The Death of Managed Print Services : Photizo Identifies The Fourth Horseman

Sept, 2009

TheEndOfTheWorld as WeKnowIt 

It was a free Photizo webinar about vendor-provided MPS programs and how somebody looking to get into MPS could evaluate all the choices. 

A simple, straight forward, easy to understand theme. Attending would be a good way of keeping up with what others think. 

Besides, I could work some spreadsheets and email while keeping one eye on the slide deck. The presentation was interesting, the questions posed engaging - the answers even more gripping. 

For instance, when asked about the future market growth for MPS, Ed responded by saying copier sales may increase by 3% by 2013, contrasted against a 28% growth in MPS. 

More importantly, of the 80% of dealers NOT providing MPS, 50% will disappear. 

 Ominous? Yes. 

But there is something more - a darkness slowing creeping over the MPS Ecosystem. 

At first, it's just the feeling that someone is watching you, then that slight prick at the back of your neck, the sudden chill - a kick in the breeze, movement at the edge of your peripherals - are those...hooves...I hear? 

---------------- 

A question was posed by somebody trying to reconcile the "box moving" mentality with this new MPS paradigm; Transactional vs. Relationship. And Ed hit it, 

"...whoever owns the service levels, owns the customer..." - makes sense and is self-evident. 

But then the question turned to the future of MPS - I think somebody actually asked Ed to define the 3 Stages, Control, Optimize, Enhance - "what would be the fourth stage?" was the follow-up question, it seemed to be a rhetorical one. 

But Ed has an answer. The Fourth Stage. 

The first board meeting of your Managed Print Services Association was held this past Friday. This is a significant event and trumpets in MPS as a real, defined philosophy and business niche. In order for the MPSA to begin, MPS needed to have some sort of definition - vague or otherwise, there had to be a common idea to rally around. 

Part of the definition formed around the three stages of MPS, observed by the Photizo group. To be certain, HP, Xerox, and all the other players in MPS either had or developed their own definition in "stages" or "phases" - but the basic 3 stages, Control, Optimize, Enhance apply to most MPS programs. 

As observed here on DOTC, the first two stages are sufficient and fall nicely into the traditional copier, office equipment model. The Third stage, Enhance, is a bit more advanced and demands more expertise. But the Fourth Stage is purely mind-blowing. 

Ed defined the fourth stage a managed print services Practice, managing the entire network. 

Imagine your remote monitoring software reading supply levels, meter reads, service events as well as network traffic, power consumption, and desktop PC usage. Imagine being hired by your client to optimize the network completely. Asset management, service calls, data flow - everything - managing the dynamic IT infrastructure. 

Yes, the Fourth Stage will take the "P" out of MPS - or will it? It is my opinion, that the Fourth stage will see the end of MPS. Hybrid firms swallowed up by the likes of EDS/HP, IBM, InfoPrint, and print devices showing up on Tivoli, UniCenter or MainView not PrintFleet, or Print Audit. The Fourth Stage is the Fourth Horseman - you know who rides and you know what follows. 

Have a nice day.

Ricoh can monitor Copier Power using IBM software

Ricoh's Embedded Intelligence System works with IBM's Tivoli Monitoring Networked Multifunction Products- And Why is This Important?

HP, Xerox, Ricoh and Dell: Something Wicked This Way Comes

My 2009 Favorite Posts: 11

While reviewing the past year's worth of posts, I stumbled on some of my favorites and a few that churned up some interest.

The Death of Managed Print Services : Photizo Identifies The Fourth Horseman

Copier & I.T. Sales People - Skip the Product or MPS Launch/Training - Get Business Training

MaNAgeD PRinT SerVIces - Does it Really Matter How WE Define It?

Killer Toner is Back: New Study Confirms Laser Printers release "tiny toxic particles" - But so does making Toast.

12 Things I Hate About Managed Print Services

Danger! Danger! Anyone Who Sells in Our Industry, The Copier Industry: Change or Die. I ain't kiddin either

The Demo From Hades: This Is What Happens When You Take Your Eye Off Your Opponent

Is Your Managed Print Services Practice Customer Centric or Process Centric? - Maybe We Should Ask Your Clients.

