Oki Printing Solutions Launches Total Managed Print: Stage One - "PageStart"

Details of Oki's MPS programs are beginning to take form.

Today, Oki announced their Total Print Management MPS program for re-sellers.

A three level offering, the first of which is active today, PageStart, will be followed later this year with FleetAssist and FullAccess.

This first level is designed to get interested resellers into the MPS niche with little risk or cost.

Oki reportedly has simplified a pricing structure making it much easier for a provider to quote a CPC engagement with confidence.

But, what exactly is, "...the industry's only MPS Ready line of color and black and monochrome single function printers..."?


PageStart is a simple, turnkey program that provides the fastest way to start supporting MPS opportunities.

Partners requiring more support or those requiring complete support will benefit from the two other levels, which look to go live later this year.
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DOTC -

A big couple of weeks for the manufacturers and Managed Print Services programs. And compared to the recent Ricoh and HP announcements, Oki's could go unnoticed.

But MPS is for everyone - there is plenty of room.

What I find interesting is Oki seems to be either pacing the reluctance of their resellers, introducing MPS to the willing in baby-steps or Oki's programs haven't completely "baked" or Oki Print Solutions is itself wary of the MPS niche.

So they tip toe into the water.

But is this "only MPS ready printer" aspect?

What does that mean?

Are the cartridges "keyed" to the reseller?

Do the machines only report meters to Oki-based collection agents?

And once again, what about "blended MPS engagements"? Certainly, there will be other manufactures' machines in an Oki fleet - correct?

Interesting.

Now, the only two left are Toshiba and Canon - so I guess that really only leaves one.

Okidata Into the Fray: A Three Level Managed Print Services Offering For Dealers

Oki is in and is approaching dealers. Especially those who are tentative about entering the MPS arena.

"The channel is struggling to learn MPS, there's a little bit of a handicap there because they're just focusing on printers and copiers," Krentzman, President and Chief Executive Officer at Oki Data Americas, Inc. said. "Partners have to rethink the way they do business from "hardware centric" to "service centric."

Details are sketchy at this point, as always. There are two different pricing plans; monthly flat cost and a cost per image.

Dealers can either dip their toe or jump in head first - Oki appears to have different levels of commitment each with a higher access to all of Oki's MPS tools.

The market is certainly crowded and Oki has stiff competition. Citing Xerox's MPS program, Okidata said that there are some major options that its program offers that Xerox doesn't, including hardware training and proactive service alerts. I wonder how factual that statement really is.

Remotely interesting announcement, relative to the last few days - Ricoh, HP.

Odds are, One Day You Will Not Get Your News/Information in Print or On Your Computer

2009 -

Hyper-Local information - Point your smart phone at a building, take a picture and receive every piece of data available on that building.

"We're finding that an increasing number of young people are getting their news from smartphones," says Geeta Dayal, a Ford Foundation Fellow who teaches a class on mobile phones and journalism at University of California, Berkeley's Graduate School of Journalism. "And the more people use their phones to access information, the more they want to know what's happening where they are right now."Imagine the face recognition applications.

Picking someone up at the bar will be wild - aim, shoot, download everything - Facebook, Twitter name, blog, work website, phone, email addy - even background checks.

No need to exchange business cards, simply snap a pic and rock and roll.

No print, all your output presented on bended plastic, not bio-mass.

"We're finding that an increasing number of young people are getting their news from smartphones," says Geeta Dayal, a Ford Foundation Fellow who teaches a class on mobile phones and journalism at University of California, Berkeley's Graduate School of Journalism. "And the more people use their phones to access information, the more they want to know what's happening where they are right now."

I suggest a day when there is very little being printed at all.

As we know, the primary reason for print media is cheap portability - but cheap comes with a cost - static versus dynamic, old news versus late breaking, news/information for everyone, edited by strangers versus custom and personal- analog versus digital.

Submitted for your consideration, a "Minority Report" view from Microsoft.

In this world of 2019, there is no "print", no CPC, CPI or MPS.

