The Next Great Managed Print Services Dude - Team Sheen, Let Crazy Lead

Hookers, Pornstars, F18's and Total Victory on all fronts.

Chuck Sheen! 

Talk about "To the Right of the Bell Curve".  Wowzie.

He's our MPS Rising star.

Why?  Because he is full on, 100% crazy.  But crazy with a plan, passion and focus.

It's about time we get a nutty male in the "papers" vs. Lindsey, Britney, Paris, etc.

The way I look at it, with Chuck out there, lowering the bar and making 'crazy' more common, all us other MPS Madmen, start to look a bit more normal.

Am I right?

DeathOfTheCopier's Greg Walters to Present at the 2011 North American Managed Print Services Conference

MPS/BPM/ITO/BPO/VAR/BTA/MSP/OEM players Unite!

Imaging Geekdom, Nirvana...ah...yes..

Third year in a row. Mark your calenders. May 4, 2011 - 10:30AM, Orlando, Fla.

Greg Walters - Case Study; Building an MPS Program within an IT / MSP organization(SIGMAnet)

To say I am looking forward to this simple, 50 minute presentation, is an understatement.

I could easily fill 500 slides and if we go by the book, hours would seem like days.

I jest.  Well, no not really.

Thrill packed, adventure filled, fog machines and disco-balls, this harangue will be streamed all over the globe; a brief history of a road traveled.

An Odyssey, or at least one chapter of many. The struggles, challenges and conquests of an MPS within an MSP.

Alert the authorities.

The 2011 Global Managed Print Conference - Why You Should Not Attend

Ed and the gang over at Photizo are going to kill me for the headline, let alone the picture.

Let me explain.

Three years ago few talked about real Managed Print Services - but Photizo was.

Toner re-man guys were saying, "...we've been doing MPS for 25 years..." - this before most defined MPS.

I am not kidding, at ITEX, 2009 one schmoe had the gall to say this to my face, and then try to sell me on remanufactured, color toner cartridges.

Indeed, so many folks tried to define MPS in their likeness, it became really funny to watch. And those doing all the defining had never DONE MPS.  But Photizo had The MPS Adoption Model.

Back then, copier guys were simply trying to stay alive - not much has changed today - the OEM's had no clue and the IT sector saw nothing wrong with 2 point printer deals, attached to CarePacks.  Okay, so maybe that hasn't changed all that much either.

The 2011 Global MPS Conference is going to be huge - to date, the number of registered matches the number of attendees at the 2009 Conference. 

When most  charge for the honor of speaking and need to piggy-back with other, failing conferences, how many shows do you know that are experiencing an INCREASE in attendance?

In the Imaging Industry?

"If You Don't Stand for Something, You'll Fall for Anything..."

This ain't your mommy's Little Princess



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"Managed Print Services is Business Process Management, MPS is BPM, MPS is BPM"- FireWork

Everything we see hides another thing, we always want to see what is hidden by what we see.

First published, 2011

3-Point Synopsis:

1. Incorporating storytelling in your MPS sales pitch can help you stand out from the competition.
2. Engage your audience by making your pitch interesting and tailored to their needs.
3. Technical knowledge is crucial in the MPS industry, so stay up-to-date on the latest trends and developments.

_________

Remember in the "olden days" when we would set requirements with our prospect? The requirements we would "demo" toward? Like copying on both sides, job build, stapling, multiple paper sizes, and all that? 

By the way, do we still demo "scan once, print many"?

Now, remember the next generation of questions?

"How often do you print?"

"Have you thought about color?

"What document types do you print?"

And then finally, the last iteration includes:

"...show me how you generate and process invoices..."

Are you asking these questions today or simply letting your DCA run your analysis?

Managed Print Services, Detroit & Eminem - "This is Who We Are, This is What We Do."

2/2011

[Commentator]

"I got a question for you.

What does this industry know about recovery?

