Holy Crap! Dell buys Perot Systems - Getting Serious About MSP

Perot Systems was the business Ross Perot created years after selling EDS to GM. It is EDS-like - providing IT services to corporate clients.

Right or wrong, I have always viewed Dell as a "second tier" PC provider. I remember when it was Dell and Gateway, slugging in out for all that "mail order" business, while I sold IBM PS/2's and Compaq DeskPro's.

Dell never made anything, they simply aggregated off-shore parts into a box.

Times have changed. Well, I guess the times change a while back...

"We consider Perot Systems to be a premium asset with great people that enhances our opportunities for immediate and long-term growth," Michael Dell, CEO of Dell, said in a statement. "This significantly expands Dell's enterprise-solutions capabilities and makes Perot Systems' strengths available to even more customers around the world. There will be efficiencies from combining the companies, but the acquisition makes such great sense because of the obvious ways our businesses complement each other."

One article here.

Six Questions to HP - Canon, OPS Elite and the Odyssey That is Edgeline

I've had the opportunity to pose queries to HP directly. The questions are via email, the answers are prompt, succinct and a bit, "political".

From Tom Codd, Director, Enterprise Marketing, Imaging and Printing Group, HP and Larry Trevarthen, Market Development Director, LaserJet Enterprise Solutions, Imaging and Printing Group, HP.

It's only six questions, enjoy.


1. Death of the Copier (DOTC), Will the OPS Elite resellers have access to the Canon product? If so, when, if not, why not.

"HP and Canon’s joint strategic intent is to extend customer choice in MPS as we believe this is the customer segment where the combination of HP’s MPS and Canon’s MFDs offer the greatest value proposition for customers. As the alliance with Canon evolves, HP will assess the possible extension into the channel space. This could include, but not be limited to, some select OPS partners that will be designated as agents and work with HP’s Direct Sales teams on new MPS opportunities."

2. DOTC, Is Canon providing the service on the HP/Canon line?

"Under the expanded alliance, HP will continue to service its printers and Canon will provide servicing and support for their full range of MFDs. HP will remain the initial point of contact for the customer in support, break/fix and supplies replenishment situations. Canon service personal will be dispatched for the actual support work."

3. DOTC, How does this effect Edgeline's future? Will there be new Edgeline devices?

"The new, expanded alliance between HP and Canon will have no effect on the future of HP Edgeline. HP continues to sell the CM8060 and CM8050 MFPs with Edgeline Technology. Furthermore, the Edgeline MFPs continue to meet customer needs and add value where it counts – operational cost savings, reliability, productivity, administration and environmental friendliness."

And three questions posed to Larry Trevarthen, Market Development Director, LaserJet Enterprise Solutions, Imaging and Printing Group, HP.

1. DOTC, Is HP selling Edgeline? And, if not, when did HP decide to cease selling Edgeline?

"Yes, HP continues to sell the CM8060 and CM8050 MFPs with Edgeline Technology. The Edgeline MFPs continue to meet customer needs and add value where it counts – operational cost savings, reliability, productivity, administration and environmental friendliness."

2. DOTC, How will HP support the Edgeline customer and the Edgeline dealers today or in the future?

"As always, HP will continue to provide first-class customer premise equipment (CPE) support as long as the products are sold and to additionally support current and future customers and resellers with service and parts. Furthermore, HP channel partners are critically important to our business, and we intend to continue to partner with them for our current single-function and MFP products, services and solutions, including transitioning to next generation products."

3. DOTC, Is there a replacement product? If so, what is the timeframe?

"HP does not comment publicly on future product announcements. However, the CM8060 and CM8050 MFPs are and will continue to be important assets in our portfolio and for our customers who value cost savings, performance, environmental friendless and device consolidation. We are committed to extending our leadership in the MFP market and to providing our customers the best products, services and solutions. We will continue broadening our printing portfolio in order to offer an exciting lineup of products for our enterprise customers. The HP CM8060 and CM8050 Color MFPs with Edgeline Technology continue to be ideal solutions for customers who need a departmental-class color MFP that helps improve productivity and control operating costs."

Ricoh Files U.S. Patent Infringement Suit Against Oki Data

Details are still sketchy and this sort of thing usually takes place thousands of feet above most of us.