Caution - when you think you see a newspaper, you are seeing an iteration of the Kindle.

Enjoy.

Inspiration Here.

Canon Joins the Rest of The Imaging World: Announces 12 Steps To Managed Print Services: Wait, That's not Right...

As the rest of the industry stumbles, tumbles and clamors their way towards MPS nirvana, Canon stays the course - announcing that they will introduce a new line of copiers.

In light of the recent forays into MPS by Xerox, HP and other manufacturers, Canon's relative quiet, is deafening.

What is going on?

In a statement made today, Canon announced that their first new line in nine years will consist of three series composed of 12 machines. These units will be sold under the "ImageRunner Advance" nameplate.

The machines will be geared toward 12,000 images/month. One unit, the C7065 will produce color, A4 images at 60 ppm and prices out at around $35k(retail).

These sound like great boxes - I can't wait to include them under my MPS Engagements.

Strange Twist - Managed Print Services is Redefined Again: Printing Industry of America

In an unpredictable and amusing way, HP's announcement today regarding the Printing Payback Guarantee, triggered negative reaction from the PIA.

You will remember the PIA is the Printing Industries of America.

They bill themselves as "...the world's largest graphic arts trade association..." and today chastised HP for leaving it's core business to start printing greeting cards.

Hang on, this is going to be fun...


From the PIA Press release...

"...It is with disappointment, therefore, that Printing Industries of America learned of HP's latest offering -- managed print services, which was advertised with great fanfare in this morning's Wall Street Journal. "We are always concerned when a major vendor in our industry deviates from its core offerings to venture into managing print solutions, which the private sector has competitively provided for hundreds of years," notes Michael Makin, President and CEO of Printing Industries of America..."

Go ahead, read it again...

HP is deviating from "its core offerings to venture into managing print solutions..."?

Whiskey...Tango...Foxtrot!

LOL! The PIA are the folks printing your wedding invitations, posters, handbooks,etc.

What is your definition of Managed Print Services?

I am pretty sure it is not online customer job tickets, soft proofing of files on line, job status, retrieval of jobs and files, instant notification of job arrivals and proof approvals, and a product catalog.

Wait. It might not now be, but maybe it SHOULD be someday---?

I was in absolute shock - stunned actually.

I didn't understand when murmurings appeared on Twitter about "PIA's negative reaction to HP's announcement" - who the heck is PIA?

Did Ben kill a fly during the press conference?

How could anyone respond negatively to a simple guarantee?

Alias, a PR was issued, and the third ugly head of ignorance around the definition of Managed Print Services spewed forth.

I doubt very much that my comment will be posted on their board - I have been accused of sometimes being "blunt".

The PR is here. Go now, enjoy. My comment, that will never see the light of day, or smell the sweet scent of ink, is below:

OMG!

There is no way an organization that has been around for "100 years" can be so stupid...right?

"HP...Compromising their position..."

LOL! Bufoons!

I would urge all PIA members to re-evaluate their membership if this is the kind of direction the PIA leadership hands down.

Stunning...absolutely stunning...

You could have at least Googled "Managed Print Services" - even on dial-up the correct information could have saved you this embarrassment.


Too much, do you think?

HP Managed Print Services Guarantee Announcement - The Ben Stein and Bruce Dahlgren - Show Simple Analysis

Special guests, Intel, ST, and InfoTrends.

My impressions.

The HP Printing Payback Guarantee -

Simply put, HP guarantee's an amount of savings, based on analysis and implementation of a new HP Managed Print Services Agreement.

Companies will be required to complete a detailed, fee based assessment.

The agreement also requires a hardware/supplies/service agreement for a minimum of 3 years.

After a year, HP conducts another assessment to determine past savings. HP will credit the difference between projected and actual savings.

Although most of this is re-hashed, I think the Guarantee is new - which is probably a bummer for Intel and ST; or is it?

Here's the deal with this guarantee:

First, there is a low probability that HP will ever need to credit any client. There is practically now way that any company will not be able to save money after implementing MPS, anybody's MPS, because most have no idea and no control of printing costs.

