X Men: First Class Another PreQuel

Hatchet Buried - Another New Contributor To DOTC - David Ramos, Strategy Development

Wait...what...who? HUH?

The World "Zigs" and the Leopards of DOTC "Zag".

"...I'm no good at being noble, but it doesn't take much to see that the problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world. 
Someday you'll understand that..."

The World Moves.

No matter how important we try to make ourselves,  arguing our  negative effect on the world, that we are bigger, more important and outside the ecosystem; violators.

That humans can change the earth, freeze it, over heat it, drill holes in it's protective atmosphere, lower the sea level, raise the sea level - this cacophony of 'chicken little' rhetoric distracting us from the obvious - we don't matter.

Think I'm wrong?

While we install catalytic converters(devices engineered to choke my LandRover) and charge a buck per gallon "emissions tax" our "sacred mother earth" decided to move Japan eight feet closer to Cali.

If we took every single nuclear bomb, hell, every explosive device invented, used or envisioned throughout human history, we couldn't move that island nation an inch.  Put that in your Kyoto Accord.

And don't even get me started with May 18, 1980, 8:32 am PST - in a few hours, more toxic chemicals, carbon and "ozone killing" stuff was spewed into the air than ALL OF HUMANITY from the beginning of history.(Google it, no wait, Google, INC. is perpetuating the myth...)

"...don't amount to a hill of beans..."

So, it is within this context, out of a minor storm of controversy,  I introduce the latest contributor to DOTC, David Ramos.

Quite the lede, eh?

Unless you live under a rock, or are not part of the LinkedIn community, you've seen David's writings all over.

Strategy Dev. must have a pretty good S/M machine, a bit more "Push" than "Pull" for my taste - but that doesn't matter.

Content matters, and so far, I find David's content pleasing.  Appropriate content as measured against our own, high, DOTC editorial standards.

So it is with great honor, that I introduce to you, David's first DOTC article - Please Enjoy.

Click to email me.

Open Letter to all Sales Managers – Let the 1970’s Go, by Dave Ramos

by David Ramos, Strategy Development.

I focus on writing on topics that provide substance to the readers and my audience is usually sales/sales management professionals.

I hope this one lives up to my standard and I hope my passion doesn’t come across as though I’m crazy like a fellow “WINNER!” that has been in the media a lot lately.

But I just, have to get this off my chest.

I had a sales manager tell me last week that she wants me to help her people increase their ability to generate appointments.

 I said, “GREAT!”

She says “I want to work on phone scripts so that I have my people doing teleprospecting days.” I said, “you are talking to the wrong guy because I don’t believe that is the most effective use of your people’s time.”

Her response was “Huh?!”

Why People Love to Hate Their Office Printers

This slide show is great. 

Nathan has got the Destroy Your Copier project down.

And everybody has seen those guys beat the poor HP into oblivion, Office Space.

Well, here is another display, in the form of a slide show, illustrating more output frustration.

Enjoy.

Why People Love to Hate Their Office Printers

Your Highness

Its a Rated R, knight/dragon/comedy/hot Natalie/goofy brother/adult language movie.(vs. film)

I understand Nat, gets in the buff.

Should be jolly good fun.

New Corporate Members Join Managed Print Services Association Steady association growth reflects strength of MPS market

Columbus, OH – March 28, 2011 – The Managed Print Services Association (MPSA) continues to experience consistent growth with a number of new corporate sponsors. The most recent additions to the

MPSA community are:

New Platinum Members

• Océ North America, a Canon Group Company – Member
contact: Tom O'Neill, Director Product Ops & Application Lab, Document Printing Systems
• Synnex Corporation – Member
contact: James Luquire, Associate Vice President

Managed Print Services, Stage IV: What the Hell is Managed Network Services(MNS)? You're Kidding, right?

3/2011

Managed Network Services(MNS) the "next frontier" in MPS - something new and until a few months ago, unobserved in our industry.

Managed Network Services is "...the act of managing resources and processes associated with moving, saving and presenting information..." - look familiar?

Typically, this is in the Managed Services Provider's toolbox and supported by either Help Desk, N.O.C, or both.

A few 'traditional' copier dealers have entered this arena - with success, even.

Of course, these Beautiful Ones, don't carry words like "copiers" or "laser" on their business card.

