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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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? 

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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

RiKON/Ricoh Blazing Into Managed Print Services - Four Stages, 23 Modules - WOW

A couple weeks back, while off the grid, I had an epiphany of sorts. I wish now that I had written it down then.

As the tedious and fatiguing debate "raged" around the definition of MPS, someone asked me what I thought a perfect MPS Practice would look like.

I didn't have a quick answer, but I did give an answer.

Later, around midnight, I pondered, weak and weary, remembering back to the good aspects of IKON, there are plenty, when it struck me - "if Ricoh got their act together, and combined the IKON trifecta, Professional Services, Equipment Sales and Service, & Facilities Management into one MPS Practice, they would be unstoppable..."

Well, I guess I am not the only one to have seen the potential:

Ricoh - "...today announced that it is now offering a robust Managed Document Services (MDS) Program. Managed Print Services (MPS) provides the foundation for this program, which focuses on total cost of ownership, business process improvement, security and compliance and environmental sustainability. While Ricoh has provided professional services for its clients for nearly a decade, its recent IKON acquisition and growing market demand for MPS has allowed the company to enhance its capabilities in this area..." GMTA

This is great - I just have a few questions. Who the hell is Prosci, what is his change management methodology and why did Ricoh decide to use it?

Read on...

From the Press release, 7/9/2009- format changed and links added.

Ricoh Helps Create Positive Organizational Change With Managed Document Services Program

WEST CALDWELL, N.J., July 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Ricoh Americas Corporation, a leading provider of digital office equipment, today announced that it is now offering a robust Managed Document Services (MDS) Program. Managed Print Services (MPS) provides the foundation for this program, which focuses on total cost of ownership, business process improvement, security and compliance and environmental sustainability.

While Ricoh has provided professional services for its clients for nearly a decade, its recent IKON acquisition and growing market demand for MPS has allowed the company to enhance its capabilities in this area.

Beyond conducting assessments, implementing solutions, providing on-site and off-site management of fleets, Ricoh MDS helps customers effectively change their document output practices across their organization, streamlining processes and cutting costs, which is especially critical in today's economic climate. A new Managed Document Services logo with the tagline "MPS and Beyond" helps communicate Ricoh's intention to deliver additional document management services.

Ricoh and IKON both had strong best practices with regard to MPS, but with their combined insights, Ricoh is able to take its services to the next level. In fact, together these best practices set the groundwork for Ricoh's MDS Program.

One of the most important methodologies Ricoh has developed from this fusion of expertise, resources and thought leadership is a strategic four-phase approach for effective managed services.

In the first stage of the MDS methodology, Ricoh utilizes DOCutivity(R) to assess the current document output environment of a business and identify the technologies, associated costs and process workflows in place.

Then, in phase two, system architects design a new document management workflow blueprint that takes into consideration security regulations, process improvement, total cost of ownership and environmental sustainability.

The third step entails the transformation of an old workflow system of a business to a new and improved version that introduces more evolved technologies which reduces risks, enhances efficiency and makes document management easier for the end-user.

Last is the fourth phase -- Ricoh manages the fleet, provides operations, continuous improvement and additional support services. Regardless of the hardware and software solutions implemented, Ricoh offers on-site and remote services to effectively govern the new and existing systems.

Further, Ricoh's support services do more than simply answer questions, troubleshoot problems and install supplies; they work with businesses to change output practices across their entire organization. There are a total of 23 Service Modules that Ricoh can deliver within the MDS Program.

Understanding that office cultures cannot be changed overnight, members of Ricoh's MDS Teams apply Prosci's change management methodology. Prosci has become the leading provider of change management tools and benchmarking reports, working with more than 2,000 companies from 65 countries on research projects in change management.

Prosci's popular ADKAR(R) model is used worldwide. Following this methodology, Ricoh works with a customer's corporate office and end-users to formalize guiding principles of the change management program, which are to be carried out by everyone across the organization. Once these are set, staff training takes place to ensure they understand these principles and why it is essential to abide by them.

Additionally, Ricoh collaborates with the customer to internally promote a branded campaign, which includes marketing materials that generate awareness, develop desire, educate, and reinforce the program principles.

A significant return on investment can be seen as end-users change habits and integrate new workflows into their everyday practices -- helping companies reduce costs, better utilize information, decrease environmental impact, and improve efficiency.