Also, HP will perform an in depth, detailed FEE BASED, assessment before offering the guarantee - they will know where all the skeletons are buried and exactly how much they can save their client. Ratchet that number back 10% and savings can be guaranteed.

Third, this is a great marketing technique(opposed to a marketing scheme) for a the client to be offered the guarantee, a three year hardware/supplies/service agreement must be initiated - delicious.

Fourth, after the first year HP performs another assessment, not sure if this one is fee based, to determine the delta between projected and actual savings.

If the projected is less then the actual, HP issues a credit - not a check. You tell me, if HP knows they need to find $100,000 of savings, they will find $101,000 - genius. One can only wonder what happens if the proposed savings ends up being more then actual - will the client issue HP a credit?

I am sure this move will be dissected ad nauseam.

This is a Enterprise Account issue - and for most of the channel, this announcement won't effect day to day activity.

Details Here.

HP to Re-Org IPG - Again - Focus on Managed Print Services - Again

A new division specific to the MPS market will be formed, head up by Bruce Dahlgren, the former Lexmark vice president and general manager of North American Printing Solutions and Services.

You may remember the Dahlgren case back in 2006; it seems HP and Lexmark sued each other over Dahlgren's defection from Lexmark to HP.

Last week Ricoh, today HP - wowzie.

Or is it?

Industry insiders, pundits and observers have been waiting to see how and when Bruce will begin leveraging his experiences with Lexmark.

Game on.


The press release is sketchy on detail but does mention HP's interest at the "Enterprise" level.

So this does not appear, at first, to be a channel program.

There was no creation date given for this new division HP saying more information will be released over the next few months.

Also, from the PR:

"...It(HP) also launched a program Monday that it said would help to guarantee savings for companies that sign up for its print services. HP will assess a company's imaging and printing environment and calculate how much it thinks the company can save using HP's managed services. After a year, if customers haven't realized the savings, HP will make up the difference with a credit that can be used for their next printing services contract..."

Here is the full release:

July 12, 2009 — IDG News Service —

Hewlett-Packard is stepping up its efforts in the area of managed print services. The company plans to form a new group dedicated to this area, and is also launching a program that it says will help guarantee savings for customers who sign up for the services.

The new group will manage printing environments and help companies reduce the printer hardware they need to use, said Bruce Dahlgren, senior vice president of worldwide sales and services at Hewlett-Packard's imaging and printing group (IPG). The company already offers printing services, but HP will be able to give the area more focus by giving the business its own unit, Dahlgren said.

HP said it would help enterprises to consolidate their printing hardware and reduce the cost per page printed, Dahlgren said. Customers will be able to negotiate service contracts with HP, which will manage their hardware and software printing infrastructures.
Click here to find out more!

HP didn't say exactly when it would form the new unit, but said announcements will follow in the coming months.

It also launched a program Monday that it said would help to guarantee savings for companies that sign up for its print services. HP will assess a company's imaging and printing environment and calculate how much it thinks the company can save using HP's managed services. After a year, if customers haven't realized the savings, HP will make up the difference with a credit that can be used for their next printing services contract.

"With all the expertise, we should provide a guarantee," Dahlgren said. The company thinks it can help companies cut 20 percent to 30 percent of their costs, he said.

HP may be looking to stimulate growth in its printing and imaging group, which saw revenue decline more sharply in the last quarter than some other divisions. Revenue from the group dropped 23 percent in the last quarter to US$5.9 billion, compared to a drop of 3 percent in revenue for HP as a whole.

Printing services are a big opportunity for HP, said Gilles Biscos, president at Interquest, a research and consulting company in Charlottesville, Virginia. Some areas of the printing business, such as billing and the production of legal documents, have been relatively unaffected by the rise of the Web, and there remains a big market in helping companies to find ways to cut their printing costs.

