Your Managed Print Services Association and the European MPS Conference

Your Managed Print Services Association and the MPS conference in Amsterdam - the coming out party; the Vanguard. Think of it as a precursor to the North American conference in May.

Not only will your MPSA be attending the MPS Conference in Amsterdam, Jim Fitzpatrick the President of your MPSA will lead a presentation on the "State of Standards".

Since the election of your MPSA Team, much has been accomplished in preparation for the European MPS Conference. Indeed, in less than six months, the MPSA has built an infrastructure, website(parts under construction), and put together membership offerings.

Oh but wait, there is so much more.

A three month membership is free to those who sign up now for a limited time

Check it out here.

So, you might say,

"Greg, why in the world would I ever want to be part of the MPSA? I sell copiers, toner, printers, service, servers, telephony, storage, EDM, etc."

Good question.

Here's my answer: you will be part of something that will add value to your client relationships.

This is an organization of like minded people, at the very beginning of organizing. We are sharing insight on a non-competitive basis, elevating the discourse and breaking free form the shackles of the past...

...yeah, that was dramatic.

We are not a bunch of statisticians collecting data points from across the output device spectrum(not that there's anything wrong with that).

And we're not a group of beard scratching consultants who have been in the industry for the last 105 years espousing re-hashed copier sales training(not that there's anything wrong with that).

From my experience with just the executive members, the board members, and even our detractors, this is a good thing.

For instance, your elected officials are of such a diverse background and employed in completely different sectors - yet we all get along and we are all looking to improve MPS awareness. To use a word I have come to despise- Synergy.

We hope to establish some basic standards ultimately sharing tools that will help you transform the transactional into relational. Adding depth to your selling engagements.

But we shouldn't do it alone - we need you.

My "special" mission is to keep the direct avenue's of input open to the "trenches" - the people on the street, in the mix, winning and losing deals everyday, owners, managers, executives, clients and selling professionals.

No frackin Ivory Towers here, no elitism, no snobbish intelligentsia- this is a goal.

And it is just that, a goal. I know the solitary fighting man is a tragic story; it never ends well for the "Leonidas" of the day or a young Anakin and remember what happened to John the Baptist.

But it's fun.

- Yikes.

LOL!

Insider Trading Hits IBM - Moffat Charged

This is big.

Of course, everyone is innocent until...but the FBI don't fool around.

Especially when wire taps are involved.

"Bob Moffat is a good guy, and IBM is pretty strict about things like this," said Pete Elliot, director of marketing at Key Information Systems, a Woodland Hills, Calif.-based solution provider and IBM partner. "I'd be surprised if he was involved in things like that." - Channel Web

The full article is here.

This tomfoolery will deliver bad dividends.

Into the Belly of The Beast: Managed Print Services Discussed at Purchaser Conference

Purchasing Magazine sponsored the Smart Sourcing Summit in Chicago, October 13-14.

On the second day, just before lunch, there was a session entitled, "Business Printing Solutions: Managing Print Services".

How interesting.

That's right, a convention of Purchasers.

A collection of folks, educated in the art of "grinding" you, bent on making your job more difficult, and reducing your commissions. These PA's with their CPM's were dedicating 45 minutes to Managed Print Services.

It's no secret, I really don't like purchasers.

I can count on one hand, the number of "Purchasing Agents" I have been willing to work with over the past 20 years, and two of those, I met just within the last couple of years. But hey, we all got a job to do, and purchasing is the lynch pin of every successful business.

And it's no secret that if you are selling ANYTHING to the Purchaser, you are a commodity - not the place to start a conversation around Managed Print Services.

Which is why this article piqued my interest and to my surprise, a friend of DOTC was carrying the MPS banner - Ed from Photizo.

Check the article out.

It doesn't surprise me that MPS is getting the attention of the Purchasing community.

The MPS message, printing costs are out of control and unmanaged is resonating at all levels in business.

From the show:

"...Crowley says the lifecycle for printer or copier is three years yet uncoordinated procurement allows for out-of-date equipment to remain in service and operate badly. The problem is exacerbated since "less than 10% of total corporate print spend is for hardware..."

Although the Purchasing Department may be the antithesis of value add, it is sometimes better to align with these folks - find a common area of concern - turning the advisory into a ally.

The common issue? Cost.

MPS reduces Costs. Period. Even the most stodgy and decrypt PA understands cost reduction.