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Monday, November 14, 2011

Transform 2012 Global Conference - in the city that begins with an "O" and ends with an "O"..

Transform 2012 Global Conference Focuses on Transformation to the Business Services Model


HP joins as first Platinum Sponsor

November 14, 2011 -- Midway, KY -- Photizo Group will lead the print services market in a new direction at the Transform 2012 Global Conference in Orlando, Florida on May 24-25, 2012. Transform 2012 is the next evolution of the popular Global Managed Print Services (MPS) Conference that will focus on the necessary services transformation facing the MPS channel.

“The Transform 2012 Global Conference is managed by the experienced MPS Conferences team and we’ve introduced a new theme into the agenda in response to the shift we’re seeing, across all levels of the technology marketplace,” said Edward Crowley, Photizo Group founder and CEO. “The upcoming Transform Conferences will focus on helping dealers, resellers and other channels transform from hardware-centric business models to services-based approaches.”

HP recognizes the opportunity in service transformation

HP is the first Platinum Sponsor of the Transform 2012 Global Conference. “As our first Platinum Sponsor, HP has shown a strategic understanding about where the MPS channel is heading. We are honored to have their commitment to bringing this important content and education to the MPS dealer and reseller community,” said Crowley.

“The managed services market is evolving and we are excited about the opportunity to have more in depth partnership with our customers. We intend to bring to market new solutions that take advantage of key trends, leverage our channel partners and create world class capabilities,” 


said Mike Weir, vice president, Strategy and Marketing, LaserJet Enterprise Solutions, Imaging and Printing Group, HP “This is an exciting time for HP to be engaged in leading forums like the Transform 2012 Global Conference.”

Content Centered on Business Transformation

The conference program has four tracks, with additional pre-conference workshops on May 23. The main agenda covers the four key areas that are impacting channels today:

• Transforming the Customer's Environment (beginner discussions)
• Transforming Business Processes (advanced discussions)
• Transforming Your Organization (management discussions)
• Beyond Print: Transforming the Market with Technology (market trends, technology, vendor presentations)

Photizo invites applications for speaking opportunities at the Transform 2012 Conference. More information is available at http://www.photizogroup.com/conference/be-a-speaker/.
In addition to the educational events, a Golf Scramble at the Waldorf Astoria Golf Club is planned for attendees on May 22. More information about the Transform 2012 Global Conference agenda and activities can be found at http://www.photizogroup.com/global2012/.

# # #

Misty H. Gonzalez
Director of Media & Publishing
+1 859 846 9830 ext 109


Saturday, November 12, 2011

Monday, November 7, 2011

Things I Learned at the Asia Pacific, Managed Print Services Conference in Sydney: There Is an Unifying Theory

11/2011

What a week. First, I drove from LAX to Charlotte, NC.

After a two day rest, off to Sydney.

My flight went up to Detroit, hometown, back out to LAX, nicest night time approach view around, then out to Sydney - 14 hours away.

On a plane Friday and landing Sunday morning without knowing what time it was, let alone what day ...where in the hell did Saturday go?

That night, I hit the sheets at 6:00PM, local and slept until 6:00AM, local.

Again, what the hell?

Monday morning, sipping coffee from a way too small cup, on a saucer no less, I found myself standing in a sea of grey pinstripes - this sure wasn't LA, St. Louis, Seattle, New York, Orlando or Vegas.  This was Sydney. 14 hours, two hemispheres and one international date-line away.

Oh what fun was to be had, Down Under...

As with all conferences, the first presentation covers the basics: thanks for coming, the rest rooms are over there, we hope you get one good thing out of the next few days and here is our first keynote speaker.

It was a tough crowd for Dom as he took us along the innovation path explaining how the successes of our past can hold us back, chaining us to the old ways.

I got the jokes. But the audience was a bit cold, reserved, dubious.

This changed as one table shot out many different responses to one of his questions. That's when I knew this was going to a very good conference.



First Golden Nugget? - MpS is Universally Spoken

That's right. There is little difference between how MpS is defined down under versus here in the States or North America.

All the challenges we have experienced here, they have down there. Commission structure, toner delivery, cartridge based or CPI invoicing, DCA installations, OEM relationships, "what is MpS" questions...all of it.

Interestingly enough, the S1/S2 successes run parallel to the US and the more advanced firms are expanding into Managed Services.  But they aren't looking to "rip and replace" servers - jus sayin...

I may have expected the A/P MpS'rs would be slightly behind the U.S. on the adoption curve, but they aren't.

There is a unique set of issues, the old copier models still hang on, but the attitude, the 'can do' attitude is prevalent - palpable.  And that was refreshing.  Bold.

The best kind of Zag.

Second Nugget - MpS is open and clear

Wide open.  The players in A/P are hitting everything in sight.  From government to commercial to Education - not unusual, right?  What I got out of their exuberance was a wide eyed wonder not only geared at seeing the huge pool of prospects, but also in the wide array of MpS subjects they would talk about.  Not just toner but networks, documents, storage, workflow and business process. All this under MpS!  No really, it's true.

From the inside out, making it up as they go, not worrying about benchmarks(too much) or best practices(not too much) or their ego.

I did not hear one complaint about OEM toner pricing being too high, or any whining about how OEM so and so is encroaching into SMB.

Hard work gets results, complaining doesn't.

I have attended each North American MPS Conferences so meeting people with different definitions of MpS, infrastructure, pricing and OEM partnerships is common - from Cali to NYC, we are diverse.

There are sectors of the MpS Ecosystem inhabited by those consider themselves above the rest, better, erudite in manner - born into their position.