What does a market that’s been to hell and back know about the finer things in Managed Print Services?

I’ll tell you, more than most!

You see, its the hottest fires that make the hardest steel, add hard work and conviction. And the know how that runs generations deep in every last one of us.

That’s who we are. That’s our story.

Now it’s probably not the one you’ve been reading in the trades. The one being written by folks who have never even been in the trenches selling and don’t know what we’re capable of.

Because when it comes to MPS, it’s as much about where it’s from as who it’s for.

Now we’re from the imaging industry – but this isn’t Xerox. Or Ricoh. Or Canon. And we’re certainly no one’s RiKON.

This is the Managed Print Serivices. And this is what we do..."
-----------------------
It's been in the left corner for a few weeks now. Honestly, I posted it there so I could play it whenever I wanted.

I like it.

Yes, it's a commercial.  For a car, no less.

The vehicle was on the drawing boards, 3-5 years past. The campaign ideas, camera angles, story boards and re-writes most likely occurring months ago. Possibly created by a crew of marketing majors who never worked the line, a 12 hour shift, or maybe have never, ever been to the D.

No worries.

The intent is to sell a $20,000.00 automobile manufactured in the Sterling Heights plant, from a company that gave us the K-Car.  The car that rescued Chrysler last time: brainchild of Lee Iacocca. 

No such luck today. 

What Iacocca and the US Gov't. saved so many years ago, is no longer.

Today, the third of the "Big Three" is owned by the UAW, the US Gov't and an Italian automaker, Fiat.

It doesn't matter. 

Because this commercial is about more than a car, a car company, or even a recovering Rap Star.

Unintended consequences, unforeseen responses, what happens on the Edge, in the margins is what resonates within a nation.

The post Superbowl buzz around Em's two commercial appearances(he did another spot for some iced tea company, in claymation) accelerated after his potent rendition during the Grammy's.  "I need a Doctor" anyone?

Sure his personal story is about redemption.

But it isn't about him.

The vehicle looks interesting, but it isn't about the car.

Detroit, looks like...well...Detroit - but it isn't completely about a community eternally on the ropes.

Its about the long gone steel mills of Pittsburgh or Allentown, the lonely hotels in South Beach, the out of work scriptwriters in LA, the soup lines off the Loop, the ID 10-T's in DC, the awe inspiring towers on a half-empty strip in Vegas, its about an industry, country, and global economy that's been to "hell and back..."  - its about you and its about me.

And the timing couldn't be better. 

When Marshall stands on stage in the Fox Theater, that wonderful choir as a backdrop pointing his finger at the world, declaring, "This is the Motor City, and this is what we do...", it isn't just him out there, its each of us. 

And it isn't just the Motor City, its the Big Apple, the City of the Big Shoulders, Sin City, and the City of Angels, from Philly to San Fran, Portland to Miami. DC to Tokyo, Vancouver to Ndabeni to Sydney to Buenos Aires to Moscow.

We're tired of layoffs, higher taxes, people getting paid for doing nothing.  We're finished with a leader who bows when he shouldn't, who apparently doesn't believe in our exceptionalism.

And we're pissed.
America loves anybody "recovering" and making it - we love the comeback kid because we as a nation are the epitome of that underdog who keeps coming back.  We Never Give Up.

Sure MPS is fading(no its not).

Of course MPS is a flim-flam(could be)

Sure copier sales will come back(no they won't)

The only constant here are the people within this niche, this market, this industry, this economy.

Us.  We the People.

This is Managed Print Services, and this is What We Do.

------------------------------
[Commentator]


I got a question for you.

What does this city know about luxury? What does a town that’s been to hell and back know about the finer things in life? I’ll tell you, more than most!

You see, its the hottest fires that make the hardest steel, add hard work and conviction. And the know how that runs generations deep in every last one of us.

That’s who we are. [View of The Spirit of Detroit] That’s our story.

