Adventures in Office Imaging

This blog has moved

noreply@blogger.com (Nathan Dube) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 12:08:00 +0000

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We have MOVED!

noreply@blogger.com (Nathan Dube) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 15:45:00 +0000

Due to the rather off putting news announced by Google yesterday, Adventures in Office Imaging has moved to its new location (click here) so that we can continue to host the blog ourselves and reap the rewards of inbound links. Now don't fret, other than the location nothing will change! We will still provide you with the same professional, informative and entertaining industry perspective you have come to know and love in regards to Adventures in Office Imaging. See you at the new spot!

AIOI

Foodie Fridays: Two Cousins Italian Restaurant

noreply@blogger.com (Nathan Dube) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:12:00 +0000

When first pulling up to Two Cousins Italian Restaurant in Southbridge, MA. you may think "meh" does not look all that special, perhaps we should go elseware. However if were to act on such a thought you would miss a truly amazing and authentic Italian meal. The very friendly and hospitable owner Chef Sagundo is from Italy, was a successful chef in NYC, and moved to Southbridge for his family. While the outer appearance of the building speaks nothing of the incredible food inside one must remember you really can't judge a book by its cover.

Offering succulent variations of delicious traditional Italian foods such as antipastos, superb thin crust pizza, chapino, seafood fra diavolo, spaghetti and meatballs, homeade italian sausages and many other wonderful hand crafted italian delights, one could easily find themselves instantly transported to the Mediterranean with a single bite of any of these fantastic dishes.

My personal favorite, the seafood fra diavolo, is chocked full of the freshest lobster, shrimp, calamari, mussels , clams, and scallops served over perfectly cooked linguine that rests in a simply sublime, spicy garlic and herb marinara sauce.

All meals begin with complementary slices of Italan flatbread and fresh homemade bruschetta. The restaurant boasts a full bar with a good selection of fine wines, bottled beers and liquors. If you have room after your meal I would highly suggest indulging in the homade tarimisu or cannoli, both of which offer sinfully sweet, yet at the same time delicate flavors and makes for the perfect end to a perfect meal. While the service has been less than great at times, usually one can expect average to above average service and depending upon how busy the evening is you can almost bet on Chef Segundo, full of good spirit and with a smile upon his face coming to your table and checking to be sure that everyone is happy with their meal.

So if you ever find yourself in in Southbridge, MA I urge to stop by Two Cousins Italian Restaurant and enjoy the authentic taste of Italy without having to buy a plane ticket.

MPSA - 2010 Looking Forward Webninar

noreply@blogger.com (Nathan Dube) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 20:13:00 +0000

Today at 11:00am I signed into the MPSA's first webinar which will surely be one of many to come. Despite several technical difficulties including The Eagles "Peaceful Easy Feeling", which to the bane of the presenters played over the introduction dialogue while the speakers tried to tame a powerpoint slideshow which seemed to have a mind of its own, freely changing from one slide to the next at random...

The webinar was in fact a success.

The content ranged from where the MPS industry will be heading in the next year or so to what we can expect from the "Big Boys" in regards to SMBs. There was also some commentary on the financial implications of the the industry's growth in the US, Europe and beyond and a albeit short Q&A session that proved to be engaging from my perspective as I had also wondered about HP's "official" and or "unofficial" partnerships.

All in all I think the webinar was insightful and at somepoints, entertaining. Although I don't think the entertaining elements were planned.

Sing with me now.

I got a peaceful easy feeling....

AIOI

Just in time for Valentines

noreply@blogger.com (Nathan Dube) — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 14:48:00 +0000

Giving your sweetheart a candy heart for Valentines day? How about a real human heart? Don't worry no foul play needed... you can print your own! Or well, this Japanese scientist can.

From printerinks.com news blog:

"Japanese scientist Makoto Nakamura is using inkjet printing technology in an attempt to “print” human organs."

See the whole article here.

Foodie Fridays: Of Uni and Egg

noreply@blogger.com (Nathan Dube) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 16:15:00 +0000

As as a fan of sushi and sashimi I have had my share of toro, and the many delights of thinly sliced raw fish presented in dazzling arrays of floral sculpture presented on plates made to look like ethereal Japanese gardens.