We all know them; the stuck up consultant, the know-it-all copier dealer, the old-skool, old-man, collector and seller of souls - destroyers of innovation.

None of that here.

Clear.  They can see a carpetbagger coming a continent away.

Another cool Zig.

Third Nugget - Even the OEMs are Runin' and Gunnin', in the Wild, Wild West...

There was a time, not long ago, when I would compare the MpS Ecosystem to the "Wild, Wild, West of Imaging" - no rules, no sheriffs, and lots of Gold. We were ALL making it up as we went.

Those days seem to be gone as the OEMs clearly define MpS as Stage One and Two, leveraged to land more equipment.

They are bringing out all sorts of heartless paraphernalia: Toner portals, shrink wrapped MpS, nameless service networks,  automatic proposal generators, MpS "Agent Fee's".

Controlled. Stifled. Boring.

But not in A/P.  I was fortunate enough to share time with Fuji/Xerox, HP, and Canon MDS folks. Each for about an hour.  What struck me was the absolute willingness to get things done by working the market not their system.  Sure, they want to land more gear, but the MpS ideas and philosophy are truly geared around a vision that works up to Stage 3/4 - they don't stop at toner and service.

There are all building teams from scratch, they are all putting together deals and infrastructure programs from scratch.

And they are flexible.  That's right, I just referred to 3 of the big OEM's as "flexible" and I could easily say, "out of the box".  Smack me in the forehead and call me dumbfounded.

What a Zag this is.

Don't...friggin...ask...
The Big Take Away - Remember to Let Go

Again, we talked about how the successes of the past can hold us back.  I mentioned how now is the time to really look at the world sideways, to be open to new partnerships.  New business models, new employment paradigms and different personal archetype for success.

I pontificated on how now is the time when power is shifting away from the big, centrally controlled entities and down to us, the folks in the trenches.

How this point in history is that unique time when technology truly allows us to control our own destinies - that is if we recognize how the "good ole days" can shackle us to the past.

To move forward, we need to let go the past.  Before we let go, we must first remember.

And that's what Australia did for me.  The people, the vibe, the way, reminded me of our past. Our MpS past.

If you can remember, now is the time to let it go, let go of our MpS past, step over the Edge and into a  future with less toner.



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Sunday, October 30, 2011

Managed Print Services: The 2011 Rising Stars, Constellation 2


Last autumn, we published the very first DOTC MpS Rising Stars: Constellation 1.

A collection of interesting MpS players who brought something good to the Ecosystem.

I chose individuals or companies who in my opinion, contributed to the MpS cause in a positive manner. For instance, last year, Constellation 1 included MT Business Technologies, Ken Stewart, Robert Newry, and Photizo.

So how did these stars fare over the past 12 months?

Ken Stewart, as Senior Consultant with Photizo, is helping build audacious projects global in scope and transformative in results.

Robert Newry/Newfield IT - Being purchased by Xerox sure has its financial benefits. The doubters and old -skool sayers of nay, express how X will stifle the free expression of ideas. Yet, Robert continues to promote the art of assessments for 8everyone, for all in the MpS ecosystem.

Photizo's - Ed and the Gang's reputation continues to grow, around the globe, as THE MpS consultancy. They are moving from a consultancy to a transformation company.

MT Business Technologies - Still plugging along, slugging it out in the trenches and barnyards of MpS/SmB in the state that starts with an "O" and ends with an "O".

Who will make it this year, and where will the be 12 months from now?

Intriguing.

I introduce to you, Constellation 2 - The Rising MpS Stars of 2011.

Sydney: Day Negative 1. Impressive

It wasn't the 14 hour plane ride. It's the fact that I boarded the plane on Friday and disembarked the same plane on Sunday that is confounding.

Sydney is one of 'those' cities - one that should be visited at least once - for us Yanks for sure.

To me, the city has the same feel as San Francisco, in a good way. Except for the steering wheels being on the wrong side of the Ford and everybody driving the opposite side of the road.

The hotel is a mix of old and new. Old brick facade one side of the lobby, contemporary, updated architecture the other.

The service is impeccable; Cultural mix, multidimensional - West and East meeting at the crossroads.

As much as I expected to feel the flow of a culture and get some MpS vibe going on the other side of the international date line, two hemispheres away, I did not expect to discover, to see what I saw: National pain, wrapped with Dignity, Respect, and Honor.

You see, the news of the day included Quantas grounding their entire, world-wide fleet, over some union troubles - inconvenient, yes. But the somber mood expressed to a nation and from a nation was word of three Australian soldiers being killed in Afghanistan.

This struck me. Afghanistan is OUR war. Fun loving Aussie's aren't suppose to get blown up.

Emotions riled through me - sadness, remorse, and just when I was feeling a bit guilty, the Prime Minister of Australia takes center stage in a nationally broadcast news conference to specifically address the death of these three brave soldiers.

I had never heard her speak before - hell, I didn't even know Australia had Prime Ministers. But there she was, addressing the press. Steadfast, articulate, knowledgeable - when she knew the facts she stated them, when she didn't know the facts, she said so - she did not mislead, there was no grey area in her responses.

As I listened, drawn, almost hypnotized in a moment of refreshing confidence, I noticed another aspect.

She wasn't using a teleprompter.

My embarrassment over pulling friends into our fight gave way to shame, then to anger.

Was I pissed over a war "we shouldn't be in"? No. The bad-guys took down my Towers and killed fellow sales people while they drank Starbucks.

It was the absent teleprompter that got me...

Monday, October 24, 2011

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.

Contact Me

Greg Walters, Incorporated
greg@grwalters.com
262.370.4193