I like shows. I like to visit with like-minded folks and I like to see the latest, greatest toys.
Lately, at least for the past four years, the tone at some of these shows seems to have ranged anywhere between desperation and bliss.
There is one constant- the show is busy and there is rarely enough time to get quality time.
Some of the topics I am looking forward to discussing this year at Transform are:
The Future of MpS - It ain't what it used to be...
Tablets or Toner- Take a guess...
The Cloud - Will it make rain...
Mobile Business Intelligence- huh?
Business Workflow- MpS has ALWAYS been about BPO...
New MpS technology- What more can we do...
The funny thing is, as good as the speaker content is this year, the offline conversations can be even more interesting.
So, in that vein, I want to see and talk with as many folks as I can.
If you are interested in meeting with me and talking about anything from self-replicating nano-bots, MpS compensation plans, M2M communications, the Cloud and its impact on business processes, or who has the best MpS infrastructure program, let's schedule something.
I will be in Orlando from Monday evening to Saturday. I have a presentation and some hard meetings set up, but send me an invite at greg@thedeathofthecopier.com and maybe we can get together for a few minutes.
Wide open, no charge, possibly over an adult beverage.
Fellow members of Your MPSA, I am reaching out today to ask for your support and your vote for President of Your MPSA.
Like our industry, Your Managed print Services Association has experienced a great shift – from an obscure genesis in San Antonio to an impeccable international presence. Since our humble beginnings back in 2008, I’ve been part of the great transformation of Your MPSA to center stage.
Today, Your MPSA and our niche are on the edge of greatness. From Sydney, Tokyo, Seoul, London, Johannesburg, Oklahoma City, Detroit, Chicago, Dallas, St. Louis, Seattle, Miami, New York City, Des Moines, Ontario, Berlin, San Juan, Paris, and Los Angeles, fellow MpS’rs are taking up the MPSA banner, helping businesses reduce costs, preserve jobs and make life easier.
That’s right, there’s more to MpS than toner on paper.
Still, I remember our proud technology lineage and customer focused pedigree. I believe in our industry. I see resilience and perseverance within each OEM, inside every provider and in the can-do attitude of all those “down the street” reps. We are a hearty bunch.
My Vision for Your MPSA is to grow with the shift, not against it. The winds of change are mighty and wise is the person who sails with the current. Knowing this and with bold confidence, we will move into a prosperous era unbound by misguided dogma of the past.
We will not venture the seas alone. Collaboration will be a supporting aspect in the coming years for Your MPSA – I will actively pursue open relationships and engage with anyone who brings value to our members.
One thing I’ve learned during my three year involvement with Your MPSA is that when we focus on the needs of our membership, forgetting corporate agendas, we do great things. I believe Your MPSA is For the Members, by the Members. Outside agenda’s will be left at the office.
Winston Churchill said that ‘the destiny of man is not measured by material computation. When great forces are on the move in the world, we learn we are spirits, not animals.’ And he said, ‘There is something going on in time and space, and beyond time and space, which, whether we like it or not, spells duty.’ As I travel the MpS ecosystem, I am often approached by MPSA members and non-members, asking questions about the future. Those questions aren’t posed out of fear or desperation. With each query there is a sense of determination and of duty. When “great forces are on the move in the world”, it is this spirit that sustains us; the same spirit Your MPSA is founded.
My Vision for Your MPSA is growth through attraction. Our message will cultivate and extend relationships within our niche and outside the industry. And I promise, Your MPSA will continue to be member-centric.
If you and I share a passion for our ecosystem and if you believe, like I do, our best days are yet to come, then ‘You and I have a rendezvous with destiny’.
Cast your vote for me, volunteer and let’s get started.
For the third year in a row, it is my great honor to be presenting at the Photizo, Global MPS Conference, Transform2012.
The first year, I talked about selling MpS internally, last year I chatted about building an MpS practice inside the traditional VAR.
This year, we'll have a palaver around remote work-forces, mobility and that nefarious or benevolent eye in the sky, The Cloud. We'll throw in a dash of Big Data, for good measure.
A thrill packed 45 minutes bursting with goodness beyond MpS - oh the Joy!
Below you'll find a "teaser" (someday I will figure out how to build trailers) of my upcoming presentation.