Now it’s probably not the one you’ve been reading in the papers. The one being written by folks who have never even been here and don’t know what we’re capable of. [Campus Martius outdoor skate rink.]

Because when it comes to luxury, it’s as much about where it’s from as who it’s for. [Chrysler 200] Now we’re from America – but this isn’t New York City. Or the Windy City. Or Sin City. And we’re certainly no one’s Emerald City. [Eminem driving Chrysler 200, then walks out of the car, and walks into the Fox Theater.] - Source: LYBIO.net

[Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972)]




This is the Motor City. And this is what we do.
-----------------

The Inside Story: Chrysler's Risky Eminem Super Bowl Commercial
Almost Didn't Happen

An excerpt:

"Over the past decade, rap legend EminemEminem music catalog and has one-third of the writing credit on the song.


But that was until Chrysler chief marketing officer Olivier Francois started selling Martin on how much he wanted the music, and how he had an idea to show off Detroit to the Super Bowl audience, the largest TV audience of the year. To seal the deal, Francois drove a new Chrysler 200 to Martin's office in the Detroit suburb of Ferndale a few days into the New Year. The car was fresh off of the assembly line in neaby Sterling Heights, and hadn't even gone on sale. Francois had Martin and Eminem (whose real name is Marshall Bruce Mathers III) drive the car, as well as a new Chrysler 300, to try and get the music legend to play ball..."

Rap Experts Weigh In Here.
Imported from Detroit Here.

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Toner dust cited as cause of minor fire at Konica Minolta

Published: 1:52 PM - 02/17/11
Last updated: 1:55 PM - 02/17/11

recordonline.com
Times Herald-Record

GOSHEN - Hazardous materials officials gave the all-clear after examining a structure fire at Konica Minolta in Goshen where copy toner dust had caught fire.

The building’s 40 employees were evacuated from the building at 51 Hatfield Lane just after the fire began at about 11:15 a.m. Thursday.

Lexmark, Ikon, and the University of Kentucky Part Duex

As the dust settles around Ikon's spiriting away the University of Kentucky from Lexmark, there is time for reflection.

As sad as this sounds, I tend to discuss MPS, imaging, and output devices during off hours; which means there really aren't "off hours".

At one point, I had the bright idea of recording some of these conversations to capture the ideas bantered about.

Crystallizing conversations; making clear the obvious.

Ideas solving the worlds woe's; ending poverty and hunger, accelerating the economic recovery and defining Managed Print Services. Again.

So I roped two volunteers, who would be suffering through another MPS pontification anyway, into putting together some microphones, music and dozens of 3x5 cards.

This is adult time, opinionated time.

My opinions.

"Not in Our House!...er...no...wait..." Rikon Takes One Right out of Lexmark's Backyard - U of Kentucky, in LEXington

Managed Print Services, she's a fickle beast.

Always moving, like smoke.

One minute she's with you on the dance floor, all yours.

Three months laters,  she's calling you for bail.

Of course you go back. 

But you'll never introduce her to your parents; she's just THAT kind of girl.

Battle: Los Angeles - How many times are the Aliens going to destroy L.A.?

Coming in March -

The Jig is Up, The News is Out, IT Budgets Grow in 2011 - More Managed Print Services Opportunities?

I just read a great article over at CRN here, regarding The Everything Channel survey of VAR's and service providers.

The study was conducted back in November and surveyed 384 senior level managers within VARs/IT providers.

The survey calls the available North American IT market for solution providers at $428.1 billion in 2010, up more than 6 percent from $402.1 billion in 2009.

Remember, the North American MPS market is calculated at around $25b(Photizo).

The channel accounted for 68 percent of IT sales, and direct sales making up the remaining 32 percent.

The survey found that many VARs are dependent on a small number of SMB customers for a majority of their business.