The effort here is a commendable, if not a bit transparent, marketing move.  MPS is now crystallized, the market more mature, so let's define more mystery and sell MNS Training classes.  I love it. 

Don't get me wrong, MPS is an all-inclusive motion.

I've recognized this since the beginning, and remember the first time a colleague and I outlined the 4th, 5th, and 6th stages of MPS - back at iTEX 2009. (...technically, in a Japanese steak house, over beers... or was it whiskey...)

For most, MPS is simply Stage 1&2 - not much beyond; MPS players are stuck in the "MPS is CPC" world. 

Now we're going to get into "Managed Network Services"?

There be Icebergs, ahead right...

When I speak with existing technology customers, folks who work with us on Exchange migration, Unified Communication, Staff Aug., N.O.C. services, or SharePoint projects and ask them to describe their existing MPS Engagement, the conversation goes something like this,

Client - "yeah, we have MPS"

Me - "really? Cool.  What's that look like?"

Client - "they have a guy come in once a month and clean all the printers...they get my toner to my end users and service all the HP's...and they do this remotely with software..."

Me - "...great...how much has this saved you so far...?"

Client - "...bunches...oh, and they tell me they can do the same for all 1,500 laptops you guys sold me..."

Me -  "...really?  Impressive...can they image all your laptops, ITIL?"

Client - "...not sure..."

Me - "okay...so, how many copiers or printers have you eliminated?... What is your Print Policy?  How much volume has been shifted off those expensive printers onto your leased copiers?  Is your current MPS vendor set up to help you design your SharePoint project?  Can they, do you, understand how all this impacts your documents and the costs associated with those documents?..."

Client - "...ummm..."

Me - "...or are they simply shipping toner, replacing maintenance kits, and blowing air up your paper tray, once a month ?"

Client - "...yeah..right..."

---------------------------------------

You get the point.  And so do I. 

The Separation Continues -

MPS, stages 1 & 2, are table stakes that must be offered if you are considering a future that does not include responding to SLED RFPs.

And not just for Managed Print Services or Managed Network Services, which is nothing more than another component of Managed Services,(hint hint) you've got to be in S1/2 simply to survive in the short term.

For the long term, copiers are dead, MIF shrinking, volumes are down, and placements are still 27% below 2007 levels.

Managed Services are in everybody's future it's just that not everybody is going to be with us.

There is, of course, a very BIG Butt - we know how to service copiers, and fulfill toner;  but what the heck do you know about network traffic, CISCO switches, Blades, Data Centers, and ITIL?

Jumping from this dying puddle is the right idea, it's just that we're going into the deep end of a very large ocean already inhabited by some very capable and efficient sharks.

We're going to need a bigger boat.

Consider this a quote from a typical IT C-Level:

“We wanted to integrate voice, IP, and data on the same high-speed network for cost-saving efficiencies in terms of IT staff and for the easy rollout of new productivity-enhancing applications such as Service Advertising Protocol(SAP). [With our service provider] we are already seeing a return on investment and have found out how much more efficient our business can be.”

Bill Freyer

Vice President of Information Technology

JT International, Switzerland

Purchaser of Managed Service

One service provider for this and MPS too?

Two words of caution for any BTA/copier dudes, looking to expand into Managed Services:

1. When one of your copiers goes down for 2 days, some end users may get upset over the fact they need to walk down a floor to pick up output.

But, when you write and support an Managed Services SLA,  a network or workstation down for 4 hours, will put your "MNS" practice in the ditch so fast you'll be running back to the demo floor, begging to discuss "scan once, print many" with the local church Deacon.

2. You are now competing in the VAR/MSP space, the originators of jargon and acronyms - when you throw the "...we now do NMS..." at the CIO, he is going to recognize you as a wanna-be, "MNS" hasn't been used since 2004.

Are you sure you want to be a Beautiful One?

 pdf here.

Super 8: The Trailers have been out for Two Years - Spielberg

X-Files meets, Stand by Me, meets Bad ET.

Printer Ink Secret, Revealed! OMG, MacGyver-Hack your cartridges!

LOLOLOL!!!


Ok, this is funny.

But the funniest thing is, I was sent this link from my 89 year old Uncle Jack(Pearl Harbor Navy-guy)

I know for a fact, he does not know what I do for a living.

