Lyra, 2012 - I Just Received My Invitation

Ours is a world of choices, it's what makes us human.

Years ago, when I approached Lyra for my very first set of press credentials, I was impressed when they said, "yes".

I've attended the last three Lyra conferences.

Other than free entry in exchange for some tweets and blog posts, Lyra and The Death of The Copier have no other type of relationship.

They've never paid me a dime.

So when I say the following, my view and opinion are from a clean place with clear intent.

Coming soon! Xerox Color Qube: The DOTC Review

For the last 30 days, I have kept output from a Xerox ColorCube, both 8.5x11 and 11x17, on the dash of the LandRover.

It sat in the Ontario(California, not Canada) extended stay parking lot, for a week.

The interior temps exceeded 100 degrees.

Happy to report, no runs, no drips, no errors.  As a matter of fact, the cracking along the fold closely resembles what happens when color toner is folded.

I anticipate installing an evaluation unit into one of my most important and discerning clients, within the next 30 days.

I know, I know, MpS has nothing to do with hardware - I got that.

Still, the entire story is delicious - I could write a book titled, "The Evolution of Edgeline: From ink, to Oblivion, to Wax..."

Hey...that's not a bad idea...

BattleShip: No, really, just like the game...

The Ultimate Managed print Services in a Box - "Ink Subscriptions" from HP

10/2011

This is why we cannot define MpS as simply toner and service, Stage 1 & 2.

HP press release:

"HP today announced it is collaborating with Condé Nast to explore a new digital content distribution medium that merges rich content and digital-to-print service.
Additionally, HP plans to launch a pilot subscription service, HP Instant Ink, that automatically delivers replacement ink to customers at home or work while offering potential cost savings...

...HP Instant Ink pilot program

As the printer evolves into a content hub in homes and offices, HP Instant Ink allows additional content pages to flow – with savings and convenience for the user.

HP Instant Ink delivers Original HP Ink cartridges to the home or office when needed. Users may receive up to 50 percent annual savings on ink cartridge purchases for one low monthly fee.

Subscriptions for HP Instant Ink will be available from $5.99 to $10.99 per month depending on the product line, plus all cartridge shipping is included..."

Head scratching logic, what intent is revealed ?

How far away is the "buy a fleet of 9050's, and receive toner and service, automatically, via an HP van.  All for a flat, monthly fee?

The reviews.


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The Imaging of Greg - "The Double Dip Depression"

"Oh, boy ... look out. Double Dip Depression is here.


You see it, hear it; we're in it. Just the other day, I was driving through a business park – empty – and a tumbleweed literally blew through the parking lot. It was a bad movie.


Today, banks have the bailout money, but they ain't lending. We can’t hire staff without taking a major leap of faith – not in the candidate, but in the system. AMEX, MC/VISA – they’ve got us all by the short hairs, and they don’t let us raise our personal “debt ceiling”; get the scissors out.


Five years ago, there were three U.S. automotive companies; today, just one – and GM don't count.


The times are tough, and our troubles are artificially extended. 


The current administration..."


There's more, go deeper...

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HP IPG: Indestructible

2011

I know, I know...somebody filled my beer bong with HP-Blue KoolAid at last week's OPS Elite conference.  I can't see who exactly is holding the funnel up - pretty sure it's not my MES rep.  Could be my PBM. Huh..

The HP OPS Elite resellers. You know these guys. That one-time very exclusive collection of core IPG channel players who jumped through hoops to earn the opportunity of a lifetime - selling Edgelines.

Yeah, that was us - I guess things have changed.

Today, if you are a Global/Xerox dealer and you have a pulse, 'little blue' will authorize you for OPS.

Today, if you have a retail door, hang MpS on a peg board next to the paperclips and white out, kick down a pulse, 'little blue' will authorize you for OPS.

Right, I busted my ass to install 79 Edgelines - all still in the field. Today, 'little blue' doesn't even have the Edgeline SKU in their system. (okay, that might be extreme, but you get my point. TouchPad anyone?)

The propeller heads over in PSG are whining over a little shift? Give me a break. Those of us tied into IPG have been surfing the whirlwind of "scratch your head" logic since the MoPIER.

Remember those?

As easy as it is to throw poop at mother blue, I ain't going to, I'm done.   The last 90 days may be remembered as just another bump in the dark as it appeared mother blue is trying to commit suicide, shooting every foot in sight - this isn't about all that.

HP is the biggest gorilla in the house.  Actually, HP is a great, big, humongous, blue gorilla in your bed.  She can roll over, squish you, and not even lose a wink.  Talk about a 'walk of shame'.

Last year was in Phoenix - this year in Orlando.  Last year the presentations were old-skool and it seemed mother blue couldn't spell 'MpS'.

Well, what a difference a year makes.

"The Death of the Copier is going Down Under: Let's Zig in a World of Zags"

Greg Walters to Speak at The 2011 Asia Pacific MPS Conference in Sydney, Australia, 

Oct 31- Nov 1.

When I first let the Death of the Copier genie out of the bottle, back in the wild days of 2007, I did not know what to expect. Indeed, I had no expectations at all.

As the popularity grew, I noticed more visits from the UK, South Africa and Australia.

Even more than the US.