Many times I have also indulged in the creamy goodness of uni or for those of you outside of the know, raw sea urchin. This delectable creature tastes like the like ocean with a notably intense richness of flavor comparable to the finest clams.

Why it took me so long to also ask for this delight to be topped with the quail egg (as is offered in any respectable sushi establishment) I do not know. What I do know is that the taste of the raw quail egg and uni together provide a rather transcendent experience for those who already love uni by itself. Having finally tried this mind bending combination of sea and air creature features at Kaizen sushi bar and grill in Sturbridge, Massachusetts I must say, I regret waiting.

Perhaps it was one of several episodes of Anthony Bourdain’s “No Reservations” where I watched him devour the same sublime combination that inspired my last minute reaction at Kaizen to reply to the waitress, “yes I will have the quail egg with my uni”. Regardless of why I made the decision I realized from the first bite, my uni ritual was forever changed.

Indeed it takes a certain kind to enjoy uni as it is even for the novice sushi lover a new level of extremes within the realm of consuming raw fish. However if you are already there and enjoy the delicacy as is and have not experienced the magic that is the marriage of quail egg and uni I digress,

taste and be amazed.

Foodie Fridays: B.T.'s Smokehouse

noreply@blogger.com (Nathan Dube) — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 14:40:00 +0000

Photo by Jack Starkey of The Cannery Blog

Fridays are used by many bloggers to write about subjects that they consider to be personally interesting or satisfying. With that being said, I figure it is about time that I start to interject a little more of me into this blog. So from now on you will find a weekly post at the end of each week called "Foodie Fridays" which will be an ongoing series of posts about one of my true loves... Food.

Now some of you may be wondering what exactly is a "Foodie"? Well wikipedia describes foodies as the following:

"Although the two terms are sometimes used interchangeably, foodies differ from gourmets in that gourmets are epicures of refined taste who may or may not be professionals in the food industry, whereas foodies are amateurs who simply love food for consumption, study, preparation, and news. Gourmets simply want to eat the best food, whereas foodies want to learn everything about food, both the best and the ordinary, and about the science, industry, and personalities surrounding food. For this reason, foodies are sometimes viewed as obsessively interested in all things culinary. There is also a general feeling in the culinary industry that the term gourmet is outdated."

I would say this is a good description, at least as far as how I would describe myself as a Foodie.

So the first topic for AIOI's Foodie Fridays will be BT's Smokehouse of Sturbridge, MA

BT's Smokehouse is a hidden gem of a BBQ joint of which the current location debuted its grand opening at noon this past Wednesday (BT's has been quietly producing epic BBQ in the area at several locations for the past 4 years or so). The traditional yet creative southern style BBQ offered by owner/chef Brian Treitman is nothing short of an ecstatic experience for the taste buds bordering on the transcendent.

Jumbo chicken wings, St.Louis style pork ribs, Beef Brisket and Pulled pork are but the tip of the iceberg that is BT's menu. In addition to an array of meats that are slow smoked for up to 14 hours with local hickory and apple woods BT's offers items not found at other BBQ spots. For the adventurous BBQ lover one might try BT's "pig newtons" or the jumbo ghost chili chicken wings, items which can be found along side staples such as fried pickles, hush puppies, collard greens, grits and cornbread.

Boasting more than 5 home made sauces ranging from delightfully sweet to hellishly hot. Each sauce boasts a flavor profile that could humble many of the finest sauces on the market today. Having been given the honor to try out the new "ghost chili sauce" which had a tinge of sweet smokey flavor followed by a high ranking scoville sting unmatched by any hot sauce I have come across in my time (mind you I actually drink franks red hot sauce) I became instantly convinced this place has a grand future.

Having dined there 6 times in the past week I advise the reader to take caution as to how BT's phenomenal food may become somewhat addicting. All joking aside I must implore you to try this place for yourself. Upon doing so I am sure you will find I have failed to truly describe the awesomeness BT's has to offer, however I would say the moniker "taste and believe" may very well be the simplest way to put it. In closing I would say for those of you BBQ fans living in California, it's worth the drive.