Enjoy.

History - Study It, or be Doomed to Repeat It...

 

Managed Print Services has a History.

No, not that "we've been doing MPS for 25 years" bullshit kinda history.

I mean the, "three years ago, we fought infrastructure and the definition of MPS and today we are winning more and more" kind of history.

Good form.

 Yet, I am reminded of the classic Star Wars line, "...great kid, don't get cocky..."

What?

Lyra Launches Managed Print Advisory Service

Lyra Research announces the launch of its new Managed Print Advisory Service. The new service analyzes the active migration away from the traditional imaging hardware and cost-per-page purchasing model toward a more robust and efficient managed print services distribution model. It examines how the aggregation of imaging devices and supplies as well as service revenue under MPS agreements are shrinking the point of customer contact and quietly consolidating the overall distribution channel.

How Not To Sell Managed Services: Cold Call Blitz?

The first person to get ten appointments gets to ring the cowbell and a Starbucks, $10 gift card!

Oh, the joy...but then again, I think I just threw up a little in my mouth, just now...

They are coming out of the woodwork.

"Business Performance Consultants" - wow.

Is your management team paying other people to come in and teach you how to sell?

How to present MPS?

How to 'demo' MPS?(Oh my gawd, just shoot me now)

Worse, is upper management putting together a Phone Blitz designed to 'kick-start' your MPS opportunities?

LOL! The First Rule of DOTC, keep your resume fresh.

For CIO's, IT Directors: DOTC Approved and Recommended MPSInsightsPro

"New MPSInsightsPRO Content-centric Community Brings MPS Professionals a Unique Information Resource

March 9th, 2011 | Newsroom, Press Releases

Photizo Group continues to curate comprehensive body of steadily growing MPS information

Highlights

• Photizo launches premium content community as centralized resource for MPS market
• Premium content community includes the MPS Insights Journal, MPS best practices, video interviews, in-depth content, member benefits and more
• $399 annual membership, with corporate packages available..."

------------------------------------------------------
It isn't a secret, I know most of the folks over at Photizo.

And if you knew what I know, you would to.

Because I am a highly-influential, member of the MPS Media (whatever the Hell that means), I was fortunate enough to have had a guided tour of this new site.  This portal into some of the best Minds of MPS.

Sometimes, it's just too Delicious to let go: Define "photocopier" - under oath.

3/2011

One of the thousands of "DOTC Informers" tipped me off to some goings-on in the Mistake by the Lake, The Rock and Roll Capital of the World - Cleveland.

This is no lie.

As we on this side struggle to define Managed Print Services, there are Public workers everywhere who still call the machine which makes copies a xerox.

Think I'm too tough on the public sector? 

Here is a sample from a deposition last year that seemed to get stuck on the definition of "photocopier".

Lawyers and a witness - you can not make this stuff up:

Marburger: Do you have a secretary?

Patterson: No.

Marburger: Does anybody there have a secretary?

Patterson: Yes.

Marburger: Have you ever heard a secretary use the term "photocopy"?

Patterson: No.

Marburger: Have you ever--do you have machines there where I can put in a paper document, push a button or two, and out will come copies of that paper document also on paper? Do you have such a machine?

Patterson: Yes, sir.

Marburger: What do you call that machine?

Patterson: Xerox.

Marburger: Xerox. Is the machine made by the Xerox Company? Is that why it's called Xerox?

Patterson: No.

Marburger: So Xerox, in the parlance that you've described, the language that you've described, is being used generically as opposed to describing a particular brand; is that right?

Patterson: All of my life I've just known people to say Xerox. It's not commonplace to use the terminology that you're using.

Marburger: You mean it's more -- people say Xerox instead of photocopy?

Patterson: If you're referring to a type of machine where you place a piece of paper on the top and press a button and out comes copies of it, they usually refer to it as a Xerox.

Marburger: Have you ever heard it referred to as photocopying?

Patterson: Not with my generation, no.


You must check out the entire conversation.

Click to email me. 

SuperMoon - SuperBeast - 2:10 EST

What were you doing, the last time there was a supermoon, 19 years ago?

Where will you be when the next SuperMoon rises?