"...Nearly 30 percent of solution providers had fewer than 25 customers while 10.9 percent had between 25 and 49 customers, 9.9 percent had 50 to 99 customers and 9.9 percent had 100 to 149 customers. Only 20.1 percent had 250 or more customers..."

"No Rules Managed Print Services" - Who Do You Think You Are?

2011 -

The Mafia, does not exist. Never has, except for in the movies.

The "Illuminati" is another example of propaganda and marketing. Fear motivates, just ask Little Red Riding Hood.



The Free Masons, Skull and Bones, Templars, The Thule Society, The Black Hand, and my personal favorite, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, these groups, these societies, whether real or imagined, were formed to fill a vacuum.

And nature abhors a vacuum.

Cowboys And Aliens

OK- I am not sure how I can figure MPS into this, so I won't even try.

James Bond, and Indiana Jones.

In the Western US fighting Aliens. From outer space.

I ain't kidding, either.

The cast is interesting, and I would smell flop, but, the director gave us Iron Man, Ron Howard is one of the producers and Spielberg is an executive producer.

Big, Friggin, Guns.

Coming July, 2011.

2011 Managed Print Services Outlook - Photizo drops a metric-ton of MPS/ITO Information. The Year of the Metal Rabbit.

This is a webcast discussing 2011 outlook in MPS.

Presenters were in Kentucky, New York,   the Carolinas and Singapore - The Photiz/MPS World.

Tidbits -

1. The Fourth Stage of MPS is described.  A bit more on this here.
2. Interesting point of comparison between the three stages of MPS and the three stages of IT management.
3. From the ongoing, three year, MPS Decision Maker Tracking study, respondents place MPS/Imaging Projects in the Top 3 IT priorities.
4. Non-MPS Stage Zero, "click" charge, transactional market revenue is declining as S1 and S2 revenue is growing and growing quickly. Numbers and trends supported by information present at the Lyra Symposium, last week.
5. Europe, by 2014 will be the largest MPS market; shifting to channel driven from direct supported MPS.
6. The Asian Pacific area offers huge MPS potential; Japan referred to as the "sleeping Giant" a huge market leading the region.
7. "Multinationimbles" - leaders will combine scale with agility...
8. "...Profits, like sausages..are esteemed most by those who know least about what goes into them..." Toffler
9. 2011 is the year of the Metal Rabbit
10. What is "Prosumer-Driven"

This is good stuff.

Check out the MPS Insights here.


Market Research Spotlight: 2011 MPS Outlook Webinar from Misty Hamel on Vimeo.

Click to email me.

Lyra 2011 - Commercial Printing, InkJets and Managed Print Services. "Secular Decrease"

The Lyra 2011 symposium was held last week in Palm Springs.

This was my third trip to the symposium, I must like it.

I do, here's why.

The staff always present complex data, financial reflections of our industry in a easy to understand manner.

This year, Navigating the Road to Profitability, was not a disappointment.

Of particular interest to me is the yearly presentation by Lyra analysts, Ann Priede and Charles LeCompte - Copier Vendor Scorecard.

This analysis of course, is focused on our industry but the overall global, economic influences are apparent.

My major take-aways:

1. The recession has bottomed and at least leveled out, for now
2. Those who remain standing, have gone through a secular change vs. cyclical
3. HP is kicking ass, eating everybody's lunch
4. TheDeathOfTheCopier is upon us now, this very day
5. MPS is the last nail in their coffin

Wow...

Challenger 25 years Ago - And you think Cold Calls are Difficult

Here in America, one can fail, over and over - we don't pity those failures, we don't tolerate quitting and we do not give up.

Pearl Harbor, 911, Challenger - we're still standing. Its who we are, its what we do.

When sadness strikes, when we trip, stumble and fall - we do not hide our failure.

Because we know there is a tomorrow. Another day. Another way.

And we walk.

I use to think Managed Print Services would be a sub-set of MSP, but maybe it will end up the other way around.

1/2011

Sorta a "shoe on the other foot" paradigm.

