The Good, The Bad and the Wow

Interesting read about HP's revenue numbers from Channel Web about their rumoured decline in revenue (The Bad), rumour that GP dollars didn't decline at the same rate (The Good for HP). The WOW, some dealers are having an increase in HP sales.

Wondering why and how?



These VAR's are Selling solutions, Cost Savings and Return on Investments, not just printers and supplies. These dealers understand the Lifetime Value of a Customer.

Hint, Hint.......MPS bandwagon...

Top Ten Questions to ask a MPS Vendor?

Greg with "Death of the Copier" give some great questions for an end-user to ask a Managed Print Service Vendor. So when a MPS vendor is coming to pitch their product and service, ask them these questions, and it should be an interesting conversation.

1. How do you (the client) define Managed Print Services? Have your prospective provider define MPS.

2. What is his Process? Leave it at that, let him further define your question. You want to see the detail of his process, if he has one.

3. Tell me about your assessment. Get the gist of the assessment, the mechanics. You are trying to see if the proposal is the assessment - is that all he's got.

4. Clearly define your goals of an Managed Print Service engagement and have him respond to them. This means you need to actually think before you meet with the provider. You do not need to have solid goals, just a direction.

5. What goals does your prospective MPS provider have? Is their goal to ultimately replace all your existing equipment or supply source(s) with his?

6. How important is the assessment? Again, is the assessment the only tool in the shed?

7. How many units has the prospective Managed Print Service provider assessed in the last 6 months? This is simple and the numbers really don't matter, it's how he answers that matters. Does he make excuses or does he make wild claims.

8. How many units does the Managed Print Service provider currently manage? How? Same as above.

9. What percentage of savings has the prospective MPS provider achieved with clients and from what area's of cost? This is a great one, don't let him get away with quoting Gartner, All or InfoTrend or even Photizo, make him get specific. Again, the numbers don't matter as much as how he responds.

10. What was the Core business of your provider before Managed Print Services? The best question. This will tell you were he is going with your account and exactly how much infrastructure he has to support your fleet. Did they just sell boxes, service, toner supplies or a combination of the three.

Rate It! Third Party Management Solutions | e-Automate

Some features of e-Automate

Automation of Managed Printer Service Tasks
Contract Expiration Notifier - Sends e-mail notification of contracts that are about to expire. Cool Feature

Warranty Expiration Notifier - notification of imaging devices with warranties about to expire giving you the capability to generate new contracts on equipment with nearly expired warranties

Invoice Collection Reminder - Sends e-mail notification of most important invoices prior to due date. Cool Feature

Customer Hold Status Notifier status based on credit limit and past due balance

Inventory Level Notifier - if an item drops below a set stock level

Inventory Transfer Request - Creates an inventory request to transfer items to each technician's bins

Past Due Service Call Notifier - past due service calls to service manager - Cool Feature
Accounts Recievable
Contact Management
AR Console
Customer History

Accounts Payable
Vendor Management
Vendor Invoices
Vendor History
General Ledger

Inventory Management

Mapping - integrated Microsoft's MapPoint® software with the e-automate system for tracking service technicians and generate service call routes. - Mileage tracking including automatic mileage calculation based on beginning and ending odometer readings. Cool Feature

Reporting Tools
Financial Report
Service Reports
Sales Reports
Inventory Reports

Service Management
Contract types - Deposit billed, Cost per Copy, Installation, by device
Basic Service Calls
Printer and Service repair dispatch
Service Call Management -

Rate It! Kyocera Mita Managed Print Services Solution

KMnet Admin

KMnet Admin is a web-based imaging device management solution designed to allow network administrators to monitor printers and other output devices on their network. KMnet Admin incorporates device management, print job management and device accounting in a single unified dashboard tracking solution.

KM-NET ADMIN is Kyocera's latest technology in Network Imaging Device Management,designed as a web-based console framework that incorporates a 'plug-in' type architecture for management purposes. Within this framework, any of these features and solutions can be added.

• Network Device Management & Monitoring
  
• Print Job Management
• Device Accounting
• Report Generation

KM-NET ADMIN allows Administrators to assign business rules based on their requirements, as well as provide access and security privileges to users. Multiple networks and sub-nets can be added in the Console Manager, with the ability to set an auto-discovery tool at varying intervals, ensuring complete device discovery and monitoring.

KM-NET Viewer

Kyocera's KM-NET Viewer is a PC-based Managed Print Service (MPS) software solution designed for the small to mid-sized business to assist in the monitoring and management of their imaging devices. KM-NET Viewer provides real-time data and delivers comprehensive information for all printers and other output devices.