Photizo Managed Print Services Conference 2011 - Look to Yesterday and See Tomorrow

This year the North American MPS Conference is going to be huge - attendance up, interest in MPS common, the niche now firmly established as an industry.

Why should you go?

Maybe you don't want to be the last person on your block selling copiers. No doubt to the surviving collection of people who don't care about value, costs or spending our money: Public Sector.

Do you think this "Hot New MPS Thing" will finally catch on next year?

Perhaps you're such a output-geek, friends and family are starting to put you in the same class as "Trekies"(for the record, its "Trekor"). Fewer people stick around once you get going on "scan once, print many".

And maybe approaching a three-some like the one above, intimidates you.

Ok, that has little to do with MPS; more to do with DOTC_AfterDark.

If you're into Managed Print Services, see a future beyond Stage 4, and reside out here with me 'to the right of the bell curve', this is our time.  Come.

Managed Services - Qualification is Very Important.

Fire your undeserving customers, don't lock them in.

Qualify at every turn. Call it "trial closing" if it makes you feel better.

To qualify a prospect, you must first know what you are, what you believe in and what you stand for.

And most of all, be prepared to see - no - search out reasons the person in front of you is not a prospect and does not match your ideals or what you stand for.

Again, I doubt very much, any of your OEM sales training ever stresses this, simple point.

Your 'solution' does not fit everybody.

Managed Services - Can Your Marketing Department Come up With Something Like This?

We know Managed Print Services can be boring to some.

Putting together Value Prop's and sales collateral is extremely important. Toils every marketing department/major love to do.

But really, why can't just once, all those web-design and Adobe classes result in something like this:

Your Managed Print Services Association - Looking for Standouts

Nominations Now Open for 2011 Managed Print Services Leadership Awards

Third annual award program takes place at MPS Global Conference in Orlando

Columbus, OH – March 14, 2011 – The Managed Print Services Association (MPSA) is accepting nominations for the third annual MPS Leadership Awards. These awards recognize organizations demonstrating leadership in implementing, providing or supporting MPS projects.

“The road to success in MPS takes hard work, and organizations that demonstrate leadership and innovation deserve to be recognized. Our winners exemplify the initiative, excellence and diligence found throughout the managed print services industry. The awards catapult deserving firms into the winners’ circle of this emerging and critically important MPS world, and bring them valuable visibility and credibility,” said MPSA President, Joe Barganier.

Skylar, Dr. Dre, Em, and Ri - On and Off Stage, an Orchestra, Lights, Video - Lot's of Moving Parts. Just Like Managed Print Services

The award season is past, thank the TV gods. This year's 53rd, Grammy show returned its best rating since 2001.

The telecast, in addition to rewarding musicians for jobs well done, teems with performances.

Some good, some not so good.

One of the best of the evening, was Rhianna performing "Love the Way You Lie" as a duet, with Eminem.

Em, Skylar and Dr. Dre, rounded out the recital with the sequel, "I Need a Dr.".

The production was big, complex, and sophisticated with many moving parts.

They made it looked easy.

Catching the performance that evening left me impressed; my appreciation grew more profound in the weeks that followed.

The performance ecosystem:

• Dre - the Rock. Solid, been here, done this.
• Em - recovering.  Detroit. White Rapper(the f?)
• Ri - Damn.  Hot. Mocha. Sing the shit outta everything.  Recovering.
• Skylar - Who?  Young.  New. Wrote the Song. Never performed to a crowd like this.

Oh, and one more thing - Live.

All these parts, these ego's and interpretations, seemingly incongruous styles, overlapping, merging and separating.

Infusing an emotional charge from each individual - and making it work - stellar.

The Tsunami and Ricoh - Hopes and Prayers

As more and more details come out of Japan, (just now, I see tweets regarding yet another explosion at a Nuclear Plant) the environmental and the economic ramifications seem troubling.

I have seen some reports of Canon shutting down 8 plants.