 I credited this phenomena to the US having "real", MPS experts, folks with lots of letters behind their name, answering MPS/Sales questions on their 'real' websites - nobody would come to a goofy blog called "The Death of..." anytihng.

So I went out to see for myself; call it a digital walkabout. I explored every instance I could of "Managed Print Services". Back then, when I Googled the phrase, nothing came back.

Nobody else.

I Googled "MPS Training" - again, nothing - at first. Soon, MPS training classes started to pop up, a quick gander at the agenda revealed one blaring truth, these guys were repackaging copier sales techniques into MpS sales training.

Now, if I were truly on the outside looking in, I probably wouldn't see the difference. If I had not been in the copier industry, had never been involved in the IT industry or not been trained on solution selling, by software companies, back in the 80's - I probably would have not been able to see.

Heck, if I wasn't freshly into MPS I wouldn't had cared. But all this was true, I was looking for somebody who knew more than I about MPS – I was disappointed.

Oh, there were a few - and they are still around: Jim Lyons, Ken Stewart, Art Post, Ed Crowely(Photizo) - followed by Nath Dube. We admitted to "making it up as we went along"- great fun.

DOTC was alone in the wilderness. Talking about MpS and getting echo's back - except with Australia. For some reason, the folks down under were coming to my site.

Fast forward a few years - DOTC is now considered a 'go to source' for information on MpS and nano-technology.  The nano-tech thing is way out there, just beyond the reach, out on the Edge.

DOTC is knows for scantily clad ladies and contrarian views. For pole dancers, movie clips, honest real world MpS/Sales stories and Attitude.

Always, Attitude.

MPSA Sponsors Splinter MpS Group, that does not exist...

2011- No Rules MpS

Almost a year ago, deep within bowels of a super-secret, underground bunker, difficult even for the attendees to find - the first No Rules MPS meeting convened.

No Rules
No PowerPoint
No Ego's

This improbable collection of bleeding edge adopters, consumed adult beverages and spoke the forbidden language of collaboration.

DOTC style.

Weeks of 'Thirsty-Thursday's", private, encrypted and scrambled online collaboration sessions resulted in the second No Rules MPS session being held in "No Rules, Eastern Command" - Tennessee.

The MPSA took note, and agreed to sponsor the third iteration of No Rules MPS in Vegas, January 2012.

As a wild, untamed, right of the bell curve loosely connected gang of MpS'rs, No Rules prided themselves on just that - No Rules.

Can this rebellious tone continue with the backing of the only MPS association?

Will the big Mother Ship devour her young hellions?

Like injecting the 24th Chromosome, will No Rules enhance the association's DNA, producing a faster, healthier, more nimble warrior?

Or will this 24th chromosome reveal the worst of all worlds and collapse?

In the end, it's up to you - get to Vegas.  Like you need another reason...

Press Release Below:

Saturday Night - Go. Have Fun...

Another night out, another Dance Floor....

"Droid" and MWA - Press Release

“I am excited about this launch, this continues to distance MWAi’s exclusive capability and provide a sustainable ROI in the Service Automation vertical apart from any other solutions available in our channel.” 

said Gavin Williams, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, MWA Intelligence, Inc.

-------

MWA Intelligence Reaches Milestone with DROID Application

Scottsdale, AZ. – September 3029, 2011 – MWA Intelligence, Inc. (MWAi), a leader in enterprise-class M2M (machine- to- machine) and M2P (machine- to- people) solutions and services, today announced the launch in Q4 of the First Generation Droid Applications for MWAi’s Intelligent Workforce (IWF) application adding to the already powerful lineup of supported platforms. The Droid platform expands MWAi’s extensive offering and investment that already includes RIM, iOS, and Windows Mobile.

Wow -

Is Your MpS Locked In An Eight-Track World?

9/2011

"Does this look like the past?"

Did you catch the Rolodex? The ashtray? One could sell Edgeilnes outta the back of CougarVan.  LOL!

Yes, this is an advertisement for MicroSoft and the private cloud. Again with the cloud. The MpS metaphor still holds - do you see it?

Is your MpS "locked in an 8-track world" - are you simply providing toner and service, an outdated plan, from the back of a van? LOL!

There's nothing wrong with sticking with the classics, unless all you have is the classics - then, not so much.

S1/S2 are classics.

I'm not suggesting you hire a complete EDM team or bring in CISCO or even become an iPad dealer(Doh!) - just expand a bit beyond the run of the mill DCA installation - get out of the powder blue vest, shave the fu-man-chu and for god's sake, put some product in your hair - yeah, that's right, leave the love-van and get into BeMod.

BeMod software lets you get away from the box, and into the process.  Into how end users behave, how they print - what the end user prints in addition to how many of what comes out of a printer.

Not sure about getting all involved with another piece of software?  Makes sense.

Try this: run a quick report on a medium sized fleet.  Look for percentage of 11x17.  It will between 0.05% and 2% of total output.

Now look at the fleet; calculate the percentage of the fleet A3 capable?  Whatever percentage it comes out to be, can you determine the amount of money this client spent on A3 capability that they never needed?

If 50% of the devices will handle 11x17 and the percentage of actual A3 is 2% - can you see or are you stuck in the past?

See More, see Deeper.  You don't need to go out and buy any fancy software tool, that would be good, but not necessary.

Two eyes, one brain, and a spreadsheet...

BYOD Policy

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