But it is about MFP's. We will be watching this one.

Ricoh Company, Ltd. (Shiro Kondo, President and CEO. Hereafter "Ricoh"), Ricoh Americas Corporation, Ricoh's managing sales company in the United States (Kazuo Togashi, CEO. Hereafter "RAC"), and Ricoh Electronics, Inc., Ricoh's manufacturing company in the United States (Yoshinori Yamashita, President) filed a complaint with the United States International Trade Commission on September 18, 2009 (U.S. EST) against Oki Data Corporation (hereafter "Oki Data") and Oki Data Americas, Inc. (Oki Data's United States subsidiary) for violation of Section 337 of the United States Tariff Act of 1930.

Among other things, Ricoh seeks an exclusion order from the ITC barring Oki Data's importation of Oki Data products that practice certain United States patents owned by Ricoh. Further, on the same day, Ricoh and RAC filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware (State of Delaware) against Oki Data and Oki Data Americas, Inc. for infringement of other United States patents owned by Ricoh. Together, the lawsuits concern eight United States patents that cover products including digital multifunction printers (MFP) and printers.

Since April of 2006, Ricoh and Oki Data have been negotiating for the renewal of a patent license agreement between the two companies. Because the companies have been unable to reach an agreement, Ricoh is taking necessary action to protect its intellectual property against unauthorized use. Ricoh respects the intellectual property rights of others, and expects the same treatment in return.

A "Pyramid Scheme" in Copiers - The Struggles of Governor French Academy Continue

This story has legs - four of them.

We first brought you this account last month. The same, familiar routine, "shady" copier dealer churns customers, flexing buyouts into upgrades, never returns equipment to leasing company. Lease company continues to bill, receives no payments, sends letter, customer is shocked to learn they are still on the hook for the original lease.

This is excessive - there are around 7 leasing companies involved, possibly an eighth, and they all want this school to pay up. The school owes about 50 million clicks worth of Francs.

Nasty business, this.

And yet, so delicious...

When I first started on my DOTC, writing journey I would review my Google Analytics daily.

Checking how many hits came in and from where - I could tell my parents looked once, a few hits from my sister, some acquaintances etc. And after things "blew up" I would occasionally check the popularity of particular articles.

Those days have long since past - I rarely look at the stats - until last week.

A quick perusal of the most popular articles revealed an interesting point - views of lease related articles tripled over the last 60 days. Tripled.

I credit this spike to:

1. More interest in leasing because more people are making decisions to get new copiers
2. More people are looking for ways to get out of their existing lease

And unfortunately, this type of action makes our jobs that more difficult.

Escalation -

Now, the Illinois Attorney General's is involved. They announced an investigation, and the local gendarmes, already on the case, are cooperating with federal authorities.

Officials at Governor French Academy say the school owes at least $500,000 after leasing copiers from Kevin Welch of Okawville, in what they now call a complicated Ponzi scheme.

Thus far, no criminal charges have been filed.

So, copiers are at the heart of this intrigue - greed, schemes, local non-profit, and federal investigations.

Keep an eye out for a little sex, some drugs, gambling and hookers in this escapade.

Quel dommage!

12 Things I Hate About Managed Print Services

12. How some I.T. people think "printers" are below their intellectual standards.

11. How some purchasing agents think of MPS Providers as a cell on the Big Spreadsheet.

10. The dealership/VAR owners who don't allow MPS Sales Professionals access to the company's existing customers.

9. Manufacturers who still think MPS is CPC.

8. Bad copier salespeople.

7. How some in the industry focus more on themselves than the customer.

6. Lease agreements.

5. Newbies who don't think they are Newbies.

4. "Experts" who haven't been in the field for over a decade.

3. MPS training text that has been generated through the simple Search and Replaced function; "MPS" for "copier".

2. MPS Practices that are better than mine.

And the Number One thing I Hate About Managed Print Services -

1. The word "Print" in Managed Print Services.

9/2009

Canon and HP Announce Alliance - the Silence is Over and The Questions Begin

HP and Canon will share technology enhancing their existing partnership. HP will start selling Canon products by the end of the year; these units will carry the Canon placard, eventually switching over to the blue "HP".