Kyocera's KM-NET Viewer tool is designed to assist in the day-to-day task of Network Device Management. KM-NET Viewer is a stand-alone PC-based application, which can be installed on any Windows-compatible computer.

KM-NET VIEWER is an Administrative tool that provides a comprehensive monitoring solution for many environments.

Features include:

• Device monitoring and status
• Simple auto-discovery of new imaging devices
• Report generation
• SNMP communications
• Device grouping by cost centers
• Error & Notification settings

Rate the Kyocera Mita Print Management Solution

Rate It! 3rd Party Managed Print Solutions | printerRx

printerRx Managed Printing Solution

Features:

Output Management

• Page Counts by printer, department & user
• Monitor MS & USB attached printers
• Monitors NT Print servers
• Monitors Print by user
• Tracks NT Print jobs

Printer Management

• Auto-discovery of USB, parallel & serial, network printers & print servers tracks MFP impressions
• Monitors all Device activities
• Parallel-attached Printers
• Groups printers for logical monitoring
• Historical database maintained for years
• Automatically locates printers
  
• Online statistics (downtime, alerts, pages printed)
• Monitors desktop printers (serial, parallel & network)

Alert Management

• Receive SNMP alerts
• Intelligent filtering of alerts
• Automates responses to these events without user intervention
• Notification of alerts via email
• Standard notification options including paging, e-mail, and trouble tickets
• Closes alerts
• Highlights problem and down printers

Enterprise Printer Management

• Forwards alerts to EMS (Tivoli, Unicenter,OpenView)
• Scalable to Corporation with thousands of printers in many locations
• Enterprise solution for corporate document strategy
• Usage reports – who’s spending the most on printing
• Single view of printer network with sorting & grouping
• At-a-glance views of network, group, and device status

Cost of Printing

• By print job
• By user
• By printer
• Variable (consumables)
• Fixed (asset, maintenance, floor space)
• Downtime costs
• Online viewing of costs
• Track costs to devices
• Track costs to users
• Averages & standard deviations of printer yields for each consumable
• Tracks user printing by pages printed, job lists, printers
• Who is printing what, where & what it costs
• Total Cost of print by printer & user

Asset Management

• Printer inventory
• Maintenance tracking & scheduling
• Purchase Financials & Lease information
• Printer Supplies Tracking
• Vendor Tracking
  

Enterprise Planning

• Printer usage reports
• Printer problem graphs
• Usage trend graphs

Complexity & Overhead

• Easy to set up, install, and configure; Rapid deployment
• Self-configuring & self-maintaining;
• No costly rule-based structure to implement
• Printer manufacturer & vendor independent
• Software installed on desktops for monitoring USB printers
• Software located on server
• Minimal Software management Overhead
• Minimal Network overhead
• Not corporate critical (if sw goes down, printing is unaffected)
• Complexity of install
• Not tied to a hardware manufacturer or vendor

Rate It! 3rd Party Managed Print Solutions | Print Audit

Print Audit's suite of Print Management Solutions for the Printer & Copier service dealer.

Print Audit Assessor - is a tool exclusively built for service and printer dealers to be able to do a full assessment of their customer’s print environment. This data may be used to analyze volumes and create specific proposals related to their customer’s needs.

Print Audit Rapid Assessment Key v2 - An extremely easy to use USB device that quickly collects data on networked imaging devices. The USB key contains dozens of new features and improvements, including faster and more accurate scanning.

Print Audit Facilities Manager - Print Audit Facilities Manager is a powerful, easy to use tool designed to remotely collect meter reads, automate imaging supplies fulfillment and report service information for managing fleets of copiers, printers, fax machines, and multi-function devices.

Print Audit 5 - A print management solution. Comprehensive, detailed, client-based tracking used to analyze, reduce and recover costs and resources associated with printing and plotting to all networked, local, and direct to IP printers. Print Audit 5's three components, Analysis, Reduction and Recovery can be purchased as a suite or individually. Now supports Mac OS 10.3.9 and above. Sign-up for a free trial.

Print Audit Green - Powered by Print Audit 5, Print Audit Green is designed to help companies reduce their environmental impact and printing costs. With Print Audit Green, organizations can learn exactly what is being printed and by whom, and implement rules to create cost-conscious and earth-friendly users.

Copy, scan and fax tracking solutions - Print Audit has a variety of scan, fax and copy tracking tools to help you reduce and recover your document creation costs. These solutions range from externally connected hardware terminals to software that runs directly on supported photocopiers.

Rate the Print Audit Print Management Software Solution

Rate It! Toshiba Print Management Solution

TOSHIBA Managed Print Services Solutions

Effectively managing the use and allocation of your existing hardware, Toshiba Print management Program can reduce or even eliminate the need to buy new equipment. Simplified service contracts and lower printer consumable costs.