Large companies could potentially save money by consolidating copiers, fax machines and multifunction printers, Biscos said. Simple steps like shutting down printers when they are not in use and printing on both sides of pages can dramatically cut costs, he said.


Link Here.

Selling, Selling, Selling

"You see...we didn't budget for this..."



"What, you wanna see the manager?"

RiKON/Ricoh Blazing Into Managed Print Services - Four Stages, 23 Modules - WOW

A couple weeks back, while off the grid, I had an epiphany of sorts. I wish now that I had written it down then.

As the tedious and fatiguing debate "raged" around the definition of MPS, someone asked me what I thought a perfect MPS Practice would look like.

I didn't have a quick answer, but I did give an answer.

Later, around midnight, I pondered, weak and weary, remembering back to the good aspects of IKON, there are plenty, when it struck me - "if Ricoh got their act together, and combined the IKON trifecta, Professional Services, Equipment Sales and Service, & Facilities Management into one MPS Practice, they would be unstoppable..."

Well, I guess I am not the only one to have seen the potential:

Ricoh - "...today announced that it is now offering a robust Managed Document Services (MDS) Program. Managed Print Services (MPS) provides the foundation for this program, which focuses on total cost of ownership, business process improvement, security and compliance and environmental sustainability. While Ricoh has provided professional services for its clients for nearly a decade, its recent IKON acquisition and growing market demand for MPS has allowed the company to enhance its capabilities in this area..." GMTA

This is great - I just have a few questions. Who the hell is Prosci, what is his change management methodology and why did Ricoh decide to use it?

Read on...

From the Press release, 7/9/2009- format changed and links added.

Ricoh Helps Create Positive Organizational Change With Managed Document Services Program

WEST CALDWELL, N.J., July 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Ricoh Americas Corporation, a leading provider of digital office equipment, today announced that it is now offering a robust Managed Document Services (MDS) Program. Managed Print Services (MPS) provides the foundation for this program, which focuses on total cost of ownership, business process improvement, security and compliance and environmental sustainability.

While Ricoh has provided professional services for its clients for nearly a decade, its recent IKON acquisition and growing market demand for MPS has allowed the company to enhance its capabilities in this area.

Beyond conducting assessments, implementing solutions, providing on-site and off-site management of fleets, Ricoh MDS helps customers effectively change their document output practices across their organization, streamlining processes and cutting costs, which is especially critical in today's economic climate. A new Managed Document Services logo with the tagline "MPS and Beyond" helps communicate Ricoh's intention to deliver additional document management services.

Ricoh and IKON both had strong best practices with regard to MPS, but with their combined insights, Ricoh is able to take its services to the next level. In fact, together these best practices set the groundwork for Ricoh's MDS Program.

One of the most important methodologies Ricoh has developed from this fusion of expertise, resources and thought leadership is a strategic four-phase approach for effective managed services.

In the first stage of the MDS methodology, Ricoh utilizes DOCutivity(R) to assess the current document output environment of a business and identify the technologies, associated costs and process workflows in place.

Then, in phase two, system architects design a new document management workflow blueprint that takes into consideration security regulations, process improvement, total cost of ownership and environmental sustainability.

The third step entails the transformation of an old workflow system of a business to a new and improved version that introduces more evolved technologies which reduces risks, enhances efficiency and makes document management easier for the end-user.

Last is the fourth phase -- Ricoh manages the fleet, provides operations, continuous improvement and additional support services. Regardless of the hardware and software solutions implemented, Ricoh offers on-site and remote services to effectively govern the new and existing systems.

Further, Ricoh's support services do more than simply answer questions, troubleshoot problems and install supplies; they work with businesses to change output practices across their entire organization. There are a total of 23 Service Modules that Ricoh can deliver within the MDS Program.

Understanding that office cultures cannot be changed overnight, members of Ricoh's MDS Teams apply Prosci's change management methodology. Prosci has become the leading provider of change management tools and benchmarking reports, working with more than 2,000 companies from 65 countries on research projects in change management.