 

"HP will now have the full line of hardware to bring to the customer," said Bruce Dahlgren, senior vice president of sales and services in HP's IPG. "And [Canon] will be able to leverage our managed print service as a way to get their copiers sold."

For months, maybe a year, the industry has predicted this and waited - this is a big deal. Maybe not as big as the IKON/Ricoh assimilation, but still big. 

I am sure more will be out in the following days and weeks answering questions like: 

How will this work with the existing VAR channel?

Indeed, is this for the Enterprise (HP direct) business only? 

Does this now open up all Canon dealers to HP? 

Does this now allow all HP SVIP/OPS VARs access to the Canon/HP line?

Canon and HP: A Response to Ricoh/IKON?

Canon U.S.A. Acquires San Francisco-Based NEWCAL Industries

A press release from Canon. (Source: Business Wire)trackingCanon Inc. (NYSE: CAJ) and HP (NYSE: HPQ) today announced an expanded alliance to jointly market and distribute a new range of multifunction office systems that unite the best of both companies: Canon's leading multifunction devices and HP's enterprise printing and imaging assets. 

The alliance builds on an established relationship between Canon and HP, and positions the companies to offer customers a new class of web-enabled solutions that combine Canon's superior multifunction device processing and imaging systems with HP's leading device manageability, IT integration and office workflow capabilities. 

With the broader range of software and service offerings supported by EDS, an HP company, along with Managed Print Services from HP and Canon's global Services and Support offerings, enterprise customers now have access to one of the most complete offerings in the industry, delivering improved efficiencies and greater cost savings. This alliance includes current and future product portfolios from both companies, providing customers greater fleet compatibility across their entire office printing infrastructures. 

Canon and HP also will benefit from access to each other's management and third-party development software portfolios, including Canon imageWARE Enterprise Management Console and Canon MEAP as well as HP Web Jetadmin and the HP Open Extensibility Platform. The expanded portfolio of products and services is expected to be available to customers in North America and Europe, as well as global customers from these regions. 

"Through this new alliance with HP, we look forward to bringing the advantages of Canon's high-versatility, high-performance multifunction products to an expanded user base," said Masaki Nakaoka, managing director and chief executive, Office Imaging Products Operations, Canon Inc. 

"We expect this will maximize benefits for both companies' customers while also paving the way to increased growth for both Canon and HP." "HP has long been an industry leader with a portfolio of products, software, services and solutions that enable enterprise customers worldwide to improve their imaging and printing efficiencies without compromising the reliability, quality or professionalism of their documents," said David Murphy, senior vice president, Imaging and Printing Group, HP.

"In growing our relationship with Canon to offer customers value-added and more holistic IT solutions, we are confident organizations will enhance productivity with their imaging and printing and overall business workflow needs."

Ricoh to Buy IKON - Shot Heard Around the World

When Do You Look the Prospect in Eye and Say "No"?

From a question posed on LinkedIn - 

For me, selling every single day B2B, I believe that it is about Qualifying on a continuous basis- explicitly with the customer and internally on your own checklist. 

One approach I have found is to mention this right up front, on the first call - "...Mr. Prospect, if at any time during our journey, either of us sees that there isn't a fit, if, for instance, you notice that my process doesn't mix with yours, or if I see that my recommendation isn't in your budget, either one of us can decide to part ways. 

No hard feelings...does that sound(look or feel) fair?" 

Ok, maybe a little old school on the Fair Trail, but you get the point. Make it ok for your prospect to tell you no - AND make it easier for you to say no. But you gotta have 'it' - the Cheddar, the confidence, the testicular fortitude, the knowledge that you have something that others will want...simple as that. Selling is different nowadays (no it isn't but people feel better thinking it is). 

There is no reason that any selling professional should be any prospect's "whipping boy" unless we let them treat us like one. Or perhaps you're into that sorta thing, I don't judge. And that is the real problem. 

There are too many amateur salespeople, working for cheesy sales organizations being taught "the pencil sell", "puppy dog close", F.U.D. and techniques, it makes our job more difficult than it should be. 

As for how to tell a pain in the butt prospect that you don't want his business...simply tell him he deserves different and give him one of your competitor's business cards... wait for it...wait for it...those of you with the 'cheddar' know why -