment from the Corvelles, and an exclusive presentation from Joe Esposito, long time friend and road manager to Elvis Presley. “Memories of Elvis” will feature rare footage from Elvis’ personal and professional life.

After the presentation, attendees are invited to pose with Joe Esposito in front of the 1950’s Automotive Classic, 1959 Pink Cadillac Series 62 Convertible, which is part of a fleet of vintage vehicles provided by the Color Me OKI philanthropic program, and receive a complimentary photo printed on OKI Printing Solutions’ HD color printers. For every photo taken at ITEX, OKI Data Americas will make a five dollar donation to the American Cancer Society. The vintage vehicle, owned by Stewart and Bonnie Krentzman, represents the rebuilding process women must go through when restoring their mind, body and souls after battling breast cancer.

All OKI Printing Solutions products are built on parent company OKI Data Corporation’s history of leadership and innovation in color printing. It is based on printing technologies advanced by OKI Data Corporation, such as digital LED technology and Single Pass Color™. This technology allows OKI Data Americas to manufacture products that require fewer moving parts for increased reliability.

OKI Printing Solutions products are backed by comprehensive support from authorized OKI Printing Solutions dealers. In addition, the company provides live, toll-free1 technical support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, with agents based in North America.

OKI Data Americas is dedicated to being environmentally-conscious and supporting our customers' increasing focus on the environment. In support of those efforts, we offer customized printing solutions and multifunctional products that help our customers reduce their impact on the environment and increase operational efficiency.

Editor’s Note: For more information, please visit OKI Data Americas’ pressroom.

About Joe Esposito

Joe Esposito is universally recognized as the most credible source on Elvis Presley’s life and career. Esposito met Presley while serving in the Army in 1959. The two became fast friends and soon after Esposito became Presley’s road manager. As the publisher of the bestselling book, “Remember Elvis,” along with five other published works that chronicle Presley’s career, Esposito is an inextricable link to the memory of Elvis.

Whether recognized as an incredible public speaker, author, road manager or loyal friend, Joe Esposito is still in high demand for his talents and one-of-a-kind accounts of a man the nation has always referred to as “The King.” Esposito also managed shows for legendary greats such as Michael Jackson, The Bee Gees, The Carpenters and John Denver. Currently he resides in Las Vegas with his wife Martha and son Anthony.

OKI, Reg. OKI Electric Industry Co., Ltd. ENERGY STAR Reg. T.M. U.S. EPA, Single Pass Color T.M. and design Reg. T.M. OKI Data Corp., Microsoft is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.

Channels to Managed Print Services Success

3/2009

For the past few months, I like a few of you, have been reading MPS articles over at the IT-director.com site authored by Louella Fernandes, Principal Analyst, Quocirca.

She has a great article written today that pretty much summarizes the current state and challenges of MPS.

It is a great read and I have, with permission, re-printed it here.

Enjoy -



Louella Fernandes By: Louella Fernandes, Principal Analyst, Quocirca
Published: 16th March 2009
Copyright Quocirca © 2009

Current economic pressures have put renewed focus on technology consolidation within businesses. Although often overlooked, the print environment can be a source of huge cost which can be easily be brought under control through using a managed print service (MPS).
The printer and multifunction (MFP) market is characterised by falling prices and shrinking margins. In this increasingly commoditised market, selling services is the key to capturing new revenue for both manufacturers and resellers. For customers, an MPS is a way of reducing capital investment and lowering the ongoing costs associated with inefficient printing practices, such as the cost of purchasing and storing consumables, costs related to high paper usage, as well as reduced productivity as a result of printer downtime.

Managed print services range in depth and scale and may be offered either through the reseller channel or direct by the manufacturer. An entry level MPS offers a way to purchase printers combined with supplies, maintenance and support through an all-inclusive contract. This type of service is typically offered through the channel and, dependent on their capabilities, resellers may also offer print environment assessments and device consolidation consultancy.

At the other end of the scale direct programmes from vendors like Xerox and HP offer a range of services to assess, optimise and manage the print environment. Whilst large enterprises are the focus of manufacturers' direct MPS programmes, it is the lucrative mid-market served predominantly by the channel where resellers have most to gain.

The channel opportunityDownward pressure on printer hardware prices means that resellers need to differentiate their offerings by selling more software and services. This allows resellers to add value through initiatives like offering print assessments or document workflow solutions. Entry level MPS contracts are often cost-per-page contracts where customers sign up to a contract that includes consumables, service and support. So, rather than the traditional purchasing model where a customer may purchase consumables from different suppliers, an MPS approach allows the reseller to benefit from an ongoing supplies revenue stream.

The printer market is served by a mix of traditional copier and IT-driven printer resellers. The transition to selling MPS is different for each of these. Copier resellers typically have the infrastructure in place due to the traditional financing models for copiers, often sold on "click" contracts. Whilst copier resellers have often sold via the facilities or procurement departments within organisations, an MPS offers them the opportunity to connect with the IT department. IT departments may be more familiar with certain brands such as HP, Lexmark or Samsung and also expect strong networking integration expertise.

Meanwhile printer resellers are characterised by extensive product ranges and IT expertise, but may not have the service capability or infrastructure to sell cost-per-page contracts. It is attracting these resellers to the MPS fold which is probably the most challenging for manufacturers.