Toshiba’s Print Management Solution - PageSmart
The Cost-Per-Print Solution to Lowering Your Printing Costs

Toshiba’s Encompass PageSmart program is a way to manage your fleet and lower printer operating costs. Toshiba’s PageSmart Print management Solution features an innovative pay-as-you-print solution to printer toner, service, and management. The program covers all aspects of your printer. There’s no paying in advance for service fees or supplies that sit in storage. All toner, parts, and service are included in the simple fixed cost per page.

• Multivendor Support - All printers are covered regardless of Manufacturer of make or model

Toshiba’s Print Management Solution – PrintSmart
The Single-Point solution to Managing Both Supplies and Service

Imagine saving money on your printer supplies and getting service included at no extra charge. With Toshiba’s Encompass PrintSmart program, you’ll get the printing supplies you need without the addi­tional expense of servicing your printing devices. Toshiba PrintSmart provides on-site service with your toner… at no additional cost.

• Toshiba’s MPS program will inspect and tag each printer to get a current and accurate inventory, so you know where they are, who uses them, and their current condition
• Toshiba will provide service for any printer under the contract, at no additional charge
• Toshiba’s Managed Print Services will make recommendations by matching needs to usage patterns so you know which products provide the most efficiency by department
• Print Toner, and Service, Included at Cost savings - ease of budgeting One Convenient Price
• Reliable, On-site Service - No additional costs for service, minimizes equipment downtime and frees your IT staff
• Multivendor Support - All printers are covered regardless of Manufacturer of make or model

Rate the Toshiba Print Management Solution

Rate It! 3rd Party Managed Print Solutions | Miracom Network

The only Managed Print Service Solution that has a network of dealers to service accounts in territories outside your coverage area and product specialty. You can also sign-up to be a member of their Directory of Service Dealers - A simple way for dealers to generate new business.

MiraPage is a web-based tool which enables you to remotely collect and manage data from all types of print devices. MiraPage allows you to analyze printing and copying volumes, reduce and recover printing and copying costs.

* Web-based access to real-time data
* Monitor usage of Printer Supplies
* Collect and analyze meter readings
* Asset tracking of all print devices
* Ability to correct problematic formatter resets
* Automated network scans, and customize scan ranges
* Export data which can be saved and emailed in .csv format
* Plus other features

MiraPlus | Print Management & Monitoring Solution
The MiraPlus Print Management Program provides the dealer with complete account management flexibility; down to the individual print device. Whether it’s CPP (Cost per Print), CPD (Cost per Device), or Time-and-material (T&M) … This Print Management Program allows you to mix and match device management requirements based on customer expectations; all within the same account. It may be that some devices are managed under a CPP program and others under T&M; all decisions based on meeting customer needs.

Magic 1500
The Magic 1500 is a proprietary software appliance, developed by Miracom Network, that connects into an organization’s network, enabling the monitoring of that organization’s print devices. The Magic 1500 collects data on print devices connected to the network, including maintenance parameter and printer diagnostics data, such as toner usage, printer duty cycle, maintenance alerts, page counts, cartridge yields, and over two dozen other data attributes. The Magic 1500 is what automates the Miracom Solution.


MagicL
(pronounced magical) is a downloadable plug-in that can work with either the Magic 1500 Network appliance or MagicSoft software remote monitoring solution. Its function is to expand the capabilities of network attached devices, and allow service providers to remotely monitor locally attached devices in their customers’ print environments.

Once downloaded and deployed, MagicL will discover all locally attached devices in the domain and send data back to the web application. It will allow the service provider to monitor locally attached devices and generate supporting tickets and page counts. Like the Magic 1500 and MagicSoft, MagicL allows the service provider to customize settings on the appliance, including polling intervals and what areas of the customer’s network to scan for locally attached devices.


ASP Model
A company who hosts, manages, and delivers their application via the Web is often referred to as an ASP (Application Service Provider), The ASP model is in contrast to the traditional you-buy-it, you-run-it model.

Miracom has designed its application for Web-delivery. We host the data and manage the application ourselves. Our technology and equipment is housed in colo facilities that guarantee 100 percent up-time. By employing the ASP model for solution delivery, Miracom provides its clients with access to an application solution without their needing to build and maintain a technology infrastructure.

Rate It! Rate the Miracom Network Managed Printer Service Solution

Rate It! Lexmark Print Management Solution

Lexmark Optimization Services help you to print less by printing only the pages you really need on the most appropriate devices.