Over at Art Post's Blog, he mentioned Ricoh's locations and factories in Japan:

"...Ricoh operates factories in Tottori (Ricoh Microelectronics Co., LTD), located 421 miles southwest of Tokyo, Ibaraki (Ricoh Printing Solutions) which is about 95 miles south of the Fukushima Nuclear Plant and Miyagi (Tohuku Ricoh) which is about 20 miles south of Sendai and 65 miles north of the Fukushima Nuclear Plant, Iwate (Ricoh Optical Industries), which is located about 95 miles north of Sendai and about 55 miles inland of the Ocean, Yamanashi (Yamanashi Electronics Co., Ltd.) which is located about 73 miles west of Tokyo, Miyagi (Ricoh Hasama) lies 113 miles north of the Fukushima Nuclear Plant and 54 miles northeast of Sendai, Saitama (Ricoh Unitechno) is located about 13 miles north of Tokyo, Saga (Ricoh Keiki) about 713 miles southwest of Tokyo, Kanagawa (Handano & Atsugi Plant) is located 28 miles south of Tokyo and a few miles from Yokohama, Hyogo (Yashiro Plant) 331 miles southwest of Tokyo, Fukiu (Fukui Plant) located 324 miles west of Tokyo near the Sea of Japan, Shizuoka (Numazu & Gotemba Plant) is 111 miles southwest of Tokyo..."

Captain America: The First Avenger

Shield seen in Ironman 2.

The comic-strips continue....



Click to email me.

CNET Needs Managed Print Services - So Says Molly Wood

You may ask, and rightly so, "who the heck is Molly Wood, and who is CNET?"

Molly, here.

"...dude ....what is the deal with that fukin printer?"

"Why can we not fix the printer?  Who doesn't use a printer?'

And according to the CNET Mission Statement:

"CNET shows you the exciting possibilities of how technology can enhance and enrich your life. We provide you with information, tools, and advice that help you decide what to buy and how to get the most out of your tech."

Molly rants professionally for CNET as a technology editor and the following printer reflections are apparently caught "off-line".

So, quick, you're in MPS - How many of your co-workers love their printers and hate the big copier?

Have they "ranted" like this?

Managed Print Services Practices Managers: Are You Selling MPS Internally ? - Over and Over again.

"She not here, she got married..."

"Married?"

"She at the church, she got married to Oily bo-hunk..."

"Married?"

"Married!, sheesh..."

I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I mean, when it gets right down to it, selling managed print services is not that much different from selling any service. It is just that the people doing the selling are different.

For now.

The message for MPS, MSP, and Help desk services sales is no different than selling Fax servers, scanning, email, accounting systems, or luxury submersibles.

There is a pattern, a rhythm, and a cadence for the approach, presentation, and engagement, we know this.

But what about selling internally?

Sure, selling a 1,500 device, Stage 1,2, & 3, a national account is tricky. But it's nothing compared to your talk track around your own coffee machine.

How do you convince YOUR help desk people?  How do YOUR bench techs respond to MPS?  And what about your BDM's?. Don't forget upper and executive management.

My one word?  Redundancy.

Finally - A Really Cool, Believable Green Initiative

The Next Great Managed Print Services Dude - Team Sheen, Let Crazy Lead

Hookers, Pornstars, F18's and Total Victory on all fronts.

Chuck Sheen! 

Talk about "To the Right of the Bell Curve".  Wowzie.

He's our MPS Rising star.

Why?  Because he is full on, 100% crazy.  But crazy with a plan, passion and focus.

It's about time we get a nutty male in the "papers" vs. Lindsey, Britney, Paris, etc.

The way I look at it, with Chuck out there, lowering the bar and making 'crazy' more common, all us other MPS Madmen, start to look a bit more normal.

Am I right?

DeathOfTheCopier's Greg Walters to Present at the 2011 North American Managed Print Services Conference

MPS/BPM/ITO/BPO/VAR/BTA/MSP/OEM players Unite!

Imaging Geekdom, Nirvana...ah...yes..

Third year in a row. Mark your calenders. May 4, 2011 - 10:30AM, Orlando, Fla.

Greg Walters - Case Study; Building an MPS Program within an IT / MSP organization(SIGMAnet)

To say I am looking forward to this simple, 50 minute presentation, is an understatement.

I could easily fill 500 slides and if we go by the book, hours would seem like days.

I jest.  Well, no not really.

Thrill packed, adventure filled, fog machines and disco-balls, this harangue will be streamed all over the globe; a brief history of a road traveled.

An Odyssey, or at least one chapter of many. The struggles, challenges and conquests of an MPS within an MSP.

Alert the authorities.