AIOI: Battle Cry? LOL!

noreply@blogger.com (Nathan Dube) — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 13:42:00 +0000

Blogger Pete Lavelle of Printerinks.com News posted a comment on my post; MPS Providers interview #2. I could not help but chuckle at what he had to say:

"Interesting idea for a series. Interview enough executives and the great MPS mystery may finally be solved.

By the way - it never occurred to me how much the acronym for 'Adventures In Office Imaging' sounds like a battle cry."

-Pete Levelle

With that in mind I have decided to post my response to his comment:

"Thank you for reading Peter, indeed I would like to think this will be a most illuminating series of interviews.

AIOI - Battle cry? lol! I like it, I would go so far as to say you "get it". I was told yesterday by one of our readers that:

"There’s a bit of “angst” that tends to come out in your posts – anger and resentment as opposed to a focus on education. It’s hard to pinpoint, but it’s there and puts a reader on edge."

"We must be clear in that we do not have any interest in slamming “ uber big print manufacturers” as we partner with several on many different levels and would never want to jeopardize our relationship with any of them."

I admit, I do tend have a bit of angst towards the folks I call the "big boys" (Ikon, Xerox, HP, Canon etc.) only in regards to MPS however.

Hey lets face it, many of them only jumped on the MPS bandwagon when it became clear that box pushing would no longer line their pockets with gold.

With that being said we do business with some of these companies and as manufacturers they are excellent companies.

Based on their time in the MPS industry though, compared to a company like us who have been doing MPS before the term managed print services even existed, they are not MPS experts."

-AIOI

I would like to make it very clear, that the simple fact of the matter is that 10 years ago none of the "big boys" were doing managed print services. Some companies like Expert Laser Services have been doing managed print services or have been involved with managed print services early creation and evolution for almost two decades.

To see companies like HP, Xerox, Ikon, Canon, etc. Hit the scene claiming to be experts in managed print services is to some extent, insulting. Our founder was in the trenches at the very epoch of what we know managed print services to be today.

Does this mean that I hate the "big boys"? NO! But I will not stand by and watch as these giants claim expertise in a field that they have only just recently entered. When compared to many of the smaller MPS Providers who have been part of MPS for many years prior to these companies even having an interest in managed print services, the need to bring this to light is important.

The fundamental truth here is that customers have the right to know that in some cases these smaller MPS providers will give them a superior product and service backed backed by years of experience, something that the "big boys" simply can not offer.

MPS Providers Interview #2: Greg VanDeWalker

noreply@blogger.com (Nathan Dube) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 14:54:00 +0000

Our second interview in our MPS Providers interview series connects with Greg VanDeWalker who is the managed print services financing and leasing executive from GreatAmerica Leasing Corporation. Greg has a very interesting position within the managed print services industry as to how his work at GreatAmerica helps dealers create their own custom MPS programs.

AIOI: What company do you work for?

Greg: GreatAmerica Leasing Corporation

AIOI: How many employees does your company have?

Greg: 325

AIOI: How do you personally define "Managed Print services"

Greg: Technically – All of the customers document output needs are analyzed, right-sized, optimized and managed.

Practically – The customer has one throat to choke when it comes to document output.

AIOI: How long have you been involved with Managed Print Services?

Greg: 6 years

AIOI: What benefits does your MPS program offer your customers?

Greg: GreatAmerica doesn’t claim to have our own MPS program, we help our dealers create and implement their own MPS program. Our primary business is a finance company. We focus heavily on the copier and printer channel, consequently we have created expertise around the intricacies around billing and collecting bundled contracts. Our system integrates with all the major ERP systems to allow for seamless download and upload of meter reads which enables us to bill very complicated MPS contracts with ease. Since we are billing and collecting a dealers money in the contract, the dealer must have 100% confidence that we are handling their money accurately. A big part of our capabilities is our ability to invoice for BOTH financed and non-financed devices on one invoice. The concept of MPS being a complete rip-and-replace is outdated and not reality. We realize that some equipment will be needed today, and over time devices will added and deleted from contract while maintaining the single invoice. We also a bringing other MPS tools to help our dealers. We have our own remote monitoring tool, FleetView that our dealers can use. We have an MPS business model program called Navigator to help our dealers identify all the needed aspects of an MPS business. Plus, more tools will be announced later this year.