When filming a scene in a movie, once the director has what he needs on set, and the filming is complete, somebody will announce, "That's a wrap!" indicating the end of the scene, show, or movie.
Then they celebrate the completion and bash-out at the "Wrap Party".
While sitting in the first day of presentations at an industry symposium, Lyra 2012 - I had an epiphany.
The days of IT departments, IT VARs and CIOs are numbered. The ending scene is being played out before us.
Off camera, an anxious Director is about to announce, "That'a a Wrap, people..."
In what can only be interpreted as a glaring example of "writing for an audience of One, me..." - I am penning this happy birthday wishes to non-other than, Me.
Moi.
I was born the same year the Seattle Space Needle was erected. (he, he...I said erected)
On this day in 1962:
- Beatles sign their 1st contract with EMI Parlophone - I cannot stand the Beatles...
- Laser beam successfully bounced off Moon for 1st time - 'bounced' and 'Laser beam' in one sentence, poetic...
- US performs an atmospheric nuclear test at Christmas Island - 'Christmas' and 'nuclear test' in one sentence, foreboding...
This video cracked me up. No matter how the big OEMs or companies that produce paper spin it, the time is now.
Still, these 'pro-paper' ads are amusing and well produced.
"I read it in this report..."
Cute, smart, engaging and out dated - these were obviously done before the latest advances in personal access display devices or BYOD - how soon before these are seen as nostalgic and reminiscent of a bygone age?
"Domtar is the largest integrated manufacturer and marketer of uncoated freesheet paper in North America and the second largest in the world. As such, we:
Design, manufacture, market and distribute a wide range of paper products for a variety of customers, including merchants, retail outlets, stationers, printers, publishers, converters and end users.
Manufacture business and office paper, commercial printing and publishing paper, as well as specialty and converting paper."
It ain't mobile print(last gasp of a dying niche) but which iTEX exhibitor might just get printing (not all of it) relevant again...?
It's no secret, iTEX has been taking it on the chin lately with bad venues, obvious 60-minute commercials camouflaged as Power Hours, and empty-headed booth-drones claiming to have been in MpS for 25 years.
Heck, some of the presentations were given a stage worthy of side-show-Bob carnival barkers - "step right up, see the bearded lady..." where is my bamboo stick?
Well, at least somebody got new shoes and it was Vegas, right?
Just kidding - the show was a success. A big success.
Those Who Stay, Will Be Champions
Without a doubt, hands down, shorter hours and everything, the show was a good time. I saw business being conducted in the booths, everyone I talked with was not only positive, but most were also buoyant, almost - dare I say - giddy.
No, really. People in this dying industry are smiling.
And do you know why?
The ones I spoke with are lined up perfectly to be survivors. And this time, the power brokers are the agile, defiant, independents. That's not to say the OEMs are eunuchs - well not all of them. It just means that the role of the OEM is changing, transforming from a large, centrally based command and control center, to a more flexible responsive entity.
Well, one can dream.
We've all been there, "...whatever doesn't kill me, makes me stronger..." - the smart have utilized MpS, the quick are moving beyond marks on paper and the strong are forging their way without blaming anyone.
Staying the course, taking responsibility, and not wasting energy on bitching. The Heart, it still beats...
MpS whiners need not apply.
With the puffed-up and contrived angst around the "false promises of MpS" it was refreshing to find more than a few successful MpS providers. Even though I understand and support the notion, I won't call them Hybrids. I call them businesspeople.
It is my personal belief, that if you're a copier dealer and have half a brain, you can be successful with MpS. Yes, I know, the two may be mutually exclusive (wait for it...wait...)
One reseller I spoke with explained how he analyzed the market, looked at his strengths, calculated a plan, articulated his MpS vision both internally and with his existing clients, and executed his plan.
Today, his revenue consists of around 47% MpS services. He is satisfied with his progress, but moving forward, honing his value prop around his customers' needs, not those of his mainline, OEMs. That's called customer-centric vs. OEM-centric. Huh.
Oh, and are you ready for this - he came from outside the industry, bought a dealership, and whipped it into shape, like a real business, raising both the bar and the curve.
And when things were tough, he didn't look around and ask, "...what happened to all those promises..."
Get Used To Disappointment
If I detected any displeasure, it was with the Power Hours(again).
You can't please everybody, all the time, and no matter which show I've been to, I hear people lament over the class/workshop/seminars. The gripes typically go like this:
"The content was too basic."