• Reducing the number of devices you have to manage and cutting back on use of paper and forms save paper and toner while increasing office efficiently.
• Streamlining repetitive employee processes improves productivity.

Reduce inventory expenses. Never run out of printing supplies.

Long after your devices are installed, they continue to use toner and other supplies - a cost which can easily get out of control if not managed properly.

---

What You Need, When You Need It

With Distributed Fleet Management, your output devices are constantly monitored. Information from your fleet goes to the Lexmark Data Collection Manager at your site and is sent to Lexmark's data warehouse. The system validates your need for supplies before they're ordered.

For example, we will compare actual usage with expected usage. When supplies do run low, we will order them for you and ship them to the address you specify.

To make sure you get exactly what you need, we leverage our existing partnerships with reliable and flexible global suppliers. This unique ordering process gives you maximum control with minimum effort and it protects you against waste and errors.

• Validation of all orders for part numbers, contract terms, and agreement compliance
• Protection against unnecessary shipping charges
• Defense against fraudulent or excessive orders
• Acknowledgments for orders shipped and received

Break Fix & Monitoring

Lexmark's Print Management Solution keeps your imaging fleet running by proactively resolving device problems. Information Week noted that in many companies, printing devices account for 55% of all network traffic and 46% of all IT help-desk calls are printer related.

---

Beyond "Break/Fix"

Availability Services is much more than a simple repair contract. Lexmark's MPS can monitor, detect, and diagnose many problems from a remote location. With this expertise, most issues are resolved before you even notice them.

Flexibility, Lexmark will create a Service uniquely suited to your needs:

• Guaranteed response times
• Trouble-ticket integration
• A dedicated, on-site technician who can field and troubleshoot service calls right away
• Configuration management to enforce device and firmware settings throughout the print fleet, ensuring standards and enabling fast resolution of any problems

Rate the Lexmark Print Management Solution

Rate It! HP Managed Print Services Solution

Hewlett Packard Print Management Solution

Transform your printer environment for better business outcomes.

What is the true cost of managing your imaging and printing environment? Studies show that as much as 90 percent of an enterprise’s total printing expenses may be invisible or uncontrolled.

HP Print Management Solution can help you streamline management, minimize costs and maximize results. Hewlett Packard's Managed Print Services can provide virtually everything you need to maintain a cost-effective, productivity-enhancing environment: hardware, software and printer supplies, training, maintenance and support, even workflow improvements.


HP Managed Print Services enable your organization to:

• Cut total ownership costs: Gain visibility into the true costs of managing your imaging and printing environment; realize immediate and long-term savings.
• Enhance productivity and user satisfaction: Help IT and end-users save time and work more effectively; free up technical resources; increase uptime and availability; reduce help desk calls.
• Reduce risks: Leverage HP security and compliance solutions and network management capabilities and tools to better protect and control your assets.
• Improve environmental sustainability: Reduce energy consumption and environment impact.
• Accelerate business results: Sharpen your focus on improving key workflows and process efficiencies that bring better bottom-line outcomes.

HP Services professionals work closely with you to design, implement and manage an imaging and printing infrastructure tailored to your specific requirements and adaptable to your evolving needs. Core services include:

• Assessment Services — help you understand your current usage, find hidden costs and develop a business case for change
• Financial and Procurement Services — help you contain costs from technology acquisition to retirement and replacement
• Transition and Implementation Services — help ensure that the right equipment is installed and end-users know how to make the most of it
• Management and Support Services — help maximize ROI through printer fleet uptime and optimization, and imaging supplies management
• Document and Workflow Services — help you automate paper-intensive workflows and continually improve infrastructure management

Rate Hewlett Packard's (HP) Print Management Solution

Rate It! Okidata Print Management Solution

OKI (Okidata) Managed Services offers an array of comprehensive managed print services created specifically for businesses. The OKI Print Management Program is designed to streamline your document output and increase your productivity by helping identify, improve and manage opportunities for efficiency in print document operation.

The OKI document output management program is flexible enough that its components can be contracted in full or in part, based on the corporations needs.

Phase I: Identify

To accurately assess document output environment, evaluate current and future output needs, expected output volume, floor plan and physical location of devices. Then, the OKI MPS program will evaluate your installation environment and legacy operating systems. Finally, OKI assess the established mission-critical applications that are integral to the business processes.

Phase II: Improve

This phase begins with the implementation of the OKI Print Management solutions that meets the businesses needs, including redeployment, application assistance or technology refreshes.

Phase III: Manage

Asset Management, is an integrated process that manages all aspects of each of the print document assets throughout each phase of its life cycle, earning a greater return on investment by reducing the total cost of ownership and improving productivity.