AIOI: What are some of your major successes?

Greg: We have many dealers who have transitioned their business from transaction to contractual solutions. The percentage of bundled contracts has steadily increased year over the year. We have been chosen by many of the national MPS providers to be their financing partner. Those companies looked at the other providers and we came out on top, we are very proud of that fact.

What separates your MPS program from your competitors?

Greg: From a finance company perspective, there is no other company that has the tools we possess. I say often if your customer wants to lease their devices there are many good leasing companies to help. But if you are selling a bundled/MPS/one invoice solution, there is no other company you should work with in the industry.

MPS Providers Interview #1: Chad Anguilm

noreply@blogger.com (Nathan Dube) — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 18:43:00 +0000

Since Adventures in Office Imaging started, one key component in the mission of the blog has been to raise peoples awareness to the fact that aside from the "big boys" (Xerox, Ikon, Canon, HP, etc.) there are small companies all over the country/world that have been doing managed print services far longer than any of these aforementioned uber-giants.

This is important to me because I believe in supporting small/local businesses/companies. It should be important to you if you plan on signing a contract with an MPS provider to manage your fleet of office equipment.

So in the spirit of enlightenment this will be the first in a series of interviews with representatives from companies like Expert Laser Services, who although do not have global accounts like the "big boys" have far greater experience within the creation, development and evolution of managed print services than any of these monsters of the office imaging industry.

First up is Print Management Coordinator and Blogger Chad Anguilm (Kraft Care Blog)

AIOI: What company do you work for?

Chad: Kraft Business Systems, Grand Rapids, Mi.

AIOI: How many employees does your company have?

Chad: 25-30

AIOI: How do you personally define "Managed Print services"

Chad: Managed Print Services is a program designed to optimize your output budget with an evolving plan for the future. By first assessing the current environment and then making recommendations based on improving efficiencies a plan can be created and followed. Quarterly visits with a dedicated PMS rep helps keep IT Directors in the loop without investing any of their valuable time in the actual maintaining of the devices or supplies. Finally, to be a true Print Managed Services plan there must be the ability to make changes for the better of the organization. Gone are the days of base rates which lock companies into a minimum amount of images for a certain period of time. PMS is about eliminating images not capturing them!

AIOI: How long have you been involved with Managed Print Services?

Chad: Personally, 3 Years. Kraft Business Systems introduced KraftCare™ PMS in 2003.

AIOI: What benefits does your MPS program offer your customers?

Chad: The compelling reason for Kraft Business Systems to offer Print Managed Services is our customer’s frustration with the inability to control and manage print costs. Customers are unhappy with the inability to monitor and track a variety of products and vendors for service, supplies and billing. Many clients have an uncontrolled deployment of a variety of print and imaging products in a very Print/Copy-Centric Work Environment vs. Workflow-Centric Environment. None of our competitors talk about decreasing the amount of printed images since that is their life-blood. Finally, time is a huge concern for most IT Directors. Many are working more hours, for less pay. If we are effectively controlling their output devices, they don’t have to!

AIOI: What are some of your major successes?

Chad: I’d say one of my major successes thus far has been taking IT Directors that were not at all interested in the thought of Print Managed Services and showing them the value of a program capable of taking the onus off them to create a plan for the future and allowing them to utilize their experience and knowledge on network related issues and projects rather than fixing and maintaining printers.

Along with that, I have thoroughly enjoyed working with staff members to show how much more efficient they can become by replacing desktop printers with departmental multi-function units. By showing the value of the additional features I have been able to get buy-in from individuals that IT directors had feared for years.

What separates your MPS program from your competitors?

Chad: Kraft Business Systems is a complete systems integrator, something none of our competitors can compete with. Kraft also has a diversified & open product portfolio. This includes IT Management, Document / Forms / Workflow Management, Print Management, Voice / Data Management, and Imaging Equipment Management. Kraft is locally owned/operated in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Something that really sets Kraft apart is its ability to add/adjust product offerings and services quickly when most businesses either are forced to change or take a long time to do so. The flexibility to create a new program without going through a long, drawn out process is unique to Kraft Business. Last but not least we focus on true sustainability, no longer can it just be about capturing clicks and reducing the amount of devices. At Kraft we focus on limiting the amount of printed images through document routing and workflow managed services. The ability to take your business through the process and educate staff, through quarterly training visits, on the importance of an efficient office sets Kraft Business Systems apart from the rest here in Michigan.