"By enabling control of output-related costs and assets, optimizing the fleet and enhancing the document management environment, customers will see efficiencies across the board with the MDS Program which will provide them a competitive advantage in today's marketplace," said Dan Waldinger, Director, Strategic Marketing, Ricoh Americas Corporation. "We are proud to offer a program that does not provide a temporary solution based on existing needs, but seeks to positively change behavior within an organization to lead to more effective, lasting results. Ricoh has made significant investments in delivery mechanisms and provided continuous improvement for its customers over time. To this end, we are best suited to deliver the benefits associated with an MPS deployment."
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- THIS IS IMPORTANT, IGNORE AT YOUR OWN PERIL -

As press releases go, at first blush, this one appears the standard - but upon further review is a bevy of Ricoh/MPS tidbits.

First off - Prosci's Methodology of Change, I bet my friend Ken Stewart knows all about this.
Secondly - the Fusion of IKON strengths. I agree.
Third - 23 Modules. Holy Crap!
Fourth - "...provide continuous improvement ...over time...". Long term Partnerships with clients.
Five - branding, "MPS And Beyond". Getting away from the "P" in MPS.
Six - INTERNAL branding(!) a la, Dow and Nationwide. Ricoh must have been at the MPS Conference in San Antonio. Deeper client relationships.

So we can finally add Ricoh to the herd - Xerox PagePack, Konica Minolta OPS, Samsung, Kyocera, and expected announcements/re-launches from Oki, Toshiba and HP(who?), looks like by summer's end, every "big boi" will have a pound of flesh in the game.

And let's not forget the IBM connection, InfoPrint.

To me, it seems Ricoh has been paying attention over the last 12 months not only to MPS demand, but to the stumbling and misfires of MPS program launches.

Of course, planning, fancy process names, and logo's will get you only so far.

Execution in the trenches is where the rubber will meet the road - we are watching.

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

Read More Here. Full PR Here.

Ricoh can monitor Copier Power using IBM software

TOKYO, Apr 13, 2009 -- Japan's Ricoh Co. said Thursday that it has developed a system that can be used to monitor copy machines' power consumption in real time, managing multiple copiers simultaneously via a network to help a company save energy and cut costs.

This system uses Tivoli system management software from IBM Corp. and is the first fruit of the agreement forged by two firms in December to cooperate in information technology systems. Ricoh and IBM agreed to work together in development of products and services and to share global sales networks.

With the new system, the IT manager can use Tivoli to monitor all copiers connected to the network and remotely adjust the usage parameters for each machine in order to help the company meet its cost-cutting goals.

Ricoh said it plans to commercialize the system sometime this fiscal year.
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DOTC - The IT guys are taking MPS.

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

Remote Monitoring Ricoh announced it a few weeks ago... Managed Service Providers are wondering when HP will make it so... Xerox has been writing to open APIs... Dell has been running a pilot program for months... What gives and why should we care?

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

Ricoh announced new, embedded intelligence technology with IBM's Tivoli Monitoring and Asset Management for IT.

This solution monitors MFP energy consumption and automates settings based on a corporation's environmental management objectives.

For instance, if all users in a particular workgroup are not using their computers, the system will recognize this inactivity and automatically shut down the workgroup's MFP to a sleep mode.

This is a pretty big step and one that illustrates the significant meshing of IT and MFPs.

The complete Press Release:

LAS VEGAS, Feb 09, 2009 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ --

Company: International Business Machines Corp. (IBM)

New Solution Works Seamlessly with IBM's Tivoli Software to Manage Energy Consumption and Lower Total Cost of Ownership

Ricoh Americas Corporation, a leading provider of digital office equipment, today announced the preliminary showing of its new embedded intelligence technology with IBM's Tivoli Monitoring and Asset Management for IT at the IBM Pulse conference in Las Vegas.

The solution monitors and reports on Ricoh multifunction product (MFP) energy consumption and automates settings based on a corporation's environmental management objectives. The solution will be on display for demonstration February 8-11, 2009, at booth #70 in the IBM Industry Zone at Pulse Solutions Center.

Ricoh's solution tracks the activity of all Ricoh MFPs connected to a network in order to gauge real-time metrics of power usage through IBM's Tivoli system management software. An IT administrator can define customized metrics by defining parameters on an individual company's cost reduction and sustainability goals. The Ricoh system is able to identify when established thresholds have been reached and will automatically adjust the network's settings. For instance, if all users in a particular workgroup are not using their computers, the system will recognize this inactivity and automatically shut down the workgroup's MFP to a sleep mode, greatly reducing power consumption and costs.