"The content was too complex."
"The guy tried to sell me his system."
"We heard all that 6 years ago."
"That session was nothing more than a rolling commercial, describing his product, not a process."
"I walked out."
Now, just because these are common statements, it doesn't make them less valid. Indeed, one of the MpS workshops I sat in really was a 60-minute commercial. And I spoke with one person who walked out of TWO sessions because the content was "stale, dated and inaccurate". (not my words)
Ouch.
But this reaction was rare and presented by people I consider to be rather advanced in the art that is MpS. The overwhelming majority of the people I asked said they enjoyed the show and came away with many 'golden nuggets'.
Well done, ITex/Questex. Well done.
ITex - Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, Who's the Fairest of them All...
With Lyra, Transform, World Ex, and other shows, you can count on seeing people from each organization working the rows, the booths, and speaking. Charlie, Ed, and Patricia could be doing everything from hobnobbing with the elites to chasing down HDMI cables for the next presentation.
It's their show.
Not so with Questex - and that's okay. Questex does not sell MpS. Questex has never provided remote meter reads or automatic service dispatch; they don't know of or give a hoot about the three stages of MpS.
Again, that is okay.
Questex publishes trade magazines and manages events - and they do that well.
In a very real sense, Questex/ITex is simply a platform for us in the industry to display our wares, pontificate about ourselves, and generally show off.
But it doesn't end there. ITex is just the name of the stage that Questex Media manages - what happens on that stage is not only our responsibility it is a reflection of who we are.
So last year, people reported the venue sucked and "nobody attended" - well, last year, our industry was sucking and nobody had a presence.
This year, the show was fantastic, attendees positive and upbeat, right now, the independents are cheerful and looking toward the future. The show is reflecting the mood.
For the life of me, I don't totally understand this joviality - every indicator is down with no rebound in sight. The largest print OEM in the world is getting out of print and the next generation of end-users barely read off paper, let alone send print to it.
Be that as it may, I am as sick of the negativity as I am of the blatant "ignore that" mentality.
I say we rock. Let's persevere or go down fighting.
Print can be relevant, again.
A week ago, if you told me the most impressive thing I would see at ITex was a piece of hardware I saw 4 years ago, I would have laughed.
And after I stopped laughing, had you mentioned to me that 'not only could this piece of hardware bring print back into the spotlight, it may even save mobile print' I woulda dropped you right where you stood.
Well, I stand corrected. How so?
The goal is to make print easy, not available on every street corner for a price - what most mobility models miss is the cost to the end-user. Sure there is a laser printer down in the business center, but it takes longer and costs a dime a sheet.
What I witnessed could make over-charging customers for print, a thing of the past. I saw an MFP that is blazing fast at 60ppm, performing this speed at 5% or 100% coverage, black and white or color, full-bleed no less - it just didn't matter.
And cheap. Four cents for color, penny B/W. And cheap. $700.00 cost.
As the pie of available prints shrinks, the big, centrally located, 11x17 copiers are too expensive, too loud, too slow, and too old-fashioned.
And they require a service agreement.
Also, today's printers are slow, expensive to feed, suck too much energy, and have left a bad taste in everyone's mouth. The machines and their toner cartridges are fading yet not all the prints will go away, it's an example of the Long Tail.
So who will be there to print all those buggy-whip designs? The lowest, almost disposable, devices, that's who.
Be careful what you wish for, you might just get it.
At those prices, $900.00 for a 60 page per minute, full color, printer, with very low operational cost, barely any moving parts - why would anybody ever want to purchase a service agreement?
And let's say, just for giggles, each purchased unit included ink refills at half price. Let's just say.
Why wouldn't every hotel on the planet have one of these? Why wouldn't every Starbucks? Hell, why wouldn't you have one to print Christmas pics right then and there for Grandpapa and Grandmama?
There you have it. Mobile print everywhere and not a dime to show for it - no CPI, MpS, no margin or service calls. Nadda, zip, zero.
Have a nice day.
The Belle of the Ball - Sindoh/MemJet
And there it was. Sitting there unassuming. Back in 2009, I saw the MemJet engine spitting out A4 color prints on some guy's couch in a hotel room somewhere. It was cool and for the next 3 years we all waited for the 'real thing'.