Managed Print Services Visual Aid

noreply@blogger.com (Nathan Dube) — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 18:58:00 +0000

Click HERE to get your very own "savings jackpot"

Dracula to revolutionize inkjet printing

noreply@blogger.com (Nathan Dube) — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 15:56:00 +0000

Dracula may very well be able to make a killing in the inkjet printing industry, according to an article from the Inks,Inks,Inks blog HP Printer ink is more expensive than blood! Want to save some money?

"All you need is an emptied ink cartridge and a blood donor pack. That woozy sensation you’re feeling as you fill the cartridge? That, dear reader, is what saving feels like - glorious, glorious saving. " - Inks Corespondent

Read the full article here.

Illuminations on e-waste

noreply@blogger.com (Nathan Dube) — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 14:22:00 +0000

The green movement is considered by some to be a fad or sales gimmick. Others know that it is in fact very important for ecological as well as financial reasons. However all other reasons aside I would like to divert your attention to the article below, written by guest blogger Amanda Brand (Go Green - N - Save Blog) from Jetscape Copier and Cartridge Warehouse in Fort Myers, Florida.

Technology is ever changing and growing. What is new today, is old hat tomorrow. Americans always want to be on the cutting edge, but what happens to the old technology? Many places have “e-waste” drop off points, and most of us assume that the computer, toner, or cell phone we drop off will be responsibly recycled.

Sadly this is not always the case. Monitors, motherboards, and toner cartridges are extremely difficult to recycle due to lead, mixed materials, and hard plastic parts. Many recyclers have a hard time turning a profit by actually recycling these components due to the extremely technical nature of the process and the equipment that much be used. It is much easier to sell the waste to “recyclers” in China illegally. This just passes the problem to people who are much less equipped to deal with the recycling process.

The town of Guiyu, China seems to be an end of the road for much of this waste. The streets are littered with piles of monitors, toners, cell phones, and other technological waste. The toxins in the land and water are so bad they need to have their water shipped in. The air is leaden with lead and other carcinogens. Those who live here attempt to reclaim the usable materials from some of this e-waste by burning the plastic away causing toxic clouds of smoke and fumes. Children play barefoot on piles of obsolete and broken technology.

How can you help? Instead of recycling, we can all cut down our waste by reusing materials. Find a responsible re-manufacturer for your computers, toner cartridges, and other out of date technology. If you don’t know who re-manufactures your materials, call someone who repairs it. If they don’t take it, they will know where to send you. For those things that cannot be reused, take the time to look at the processes of your recycling plant. Ask your local place for a walk through, or at least do some online research.

You can find a 60 Minutes video and article at http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4586903n. There is also an article with more information from recharger magazine at http://download.101com.com/rec/Cartridge_Solutions4p.pdf

Assessment Overkill?

noreply@blogger.com (Nathan Dube) — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 18:05:00 +0000

Today, while checking Google alerts for "managed print services" my supervisor stumbled upon and forwarded this article to me. Below is a excerpt that got me thinking.

"BMI Systems conducted more than 1,200 interviews with University personnel and reviewed the existing print process thoroughly. Once complete, BMI Systems was able to develop print management programs that helped to digitize much of the process and cut costs. As a result, most of the University’s departments are now using multi-functional technologies and eCopy scan stations. By using these new systems, the higher cost printers, faxes and hard copy distribution have been eliminated."

1,200 interviews with University personnel? Really? I mean... REALLY?

Running over this scenario in my head I had to ask, is this kind of approach worth it? Sure the company did score a contract with The University of Oklahoma, but lets say some one else had beat them out. Talk about hours upon hours wasted. I wonder how many of these nephilim sized assessments have lead to failure and if such endeavors are worth the risk in the long run.

