The Recharger Show, Managed Print Services and One Miff'd CEO

A few weeks ago, I ran across a blog entry over at "Adventures in Office Imaging". I know Nathan, the guy who wrote an MPS song, and has sponsored the "Destroy your Printer" contest, these last two years.

What caught my eye was the title, "Skipping this year's Recharger World Expo"

In the second paragraph,

"...The "Summit" is really just a sales pitch camouflaged as an MPS-101 course. It encourages everyone-and-his-uncle to dive into the market, then tells them they need a toner vendor or a printer-copier manufacturer as their "MPS partner..."

HOLY CRAP!

I put a few questions together for the author, the CEO of Expert Laser Services, Luke Carpentier. He was very kind in answering

HP cuts contractor use for printer growth

Reuters · Tuesday, Jun. 29, 2010

HONG KONG - The printing division of Hewlett-Packard Co, the world's largest PC firm, has been cutting down on the number of contract manufacturers it uses since the downturn hit in 2009, a senior executive said.

Cost savings derived from simplifying its supply chain had gone into spending on research and expanding its sales team, Vyomeh Joshi, the global head of HP's imaging and printing division, said in an interview in Hong Kong late on Monday.

"When the economy was doing great, we were shipping more and more units, probably we were not efficient," Joshi said, but declined to name specific companies. "So when the economy went down and people were delaying buying decisions, we took a look and said we don't need all this."

Espe is Gone: Copiers...Flooring...What's the Difference?

Matthew J. Espe resigned his post at Ricoh / Ikon

WEST CALDWELL, N.J., June 25, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Ricoh Americas Corporation, a leading provider of digital office equipment and advanced document management solutions and services, today announced that Kevin Togashi will assume the role of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Ricoh Americas Corporation effective July 1, 2010.

Togashi takes on the role from Matthew J. Espe who has resigned his post as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Ricoh Americas Corporation to become Chief Executive Officer and President of Armstrong World Industries, Inc.

Friday Fun Video - Yeah, its old skool, and schlocky - but Summer Friday...

I know there are tons of metaphors in here, somewhere. And I know that there is a way to connect this with MPS - somehow.

Enjoy.

Managed Print Services: "I'm From the Government and I'm here to Help - give me your hard drive."

In a recent article, "Legislation proposed to protect consumer information and prevent identity theft in New Jersey" by TOM HESTER SR., NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

"State Sen. Bob Smith and Assembly woman Linda Greenstein (both D-Middlesex) Tuesday unveiled legislation designed to attempt to combat identity theft by requiring the hard drives of all digital copy machines to be wiped clean in order to protect sensitive, personal information, which is stored on each machine, in some cases in perpetuity and unbeknownst to consumers..."

In my opinion, we don't need anymore legislation. I don't see where or even if, copier manufactures are going to be held to some level of responsibility.

SIGMANET, INC. ACHIEVES HP PARTNERONE ELITE STATUS FOR FIFTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR

Office Printing Solutions Elite Partner Status with HP Provides SIGMAnet the
Foundation to Deliver Clients Measureable Business Value

Los Angeles, CA – June 21, 2010 - SIGMAnet, Inc., an HP PartnerONE Elite Partner, today announced it has maintained its Elite membership status with HP for a fifth consecutive year. SIGMAnet met stringent technical and sales training requirements to maintain its status and join a select group of HP partners as an Office Printing Solutions (OPS) Elite partner in North America.

“We are proud to be recognized by HP as one of only a handful of partners throughout the country to earn the Elite status,” states Ahmed Al-Khatib, owner and founder of SIGMAnet.

OPS Elite partners are highly skilled in providing HP imaging and printing products and solutions, and managed print services (MPS), improving customers’ overall efficiencies in printing and imaging infrastructure optimization, and management and document workflow. The Elite status recognizes SIGMAnet’s consultative approach to solving business problems with industry experts who are skilled in simplifying complex printing and imaging solutions.

Managed Print Services: Its Not an Industry, Its a LifeStyle. Just Like Cars and Freedom.

Between one quarterly review and a MPS Planning meeting, I need to grab some grub.

In the middle of Norco, California I find a Japanese steak house, Sushi and all. Interesting tid-bits about Norco; its name is a combination of the words "North and "Corona" - Norco. Norco has no sidewalks, as it is a Horse town - the horses don't like sidewalks. And yes, there is a bar with an actual, hitching post out front.

While sitting in this Japanese eatery, in the midst of "western town, USA", watching the World Cup, and enjoying a spicy tuna roll, this comes on the tube.

Even though the sound was muted, I gotta huge kick of it.

An early 4th of July gift:

See the making off, here.

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