Vendor channel programmesThe channel convergence taking place is a market driver for printer manufacturers, and many are actively developing their channel programmes to help their resellers navigate these often unchartered MPS waters. Unsurprisingly, vendor programmes are usually focused on managing their own devices, with inherent limitations for multi-brand resellers, but it can provide resellers with a simple and straightforward packaged service which enables them to make the switch to MPS reasonably quickly.

Many printer manufacturers are packaging their managed print service tools for the small and medium (SMB) market. Some programmes require remote monitoring for automated meter reading, which has traditionally been a manual task carried out by the customer. As well as enabling regular billing, automatic meter reading also enables supplies replenishment to be proactively managed meaning that customers can receive consumables before they notice the have run low, and before productivity is impacted. Remote monitoring also enables proactive maintenance. Ultimately MPS should make sense for any reseller that wants to enhance its customer relationships, whilst building annuity revenue streams and bringing in higher margin business.

Two of the most advanced vendor programmes are those from HP and Xerox. HP Smart Printing Services (SPS) uses the resources and skills of its HP partners to supplement its own. The SPS offering consists of two different blocks of services: break/fix support and supplies are delivered by HP under a proprietary agreement. Hardware, financing and other service elements required are delivered by the partner under a linked, but separate, contractual agreement. In the EMEA region HP is aiming for 60% growth, illustrating the importance of MPS to its channel efforts.

PagePack is Xerox's principal channel service offering in Europe, based on cost-per-page model. The contract covers hardware support, maintenance and supplies (excluding paper), 24/7 access to consumable ordering tools, Smart eSolutions (automatic meter reading) and hardware support and maintenance. It also offers Office Productivity Advisor tools which calculate document costs and it's SAVE (Self-Assessment Value Estimator) which enables resellers to promote the benefits of PagePack contracts over traditional non-contract purchasing.

Other vendors are also increasing their emphasis on managed print services for their channel partners. The Lexmark Value Print programme provides certified resellers with a range of tools, support and training to help them sell an MPS. Meanwhile Kyocera UK has launched KYOprint Pack which is an all-inclusive service that enables customers to purchase a device with all hardware, consumables, and service included. KYOprint Packs are valid for a specific number of pages, and expire when that number of pages has been printed. This is unlike some other MPS contracts where the customer is charged for a certain number of pages per month regardless of whether they are printed.
Ricoh UK launched its @Remote partner programme in Autumn 2008, and since then over 30 dealers have signed up for the programme which offers automated meter reading along with supplies management capabilities.

Multivendor managementWith many companies operating a heterogeneous printer fleet, those resellers hoping to truly exploit the opportunity of managing a customer's complete print environment must use generic print management tools which offer consistent functionality across printer brands. PrintFleet, for instance, offers a hosted and reseller-hosted remote print monitoring solution. The benefit of using this type of tool is that resellers do not need to invest time in learning and installing a range of different vendor proprietary tools.

Meanwhile, the need for resellers to be able to connect with IT decision makers as well as offer service capability has led to the emergence of the "hybrid reseller" which combines the service skills of copier resellers with the technology expertise of IT resellers.

XMA Solutions is a good example. XMA is a specialist supplier of IT hardware, supplies and services, and has been focusing on managed print services for five years with customers predominantly in the public sector and education markets. XMA offers print management consultancy such as document assessments and hardware and software deployment for a range of printer brands. XMA is also an HP Smart Printing Services partner and is actively embracing the managed print services opportunity.

When it comes to the IT infrastructure, managed services have already been accepted as the way to reduce the cost and time of managing IT in-house. Printing is as much an integral part of the IT infrastructure as other networked devices, and using a third party to manage any element of the printing environment is a start to making efficiency gains and reducing costs.

Nevertheless, there is still a significant learning curve for resellers who are yet to make the shift to a service-based approach. The MPS transition requires new skills and resources, and printer manufacturers need to nurture existing channel partnerships as well as develop new ones to compete effectively in a market where MPS is the key to reviving their fortunes.

Whilst vendor proprietary tools are certainly a good way for resellers to get started with managed print services, generic tools should also be considered by those resellers who have the resources to manage multivendor environments.


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A Guide to US Papers

I Culled this out of some twits from Twitter earlier today...

Guide to US newspapers


1. The Wall Street Journal is read by the people who run the country.

2. The New York Times is read by people who think they run the country.

3. The Washington Post is read by people who think they should run the country.

4. USA Today is read by people who think they ought to run the country but don’t really understand the Washington Post. They do, however like the smog statistics shown in pie charts.

5. The Los Angeles Times is read by people who wouldn’t mind running the country, if they could spare the time, and if they didn’t have to leave L.A. to do it.

6. The Boston Globe is read by people whose parents used to run the country.

7. The New York Daily News is read by people who aren’t too sure who’s running the country, and don’t really care as long as they can get a seat on the train.

8. The New York Post is read by people who don’t care who’s running the country either, as long as they do something really scandalous, preferably while intoxicated.

9. The San Francisco Chronicle is read by people who aren’t sure there is a country, or that anyone is running it; but whoever it is, they oppose all that they stand for. There are occasional exceptions if the leaders are handicapped minority, feministic atheist dwarfs, who also happen to be illegal aliens from ANY country or galaxy as long as they are democrats.

10. The Miami Herald is read by people who are running another country, but need the baseball scores.

by Anamitra Chakladar at Sun Mar 01 05:56:43 UTC 2009 New Delhi, India