Consider this:

CPI/CPC/MPS AND Managed Services engagements include dispatch out of a dispatch desk - fine. Simple enough.

In our world, the world of output devices, our technicians, in addition to mechanical aptitude, carry something called "trunk stock".

In our world, the same technicians rarely complete a time and materials call.

In our world, technicians can be needed at a "drop of a hat" with SLAs in terms of hours, not days. Our technicians generally do not work on billable projects, their schedules need to be flexible and dispatchers aware.

The "M" in Managed Print Services refers to a bit more than management by NOC.

I have been banging the drum, sounding the alarm warning about the impending invasion of IT guys into our little niche and The End of Days.

They are huge. They are systematic. They are a collective.

Perhaps we shouldn't fight directly.

Maybe there is something better.

Friday Fun Day - Green Hornet is Back

Bruce Lee was Kato.

The car flipped over - Black Beauty.

It has green headlights.

Cool as shit, back in the 60's.

Photizo - "MPS Trendsetter : Ten Must-Know Trends From Around the Globe"

Chelsea, over at Photizo put together this nice little Prezi illustrating 10 MPS Global Trends.

Great insight and good quotes from pure, MPS, insiders.

Eat it up.

Samsung Snags World's Largest ElectroWetting Company. What about the Silver Nanoparticles?

In the "...Not that we here at DOTC are prophetic, or anything..." category.

Mentioned on TheDeathOfTheCopier, November 26, 2010 in "What is ElectroWetting: Dipping a Toe into the future of "Print"? we pondered moving images on everyday paper.

"...With the right paper, the right process and the right device fabrication technique, you can get results that are as good as you would get on glass, and our results are good enough for a video-style e-reader..."

At the time, it seemed more a movie than reality.

It seems Samsung may have an idea or two about this - they just bought the company.

Achieve Managed Print Services Immortality "...Simply By Doing One...Great...Thing..." - Keep Walking

1/2011

There is a great deal of "automation" in our little niche; auto - fulfillment, remote monitoring, M2M communication, auto-generated assessments, proposals, SOW's, Twitter-bots, RSS, on and on.

Hi-technology effects the basic tenants of human existence; both eroding basic, physical contact and expanding our "social network".

Doesn't leave all that much room for us humans, eh?

Fear not, take a walk.

Extend that Human Touch

No matter how fast data moves around the globe. From fax to pager to alphanumeric pagers, carphone, bag-phone, brick, mobile, laptop, tablet, to nano-implants, hopefully, it all boils down to two people sitting across a desk from each other engaged in a selling process.

It's only human.







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CIO's: What to Look for In A Managed Print Services Company. The Perfect 10.

2011 -

The pressure is on.  The role of a CIO is, or should, be evolving into "...one of managing relationships rather than managing technology and getting lost in the detail..."

Your refresh project has been delayed for two years now, server upgrades lagging, storage running low, your DC is over heating.

Meanwhile, the number of open, output related tickets is approaching 40% - wow -  and to top it off, printers just aren't sexy.

And now your role is "evolving"? Wonderful.

Managed Print Services to the rescue.

By now, you have heard about this new, Managed Print Services thing.  It sounds like something that would benefit your team, reduce some costs and make your users happy.

Before you google-tize "managed print services" consider this: What is MPS?

More importantly, what is your flavor of MPS and what should you look for in an MPS partner?

Here are 10 simply aspects to reflect upon. Arguably, there are hundreds of angles, processes and actions to consider.

But these are a good start.

1. Define your Managed Print Services.  MPS is an IT initiative, not a printer/refresh project.  MPS is also a process that simply begins with the roll-out.
2. Define the "M" in Managed Print Services and be prepared to understand exactly how your prospective MPS partner manages your engagement. (PM,SOW, Milestones, Benchmarks, etc.)
3. Take control of the entire fleet.  Yes, this means the copiers.  Wrest control from Purchasing.