While my company believes in the true value of a precise assessment, it can also be said that from our point of view the above is simply unnecessary and at worse a waste of the customers (not to mention the mps providers) time.

Even worse is that some folks are actually paying their MPS providers ludicrous amounts of money for assessments like this which is absolutely absurd considering some of the best mps providers provide this service for FREE!

All in all I would advise those who are thinking of implementing a managed print services program for their business to take these things into consideration when shopping for the best program for their company. What may seem like a valuable component of a potential mps program may be little more than a glorified waste of time and money.

Merry Christmas!

noreply@blogger.com (Nathan Dube) — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 14:04:00 +0000

$100 IT Professional Contest!

noreply@blogger.com (Nathan Dube) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 21:32:00 +0000

Requirements: Are you an IT professional in this area? Do you work for a company who is not currently a customer of ours? Are there 25 or more printers or copiers at your location? Does your company not currently have a print management program in place? If so...

Be the first IT professional (who meets the above requirements) to respond to this post by emailing us a date and time when you can meet with us to listen to a 30 minute presentation about our managed print services offering at our location. After you have listened to our presentation we will give you.

$100.00 cash.

you can respond by sending an email to nathan.dube@expertlaserservices.com

(you must include your full name, company name and contact info)

The contest ends after we receive the first response.

We will message you back to let you know if you have won.

Ready? GO!

Xerox now selling computers?

noreply@blogger.com (Nathan Dube) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 19:14:00 +0000

According to this article from The Associated Press Xerox has thousands upon thousands of computers (see picture above) in the field.

From The Associated Press article:

"Xerox argued that stand-alone devices that can print, copy, fax and scan should be considered computers and therefore exempted from property taxes under state law."

The eggnog over at xerox must really pack a punch.

Managed Print Services is a ball!

noreply@blogger.com (Nathan Dube) — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 16:03:00 +0000

A disco ball to be exact. By the bosses request, a disco ball, in our new IT/PrintDOME control room. Of course he was probably joking, however... there it is! Come on what did you expect? When it comes to Managed Print Services we wrote the song!

Environmental inkjet evils

noreply@blogger.com (Nathan Dube) — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 16:35:00 +0000

From recycler.com:

"Conservative MEP Marina Yannakoudakis has recently visited MBA Group Printers in London and learned that paper that has been used in an inkjet printer cannot be properly recycled. Following her visit, she raised the issue in the European Parliament and called for EU support to help fund economically viable and more environmentally friendly alternatives.

Speaking to the President of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Mrs Yannakoudakis said, “We all know the importance of recycling and it’s a given fact that we would expect paper to be recycled once used. I recently visited a printing company, MBA, in my constituency of London, where I found out more about inkjet printing."

Of course aside from the fact that inkjet cartridges are worse for the environment than toner cartridges in regards to the recycling process of the paper said substances are printed on, inkjet printing is generaly far more expensive than laser toner printing from a CPP standpoint. Read more here.

ZINK! Zero Ink Printing Tech

noreply@blogger.com (Nathan Dube) — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:09:00 +0000

From recycler.com

"ZINK Imaging, Inc. and Pandigital Inc. have publicly announced their alliance to develop and market a new family of printing products that leverages ZINK Imaging’s award winning ZINK® Zero Ink® Printing Technology.

The first product from this alliance is the Pandigital Portable Photo Printer – the world’s first Zero Ink 4x6 inch printer. It will be available in limited release in Q4 2009 with US distribution planned for Q1 2010."

I find this technology rather interesting and wonder if ZINK will ever hit the desktop printing market with said technology...

I suppose only time will tell.

also visit Treehugger for more info about ZINK

What is your CPS? (cost per sandwich)

noreply@blogger.com (Nathan Dube) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 14:17:00 +0000

Certainly to be one of the most talked about printers on the market this year will be the "Printer Toaster" by Othmar Mühlebach. See the full article from ubergizmo here

This new revolutionary device raises some serious questions from an industry standpoint.

Such questions may include:

What is your cost per sandwich?

How often can we expect printer jams... or for that matter jellys?

Where do you get certified for this model?

How Green is this printer? (Since you can eat the prints, it must be very earth friendly)

Can I scan to my countertop?