Ricoh's solution can also enable a company to apply print rules that push settings onto workgroups. Therefore, if a particular group is consistently failing to meet the company's sustainability goals, the settings can force users to duplex or limit prints in order to better manage and improve the company's carbon footprint.

"Environmental issues and sustainable practices are at the forefront of business now more than ever. Therefore, Ricoh and IBM are demonstrating an innovative solution for managing MFP power consumption," said Mark Minshull, vice president and chief technologist, Ricoh Americas Corporation. "Ricoh and IBM are leaders in promoting sustainability both internally and to our customers, and this solution, which integrates our leading technologies, is another example of how we can help customers 'green' their operations while also improving their bottom line."

Previously, adjustments for power management had to be made manually, often for each individual product. With the new Ricoh solution with Tivoli, all adjustments are made automatically based on an enterprise's environmental policies. Additionally, Tivoli can change the energy settings for all IT assets connected to the network simultaneously from the desktop of the administrator.

Minshull will also be leading a breakout session at the conference for attendees titled "Leveraging IBM Service Management and Ricoh Embedded MFP Intelligence to Deliver a Total Green Office Solution." The session will focus on the implementation of IBMs through IBM's Tivoli Monitoring and Asset Management for IT software with Ricoh's embedded solution. Minshull will give insight into trends in green management and industry standards, as well as ways to consolidate and improve office equipment utilization with asset optimization. The session will be held at 10:30 am (PST) on February 10 in room 106 at the Conference Center of the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

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Ricoh and IBM's Alliance Spearheaded by Ricoh's New Document Security and Management Services (DSMS).

Ricoh to the Channel - "...I can't guarantee it has no impact [on channel partners], but IBM is obviously in a lot of places already,"

According to a press release today, January 5th, IBM and Ricoh will first launch a new Ricoh offering, Document Security and Management Services (DSMS) in the US.

This solution builds upon Ricoh's expertise in helping customers improve their document workflow, security and compliance, while reducing the total cost of ownership of office equipment investment and advancing environmental sustainability practices.

The DSMS offering includes Assessment & Deployment, End User Services, Managed Services, Security, Green Office and Enterprise Content Management services, which will be delivered by Ricoh Document Solutions and Services Division and IBM's Global Technology Services.

In addition, Ricoh has an agreement to resell IBM's Managed Server offering and collaborate on the sale and delivery of IBM software, hardware and services, such as End User Services, Internet Security Systems (ISS) Services, Business Continuity & Resiliency Services, and Storage & Data Services.

In an interview with ChannelWeb, Mark Minshull, recently promoted, Ricoh Vice President and Chief Technologist said, "Ricoh and IBM have been working together for a long time, so I see this as kind of a deepening of that relationship," adding, "We're teaming up at a sales level to go after major global accounts and do what we each do best. Ricoh and IBM pair up very nicely. The promise ... is to lower the cost of implementation -- incorporate an service oriented architecture (SOA) into MFPs so they can more easily integrate into IBM's selling process. Over time, printers are becoming very smart and sophisticated, and it makes sense to use enterprise network monitoring tools like Tivoli."

Minshull said he did not anticipate conflict with Ricoh's channel as a result of the alliance, the focus of which, he said, is primarily on the largest, enterprise-level accounts.

"...I can't guarantee it has no impact [on channel partners], but IBM is obviously in a lot of places already," he said. "In both the U.S. and Europe, the focus tends to be larger companies with enterprise-wide initiatives."

"IBM and Ricoh are both trying to solve the same problems," Minshull added. "Take the IBM Tivoli story and meld it with the Ricoh one. There's a lot of strategic symmetry in where they're going and where we're going. Looking at [Hewlett-Packard] and what they're doing with EDS, this is a natural fit for us to offer a high-end services capability."

"Ricoh and IBM's partnership will help clients to incorporate MFP capabilities into their business in the same way a new building block could be added to an existing structure." , said Sandy Carter, vice president IBM SOA and WebSphere.
A SOA-enabled Ricoh MFP facilitates the integration of other new technologies including autonomic computing that proactively alerts customers when a problem arises so they can resolve it before failure of the device occurs. Also, by integrating supply chain management systems with diagnostic data generated within the MFP, the ability to automatically order MFP supplies can be performed.

Ricoh and IBM Alliance:The Shape of Things to Come