The Gap Report, Online Exclusive
It’s been hard to ignore the growing buzz surrounding the printing industry’s direct sales organizations as news of downsizing and branch closures placed a spotlight on the sustainability of the business model. While questions regarding many manufacturers’ direct sales businesses have existed for decades, recent events provided dealers and industry watchers with rare “proof” of vulnerability.
- By Jake Fishman
- 04/01/2012
Mobile Service Strategy
Mobile technology is no longer thought of as “nice to have”; it's a necessity. But companies need to consider some important issues when implementing it. Robert Sombach, vice president of operations and development for Nexent Innovations, provides five aspects of your mobile field service strategy that you should think about.
- By Robert Sombach
- 04/01/2012
Mobile Security
Smartphones are wonderful business tools, especially for mobile workers. But with all of the recent stories about cyberattacks hitting smartphones, are you a little nervous? Mike Stramaglio, president and CEO of MWAi, sure is. Find out why in this article.
- By Mike Stramaglio
- 04/01/2012
Steps to MPS Success
Dealerships that lead the pack are in almost every case simply more organized and proactive in their approach to the business and the changes at hand. Here are five steps you can take to become a leader in this evolving industry.
Rules of MPS
After five years of managed print services, one would imagine a standard set of MPS rules would rise out of the fog. And yet there is still debate over what exactly MPS stands for — not the acronym, but the vision and real value of managed print services. Managed print services is nearly indefinable. We see the results, can feel the power and know it is real, but — like the wind — it is not easily seen.
- By Greg Walters
- 04/01/2012
The Photizo Report
Photizo studied true hybrid providers to identify trends, patterns and best practices among them, creating a Hybrid Provider Index. Within that index, there were four rules by which every hybrid provider was governed. Find out what those rules are in this article.
MPS Laws
“Assuming responsibility for the print fleet” — one of the primary tasks providers take on in an MPS engagement. What does the expression refer to? Generally, that the provider will manage and optimize the print environment. When it comes to accomplishing this, most providers are not only proficient, but forward-thinking — at least when it comes to reorganization, device replacement and, of course, the corresponding financial implications of their choices. But on a deeper (and legal) level, there’s more to consider when “assuming responsibility” for clients’ devices, especially in light of today’s privacy laws.
- By Raegen Pietrucha
- 04/01/2012
Mobile Printing
Once the interest in printing from now highly capable portable devices was recognized, everyone jumped on the bandwagon to come up with new and/or revamped mobile printing solutions. But there is much to consider when creating the ideal solution for the two main groups of consumers — the enterprise segment and the general public — especially when their behavior is changing at such a rapid rate.
- By Raegen Pietrucha
- 01/01/2012
The Gap Report
It's safe to say that 2011 was an interesting one for the print industry. With that Gap Intelligence's Jake Fishman gives you the top five printing themes, trends and events of 2011.
- By Jake Fishman
- 01/01/2012
Managed Network Services
It’s an accepted fact that progressive office equipment dealers are actively moving down the path of managed network services (MNS). By transferring the day-to-day management of technology to a third-party MNS provider, SMBs are able to move toward a more proactive technology management approach. For office equipment dealers, this is the biggest opportunity for growth since managed print.
- By David Pohlman
- 01/01/2012
Selling MPS
VARs are evolving along with their customers’ needs to seize the MPS opportunity. To grow revenue opportunities, VARs require a new way of doing business, and for managed service providers that already have this customer base, adding managed print to the portfolio will only expand existing relationships and generate profit.
Event Recap
The Imaging Channel’s Managed Print Summit took place July 19 in Las Vegas. Leaders in the technology and managed print field shared their expertise with a crowd of nearly 300 dealers; IT VARs; software, hardware and supplies providers; those interested in building their MPS offering and those looking to enter the arena.
- By Katherine Fernelius, Raegen Pietrucha
- 10/01/2011
MPS & MSP
Managed print services and managed services are two different offerings; however, more and more companies who provide MPS are broadening their offerings to include more managed services, while managed services providers are offering MPS. In both cases, these companies are facing challenges, but they are also seeing revenue increases and more client interest.
- By Raegen Pietrucha
- 10/01/2011
Security & Compliance
Security and compliance is a high-stakes topic in virtually any company today. Get it wrong, and consequences can result in a loss of business for you.
- By Greer Deneen
- 10/01/2011
The Supplies Side
MPS is many things. It’s a tool to deliver efficiency, to manage a budget and to optimize a fleet, but above all, it’s another way to place toner on a page. And whether or not the budget is managed or the fleet is optimized, that page must be a quality page.