OKI's print management solution could save up to 30% on your printing costs. Many corporate decision makers underestimate what a Print Managed Services can actually achieve.

In fact, many businesses aren't even aware of the equipment they currently own or how it's being used. And even fewer are aware of their post-acquisition costs. That's why a Managed Services Solution from Okidata has been formulated to demonstrate that an efficient document output operation may save a business 10-to-30% on their printing and imaging output costs.

Rate the OKI (Okidata) Managed Print Services Program

Rate It! Konica Minolta Print Management Service

Konica Minolta Print Management Solution

Konica Minolta's OPS optimizes business processes and manage your fleet of printers, copiers and MFP devices.

Konica Minolta's Optimized Print Services (OPS) Print management program gives you a customized solution by choosing from an array of support options that meet the specific needs of your business.

opt-WORKFLO is a fully customized solution that will assess your document and print environment, optimize your document workflow, and reduce maintenance costs to improve your document output. Reallocation of over/under utilized printer devices.

The "opt" suite of software utilities is the brain behind the scene to help optimize your business.

• opt-MONITOR - Assesses your current printing environment, provides timely proactive maintenance and ongoing assessment & optimization.
• opt-ANALYZE - Creates a cost-per-print plan that covers consumables and service
• opt-VISUALIZE - Develops a roadmap to replace outdated or inefficient hardware.
• opt-MANAGE - Gives your organization control of print routing.

Rate the Konica/Minolta Print Management Solution

Rate it! Ricoh Printer Management Software Solution

Ricoh's Managed Print Services (MPS) helps all kinds of organizations simplify complex output environments and spend less on printing. Using a process-driven approach, Ricoh Professional Services lets you outsource a variety of print-related activities without giving up any control over speed, quality or performance.

Proven Management Process
MPS teams seamlessly deploy a four-part process to create a package of services that helps organizations reach critical business goals.

• Assess: Provides current-state costs and workflow, plus device maps
• Design: Recommends ways to improve productivity, TCO, sustainability and security
• Implement: Executes the plan to realize these benefits
• Manage: Achieve projected cost savings and productivity gains

Reduce Total Cost of Ownership
Outsourcing all or part of print management with Ricoh MPS helps reveal hidden costs, identify savings opportunities and significantly reduce spending on output.

• Remove underused devices and consolidate output among fewer centralized systems
• Establish rules-based printing
• Track output activity across the enterprise and pay one monthly charge for actual page counts

Promote Sustainability
From manufacturing practices and energy savings to regulatory compliance and recycling, Ricoh MPS helps you support sustainability.

• Align with “green” initiatives
• Add solutions that use materials resourcefully, control environmentally regulated substances and maintain air quality
• Work with Ricoh, a recognized leader in environmental responsibility

Improve Workflow and Security
MPS print management experts make sure the print environment runs smoothly and protects confidential documents.

• Analyze print volumes and workflow via remote monitoring and management
• Reach optimal device-to-user ratios and minimum distance to device
• Align the capacity of the fleet with actual volume
• Use secure printing, file encryption, removable hard drives and other techniques

Brochure of Ricoh's Print Management Solution

Rate the Ricoh Print Management Solution

Rate it! Xerox Printer Management Software Solution

Centralized dashboard for management of local and networked devices (regardless of manufacturer), including a central collection point for meter data, which provides a complete view of the imaging enterprise.

Automated supply tracking and reordering capability just-in-time inventory through continuous device monitoring.

Break Fix time is minimized with faster problem response and issue resolution through automated alert features, resulting in greater customer satisfaction.

Costs are optimized through a centralized approach and enterprise-level view of your printing environment.

Seamless integration with the imaging infrastructure to optimize assets, improve end-user productivity and satisfaction.


Rate the Xerox Print Management Solution

Define Managed Print Services? Rate It!

A service offered by printer manufacturers, dealers and even wholesale distributors that is designed to assist the business end-user to streamline management and minimize costs associated with printing and imaging.

Managed Print Services can help to cut ownership costs, enhance productivity, allocation and optimization of printing devices and reduce energy consumption. Also called Printer Management Services.

Some popular terms with Managed Print Services:

CPC - Cost Per Copy
CPC - Cost Per Print
CPSC - Cost Per Service Call
MPS - Managed Print Services
TCO - Total Cost of Ownership
SaaS - Software as a Service


We will be developing a list of manufacturers, dealers, distributors and software providers that provide a variety of Managed Print Solutions for the resellers and their business consumer.

You will be able to rate Print Managed Service Programs. Your feedback is important to help determine which solution is the best for your business.

If you want your information on the list let us know. Also interested in a link with a few keywords relating to Managed Print Services post a comment.