Canon Joins the Rest of The Imaging World: Announces 12 Steps To Managed Print Services: Wait, That's not Right...

As the rest of the industry stumbles, tumbles and clamors their way towards MPS nirvana, Canon stays the course - announcing that they will introduce a new line of copiers.

In light of the recent forays into MPS by Xerox, HP and other manufacturers, Canon's relative quiet, is deafening.

What is going on?

In a statement made today, Canon announced that their first new line in nine years will consist of three series composed of 12 machines. These units will be sold under the "ImageRunner Advance" nameplate.

The machines will be geared toward 12,000 images/month. One unit, the C7065 will produce color, A4 images at 60 ppm and prices out at around $35k(retail).

These sound like great boxes - I can't wait to include them under my MPS Engagements.

Strange Twist - Managed Print Services is Redefined Again: Printing Industry of America

In an unpredictable and amusing way, HP's announcement today regarding the Printing Payback Guarantee, triggered negative reaction from the PIA.

You will remember the PIA is the Printing Industries of America.

They bill themselves as "...the world's largest graphic arts trade association..." and today chastised HP for leaving it's core business to start printing greeting cards.

Hang on, this is going to be fun...


From the PIA Press release...

"...It is with disappointment, therefore, that Printing Industries of America learned of HP's latest offering -- managed print services, which was advertised with great fanfare in this morning's Wall Street Journal. "We are always concerned when a major vendor in our industry deviates from its core offerings to venture into managing print solutions, which the private sector has competitively provided for hundreds of years," notes Michael Makin, President and CEO of Printing Industries of America..."

Go ahead, read it again...

HP is deviating from "its core offerings to venture into managing print solutions..."?

Whiskey...Tango...Foxtrot!

LOL! The PIA are the folks printing your wedding invitations, posters, handbooks,etc.

What is your definition of Managed Print Services?

I am pretty sure it is not online customer job tickets, soft proofing of files on line, job status, retrieval of jobs and files, instant notification of job arrivals and proof approvals, and a product catalog.

Wait. It might not now be, but maybe it SHOULD be someday---?

I was in absolute shock - stunned actually.

I didn't understand when murmurings appeared on Twitter about "PIA's negative reaction to HP's announcement" - who the heck is PIA?

Did Ben kill a fly during the press conference?

How could anyone respond negatively to a simple guarantee?

Alias, a PR was issued, and the third ugly head of ignorance around the definition of Managed Print Services spewed forth.

I doubt very much that my comment will be posted on their board - I have been accused of sometimes being "blunt".

The PR is here. Go now, enjoy. My comment, that will never see the light of day, or smell the sweet scent of ink, is below:

OMG!

There is no way an organization that has been around for "100 years" can be so stupid...right?

"HP...Compromising their position..."

LOL! Bufoons!

I would urge all PIA members to re-evaluate their membership if this is the kind of direction the PIA leadership hands down.

Stunning...absolutely stunning...

You could have at least Googled "Managed Print Services" - even on dial-up the correct information could have saved you this embarrassment.


Too much, do you think?

HP Managed Print Services Guarantee Announcement - The Ben Stein and Bruce Dahlgren - Show Simple Analysis

Special guests, Intel, ST, and InfoTrends.

My impressions.

The HP Printing Payback Guarantee -

Simply put, HP guarantee's an amount of savings, based on analysis and implementation of a new HP Managed Print Services Agreement.

Companies will be required to complete a detailed, fee based assessment.

The agreement also requires a hardware/supplies/service agreement for a minimum of 3 years.

After a year, HP conducts another assessment to determine past savings. HP will credit the difference between projected and actual savings.

Although most of this is re-hashed, I think the Guarantee is new - which is probably a bummer for Intel and ST; or is it?

Here's the deal with this guarantee:

First, there is a low probability that HP will ever need to credit any client. There is practically now way that any company will not be able to save money after implementing MPS, anybody's MPS, because most have no idea and no control of printing costs.

Also, HP will perform an in depth, detailed FEE BASED, assessment before offering the guarantee - they will know where all the skeletons are buried and exactly how much they can save their client. Ratchet that number back 10% and savings can be guaranteed.

Third, this is a great marketing technique(opposed to a marketing scheme) for a the client to be offered the guarantee, a three year hardware/supplies/service agreement must be initiated - delicious.

Fourth, after the first year HP performs another assessment, not sure if this one is fee based, to determine the delta between projected and actual savings.

If the projected is less then the actual, HP issues a credit - not a check. You tell me, if HP knows they need to find $100,000 of savings, they will find $101,000 - genius. One can only wonder what happens if the proposed savings ends up being more then actual - will the client issue HP a credit?

I am sure this move will be dissected ad nauseam.

This is a Enterprise Account issue - and for most of the channel, this announcement won't effect day to day activity.

Details Here.