Prosci's popular ADKAR(R) model is used worldwide. Following this methodology, Ricoh works with a customer's corporate office and end-users to formalize guiding principles of the change management program, which are to be carried out by everyone across the organization. Once these are set, staff training takes place to ensure they understand these principles and why it is essential to abide by them.

Additionally, Ricoh collaborates with the customer to internally promote a branded campaign, which includes marketing materials that generate awareness, develop desire, educate, and reinforce the program principles.

A significant return on investment can be seen as end-users change habits and integrate new workflows into their everyday practices -- helping companies reduce costs, better utilize information, decrease environmental impact, and improve efficiency.

"By enabling control of output-related costs and assets, optimizing the fleet and enhancing the document management environment, customers will see efficiencies across the board with the MDS Program which will provide them a competitive advantage in today's marketplace," said Dan Waldinger, Director, Strategic Marketing, Ricoh Americas Corporation. "We are proud to offer a program that does not provide a temporary solution based on existing needs, but seeks to positively change behavior within an organization to lead to more effective, lasting results. Ricoh has made significant investments in delivery mechanisms and provided continuous improvement for its customers over time. To this end, we are best suited to deliver the benefits associated with an MPS deployment."
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- THIS IS IMPORTANT, IGNORE AT YOUR OWN PERIL -

As press releases go, at first blush, this one appears the standard - but upon further review is a bevy of Ricoh/MPS tidbits.

First off - Prosci's Methodology of Change, I bet my friend Ken Stewart knows all about this.
Secondly - the Fusion of IKON strengths. I agree.
Third - 23 Modules. Holy Crap!
Fourth - "...provide continuous improvement ...over time...". Long term Partnerships with clients.
Five - branding, "MPS And Beyond". Getting away from the "P" in MPS.
Six - INTERNAL branding(!) a la, Dow and Nationwide. Ricoh must have been at the MPS Conference in San Antonio. Deeper client relationships.

So we can finally add Ricoh to the herd - Xerox PagePack, Konica Minolta OPS, Samsung, Kyocera, and expected announcements/re-launches from Oki, Toshiba and HP(who?), looks like by summer's end, every "big boi" will have a pound of flesh in the game.

And let's not forget the IBM connection, InfoPrint.

To me, it seems Ricoh has been paying attention over the last 12 months not only to MPS demand, but to the stumbling and misfires of MPS program launches.

Of course, planning, fancy process names, and logo's will get you only so far.

Execution in the trenches is where the rubber will meet the road - we are watching.

Ricoh's Embedded Intelligence System works with IBM's Tivoli Monitoring Networked Multifunction Products- And Why is This Important?

Read More Here. Full PR Here.

Happy 4th - Remember why it all started and be ready to Declare Once Again

What Makes a Great Management Print Services Customer? The Same Things that Make Any Customer a Great One: You

I know this will be a tough concept for some sales people, because it has been driven into us that the only way to be successful is to be subservient and scared.

Subservient to the unreasonable whims of shallow and weak prospects and scared of rejection.

Fearful of simpleton sales Managers, forecasts, cold calls and missing unproductive sales meetings.

Let not your heart be troubled.

Over the past months, hell the past year, I have told one prospect to 'pound sand', rekindled old relationships and forged great partnerships - partnerships that will follow me- partnerships with Great MPS Clients.

Thinking about this gave me pause, what makes a great MPS customer?

A client who recommends you to others over the weekend. One who will give you the names of his friends and call them for you. Someone you can have your prospects call - anytime. A person you mention in every cold call, every elevator pitch, and every presentation.

How does one find these clients?

One word kid, one word: Qualify.

Two important aspects of Qualification:

1. Qualification is a continuous Process not a Stage.
2. Not all prospects qualify.

Simply put, like most good finds in life, we all dig through a lot of crap before we uncover the diamond. You've got to go through lousy prospects before you find a good partner.

Your prospect must continually Qualify for your time and attention at each meeting, every discussion - does your prospect Qualify to move to the next step, today?