Like a ghost, MemJet haunted the halls of Lyra and trade shows across the country. We heard of desperate deals consummated with the devil - and still no device.
From San Diego to Sydney to Oklahoma City - the rumor mill and paper trail churned on.
It's real, not a wraith. I saw it. Touched it and even videotaped it working Lawsuits aside, Sindoh the Korean concern utilizing MemJet in their machine has got a tiger by the tail on this one.
Stay tuned for more as I get more on them...
So in the End...
ITex 2012 is in the rearview. MpS is all over the globe and the copier dealer is on the rebound.
Just when you think you're getting out, they pull you right back in...
2012 If you've been in the industry for over a year, you know how much the ecosystem changes. You also know that rumors of business deals churn faster than your 36 month ex-dates.
Especially when it comes to which OEM is buying who, what dealership is consolidating and who is getting sued by Canon/HP.
We have a small but rather colorful niche which is likely to get a bit smaller.
Not 'doom and gloom', it just is.
I keep my eyes out for new and interesting tidbits of information, getting a feel for trends - nothing statistically supported, no study groups or polling numbers. I pay attention to how often a company or person pops up on my 'radar'.
Over the last 60 days its been Xerox - more specifically, Ursula Burns.
Videos and quotes have been flowing into my view so often and I decided to listen in on the Xerox earnings call. Very interesting.
These calls pretty much go without incident - one typically needs to listen deeply, digging out encoded tidbits of insight. It is quite typical not to hear any mention of competitors and report the landscape in extreme generalities.
That's why one statement made me do a double take:
Ursula Burns, Xerox Corporation, Chairman and CEO, responding to a question posed by Bill Shope - Goldman Sachs, Analyst on the competitive landscape, 2012, Q1 earnings call:
"...Yes, I think that I would speak about two companies outside of the other group.
So the other group is Canon, Ricoh, KM. You know, the normal technology people, technology hardware providers, and they are still infants in document outsourcing.
They are really not large players. They are trying to get together solutions and offer them, but we really don't compete actively against them..."
WOW - bit of the old smack-down, eh?
Now listen, I have never worked for Xerox, seems they are the only OEM I don't have intimate experiences with, and it is true that I write for the Business Transformation Center which is Xerox sponsored, but up until 12 months ago, I considered Xerox a competitor.
Twenty-four months ago, I evaluated PagePack. Ten months ago, I was looking at PagePack 3.0. and just 8 months back I evaluated the ColorCube. Xerox hardware and program are impressive, any way you shape it.
Over the past 60 days I have come to know the story of Ursula Burns - out of the projects and up through the ranks. I like that.
At Less than 9 bucks, XRX is a steal.
Merger talk and take-over rumors are part and parcel of the imaging industry - from Ikon to Danka, Ricoh to Global, everyone on the outside recognizes the incestuousness atmosphere while we inside shrug our shoulders and say, "what?"
The swirling chatter today is that the X is prime for a take-over and Dell or HP are would-be suitors.
Personally, I don't think HP is a strategic position to take on anyone. And I don't think they are all that gun-ho on continuing down the toner-based path.
So what about Dell?
With Xerox deriving over 50% of its revenue from services, Dell might fare well acquiring all those inroads to global IT entities; spin-off the Global arm, converting it into cash. Again, I doubt Dell wants to get into the copier/printer world, wax-based or otherwise.
I know what you're thinking - who else would take Xerox? Look west...far west...Seoul.
Samsung may want a channel where they have none now. Samsung might like the idea of instant invite into the best of the Fortune 500.
Nawwwww...it'll never happen...still...
Detroit hasn't been the Automobile capital of the World for decades. GM is owned by Canada and Chrysler has been sold off to an Italian automaker. Boeing has to compete on the world stage no longer holding dominance. And HP is in the middle of sending her once cash-cow, out to pasture.
What happened to all the American companies?
Well, in the End, money is money - generated by clicks, seats or acquisitions - it makes the world go 'round.
I was there. Oh what a difference a few years make.
But this isn't about the past, it's about the shape of things to come.
And who better to talk about the future of MpS, than a few long-term MpS'rs.
But wait.
From London to LA, Detroit to Sydney, Tokyo to Cape Town, Seoul to Orlando, the place will be flush with purveyors of content, movers and shakers of big data, visionaries all - and that's just the attendees.
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