Government MPS attempt = Epic FAIL

noreply@blogger.com (Nathan Dube) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 13:14:00 +0000

So it appears some folks at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing decided to try their hands at creating their own managed print program. I must say I am not surprised what and epic failure it was.

from NBCs website:

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing is scrapping its puzzling cost-saving plan to pay employees to turn in their individual computers, according to a press release from Rep. Darrell Issa, a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reforms.

The BEP wanted to cut printing costs by confiscating the personal printers of a privileged 500-plus government employees, forcing those employees to use the same network printers their lesser colleagues queue to.

Their plan? Offer $75 gift cards to those employees who turn over their printers.

This upset Issa and some government employees. One of those employees complained to the Washington Post that the $75 in shared savings was a waste of money and an unfair bonus to the employees who have had the luxury of printing to their own offices.

See the whole article here.

Glad they looked at their plan and and realized, wow this idea is the product of morons, maybe we should not do this. How would you have felt about buying $75.00 Gift certificates for governement employees with your tax dollars?

Technorati Test

noreply@blogger.com (Nathan Dube) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:39:00 +0000

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This is a test for our blogs Technorati account.

Do you blog? You may want to register your blog with Technorati.

Managed Print Services, Beware the Hype!

noreply@blogger.com (Nathan Dube) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:01:00 +0000

Here is an excerpt from a spot-on article about the "industry noise" that is coming from the large printer/copier companies in regards to managed print services (from MSPmentor)

A rather interesting trend has emerged in the printer industry: Traditional sales have been weak, so printer makers have been working overtime to say they lead the next-generation managed print services market. No doubt, MSPmentor thinks managed print services offer lucrative opportunities to many MSPs. But the industry noise is becoming overwhelming — and perhaps a bit misleading. Here’s an example of what I mean.

According to Hewlett-Packard:

“In just three years after entering the managed print services (MPS) market, HP has surpassed its competitors according to recent industry analyst studies including Gartner and Photizo Group, and has now been named worldwide leader in number of MPS contracts by IDC.”

At the same time, Xerox, Oki Data and other printer providers have been evangelizing new or expanded managed print services initiatives.

In reality, Xerox was just about the only printer maker talking about managed print services for VARs when we launched MSPmentor roughly two years ago. A prime example: Do IT Smarter and Xerox in early 2008 hosted a road show for PagePack managed print services long before many rivals were out talking about the topic.

See the whole article here.

This article is loooong overdue. I am glad another source for solid MPS information is exposing the charades of these large companies who are "leaders" in managed print services. Honestly HP, Xerox, Oki Data Leaders?? Total Bull...

The CEO of our company who has been developing our PrintDOME managed print services program for 15 years is going a little crazy from receiving phone calls from sales guys who are calling him asking him if hes interested in buying MPS. When one such salesman asked him this he replied, MPS? What is that? and the salesman replied I am not really sure but I am going to a conference for a couple days and when I get back we will be selling it...

I can't write the "R rated" comments that my CEO has for people like this on this blog.

I can't say it enough, the "Big Boys" (Xerox, HP, Oki Data, etc.) are NOT experts in managed print services. Granted they are giants with more money than God, excellent marketing departments and the ability to manage global accounts however the real experts are smaller companies composed of folks like our CEO who have been doing this before the term managed print services even existed.

If you or your boss is looking to get an MPS program for your company please do your homework and look for the real experts. You may very well have a smaller local MPS provider in your area who can give you the best possible MPS program.

Xerox develops chemical armour

noreply@blogger.com (Nathan Dube) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:08:00 +0000

From Recycler Magazine's website:

Xerox scientists have developed a new chemical armour that protects photoreceptors. A photoreceptor coated with the new "armour" can survive more than one million revolutions - nearly doubling its usable life. "The long life of the photoreceptor reduces the need for replacement cartridges" say Xerox.

New "super coating" hints at how smart materials, nanotechnology will influence future design of office and production products

Tasked with developing ways to extend the lifespan of printer components - and reduce their impact on the environment - a group of scientists at Xerox Corporation have developed a new chemical armour that protects photoreceptors, the light-sensitive elements in xerographic machines.

Read the whole article here.