And of course, not everybody who has a pulse or can fog a mirror is a prospect.

One of the skills to be developed is recognizing a good match. More importantly, paramount even, is your confidence and fearless ability to say to yourself, your manager and the prospect,

"...this isn't going to work, we do not have a match..."

Ok, it's easy to say this if, for instance, the prospect has a real need that you can not satisfy - like when you are selling 75ppm units and the prospect really needs a new fleet of vans.

But what if you see a company that has 2 laser printers for every employee, a fax machine in every other cubicle, $10,000 worth of toner stuffed into multiple supply rooms, and 12 copiers all at lease termination?

Sounds good, doesn't it? Yes, it does.

But, let's say after a brief discussion you find:

The prospect is just too dense to get his head around "value add"?

The C-levels will have nothing to do with you and are all members of the family.

Your primary contact is a Purchaser who is taking on the project because "I.T. is too busy".

He hands you another vendor's analysis, with costs, proposed configs and pricing. And he proudly displays his huge spreadsheet filled with specifications, models and 32 other vendors' pricing.

His desktop is an IBM PS/2 Model 60.

He has been investigating vendors for the last 18 months and attended a dozen demo's.

He states that "cheaper is always better" and wonders aloud why he should ever be required to sign a service agreement.

Finally, the prospect's business model is all about providing his products for the cheapest price.

I know right now, somebody is thinking, "All right. Let the selling begin!"

Ahead of you are months of spinning wheels, false closes and dead ends. When you place this prospect on any type of forecast or enter it into your CRM - to management, it becomes real.

Soon to become one of those eternally forecasted opportunities - you know the one. The one that everybody else in the room but you knows how to close. The one your manager, the owner, or VP wants to see face to face.

"What can I do to help you close this one by the end of the month?"

- I think I just threw up a little, in mouth, just now.

So, I guess it's up to you. Invest hours, months, of your life in this well qualified opportunity...

Or

...let your rookie competitors eat it up. Let your competitor be the one to explain the long cycle to HIS manager, owner or VP. Let that poor schlep deal with all the head-aches.

Pray he gets the deal.

Imagine his service department taking care of this high-touch, low-value customer - while you pursue relationships with margin. Visualize this poor sales guy delivering toner on bended knee, because the customer didn't order any and thinks all copier people carry toner with them everywhere.

See Gumby, the rubber copier guy bend over backwards and jump through flaming hoops.

It comes down to this: do you have the guts, not only to walk away, but to journey beyond the cheap baubles in search of real diamonds? Qualification. It is not only about continuously qualifying the prospect, it's about you Qualifying for better and uncovering Great clients.

You won't find much treasure head down, shaking with fear.

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Click to email me.

Just Doing His Job When Destiny Knocked...

American Hero's are everywhere.

"I happened to have the harness on...part of a team..." - that's what he said in an interview after the rescue, when asked if he volunteered!

"I happened to have the harness on..." -Jason Oglesbee, construction dude, Des Moines.




Is that great or what?

It's an unscripted, Hollywood moment.

A guy who saved another person's life, had his chance at the "15 Minutes", who walked away and WENT BACK TO WORK.

Everyone is going to be beating down his door; from TMZ to Fox News and I bet right now there is someone in "0"'s administration trying to angle this guy onto a teleprompter - I doubt he even has TWITTER!

Out of the Box Thinking - It's No Big Deal

We on the sidelines marvel at this rescue.

The display of heroism. And yet, to the hero it was no big deal. All in a days work. They had a crane, he was already in the harness, seemed only natural, rescue a lady then go back to doing whatever it was he was doing. Gee, maybe someone will buy him a brew after work?

Also, take a look at the picture.

No hardhat - OSHA violation.

No safety chair - OSHA violation.

No seat belt, he used a piece of rope - OSHA violation.

Possible contamination from construction site to river water as his boots no doubt dipped into the river - EPA violation.

Performed "out of job description" activity - union violations.


I Wonder If His Company has Comprehensive Managed Print Services Engagement -