The Death of Managed Print Services : Photizo Identifies The Fourth Horseman

The "Hunters vs. Farmers" Sales Metephor - It's Dead: Let's Break Out of The Box

Today, I Had Drinks with a Hero...

Managed Print Services, the Copier and the Traditional Copier Dealer : End of Days

2011

I've been saying it for years now.

For my observations, I have been chastised, rebuffed, chortled at, poo-pooed, and mocked.

Heck, the first time I took, TheDeathOfTheCopier "out in public" (Lyra, 2009), some guy looked at my name badge, cocked his head, and practically yelled, "...Death of the copier? Do you know who we are? We're all dealers!" Like I knew his sister, biblically or something. Yikes.

Well, it doesn't make me all that happy to report the name of this blog is starting to look more prophetic than humorous. The Fourth Horseman is soon upon us.

IBM and Ricoh Managed Print Services via Tivoli

As first mentioned on DOTC back in April of 2009 here and here, IBM and Ricoh are working together to give clients complete control of their output devices along side their PC's, servers and network appliances.

Today announcing, "...they have developed an advanced device and printing management system which infuses office devices with real-time tracking and monitoring to help firms significantly reduce their print-related costs, improve service and cut back on carbon footprints..."

"IBM's design collaboration with Ricoh on this initiative demonstrates how we are bringing a new level of 'smart' to offices, and significant operational savings for the customer," said Bruce Anderson, general manager, IBM Electronics Industry. "As CIOs work to drive down costs, printers and other office devices offer an attractive target for improvement."

What does this mean? The enterprise MPS niche just got a little bit more competitive.


It's a "see I told ya so" moment.

Press Release:

IBM and Ricoh Deliver Intelligent Print Monitoring and Management System

LAS VEGAS, Feb. 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- PULSE -- IBM ( IBM) and Ricoh today announced they have developed an advanced device and printing management system which infuses office devices with real-time tracking and monitoring to help firms significantly reduce their print-related costs, improve service and cut back on carbon footprints

Through an Application Specific Licensing agreement with IBM, Ricoh will bundle the new system, which is based on IBM Tivoli software, with its multi-function products (MFPs) making the new systems available for enterprise clients.

While IT services have become more managed and optimized, most businesses still do not have enough insight into and control of their printing devices' use and costs. These costs extend beyond the hardware and printers to include consumables, labor for repairs and system updates as well as the high cost of energy and resulting carbon footprint. Underscoring the need for better print-related cost controls is recent Gartner research data which indicates that organizations that manage their printer, copier and fax fleets can save between 10-30 percent of their print costs.

"This new, enterprise-class system will give our global customers complete visibility across their fleet of printers and MFP devices, helping them to better manage and optimize printing as an office function," said Hede Nonaka, executive vice president, Marketing & Document Solutions and Services Division, Ricoh Americas Corporation. "The solution will also be a core technology for our Managed Document Services (MDS) offering."

Tivoli software can manage a range of assets beyond the datacenter including office equipment such as printers, office MFPs and production printing machines. Tivoli technology manages policies to control end-user printing features and tracks energy usage and carbon footprint for print services, reporting at the device, department and individual level.

In addition to print management and monitoring carbon footprints, the new system can identify service issues with devices and automatically route alerts to local service desks for remediation before service is affected. It will also capture and manage assets and supplies information, improving accounting processes.

"IBM's design collaboration with Ricoh on this initiative demonstrates how we are bringing a new level of 'smart' to offices, and significant operational savings for the customer," said Bruce Anderson, general manager, IBM Electronics Industry. "As CIOs work to drive down costs, printers and other office devices offer an attractive target for improvement."

The Death of Managed Print Services : Photizo Identifies The Fourth Horseman

HP, Xerox, Ricoh and Dell: Something Wicked This Way Comes

Ricoh and IBM Alliance:The Shape of Things to Come

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