As it Turns Out RELEVANT Content is King.

Relevance - 

Peggy Winton, CMO over @AIIM, reposted an article on LinkedIN about the benefits and pitfalls of content. Read the article, here. The essence of the piece is good content is better than bad content and bad content may hurt your reputation.

Earth shattering, isn't it?

It doesn't take a Marketing Degree agree or disagree with the author who presents good insight

From the article, "Being barraged with irrelevant content, misleading titles and promotion actually damages the brand." this is, and ALWAYS has been true, from late-night infomercials to toilet paper adverts.

Another great quote applicable in the copier/imaging industry, "A strategy based primarily on vendor generated content negatively impacts conversion because buyers consider that information biased and untrustworthy."

This includes content(sponsored) in free magazines, white papers and especially from the analyst community - it is all bought and paid for.

We've been saying this for years, the top-down, 'build it and they will buy' mentality propagated by OEMs and supported through hardware quota's was once old-fashioned.   

Today, its dangerous to the channel.

The phrase "Content is King" assumes 'relevant' or 'pure' is in there somewhere, as in "Pure Content is King". Which leads to the next level, "How pure can your content be, if you outsource its generation?"

In the turbulent world of content marketing and marketing content, Purity is difficult to muster.  The foundational question is,  "How can your content be relevant if you and what your offering is irrelevant?" Like it or not, the act of printing and copying is not that important and if you've built your business on the reliability and relevancy of office printing and copying, you could be in dire straits.

But I don't believe you are irrelevant, yet.  I believe you have happy customers with great stories.  I believe you ARE transforming into a leaner and more intelligent organization.

You just need to get your clients' stories out into the open.

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What the #LatteSalute Says About Managed print Services

The internet is afire with accusations and defense around the President of The United States(POTUS) lackluster salute.

Say and think what you want, but our personal, core values are illustrated every day, on a subconscious level.  The clothes we wear, our body language even the way we look at others, tells the world who we are and what we believe.  How we move and act when nobody is watching displays how we feel about ourselves and the world around us.

The #Apple Watch and Printing: What? No #AirPrint?

The other day I Tweeted, “Is #Apple part of Mopria?

With digital content growing, wouldn't it make sense to print from my Apple Watch?” My point was with all the fanfare and hoopla, printing is never mentioned. Users rarely think about printing and when they do, it’s a pain.

The Apple Watch is the latest example of the shrinking relevancy of the printed document. Granted, the category is consumer based, but the Apple Watch and iOS 8 represent the fading frontier between B2C and B2B . More employees are bringing devices to work because the devices are easier to use and present information in the manner that is pleasing to the consumer. That’s all. If paper were more relevant, we’d all have the daily under our arms and my watch would only tell time.

But that’s not happening, is it?

Consider the lowly photocopier. Once the hub of communication, copiers hummed along churning out everything from memos, file copies of invoices and bound reports. Today, more information is read off a screen in your lap, or palm of your hand than ever before. Tomorrow, your wrist.

Read the rest, here.


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The Death of Spreadsheets

That's an Edgeline Shipping Pallet, converted.

"Knowledge will no longer be trapped on paper... or under glass."

9/24/2014

We were talking about Big Data - it's what we do - when she exclaimed, "It's the Death of Spreadsheets...people will need to swallow faster..."

I was stunned and not sure what swallowing had to do with Big Data, I'll let you ponder that one.  I did, however, understand her observation about Big Data, or specifically, the use of Big Data and the end of spreadsheets.

Spreadsheets are on the path to oblivion, just ask Microsoft.

The rise of the 99 cent algorithm and the fall of "=@if(A, B, C)".

Algorithms are workflow.

Automating processes with algorithmic discipline is changing everything.  Why generate formulas on static spreadsheets when a preconceived formula, connected to live data, streams actionable information directly to your device, pane of glass, or contact lens?

Imagine saying the words,  "Computer: what is the most profitable group of devices in my fleet, today?"

Not only is the answer reported orally, but a running, graphic representation of your profitable machines is presented as well as comparative representations from around the globe - all in real-time.

Beyond words, what if the 'cloud' knew exactly what you wanted to see and when?  Instead of you asking, the information(vs. data) is presented to you nice and neat, in real-time, anywhere on the planet.

No paper, no historic or static.

Funky, eh?  There's more.


Apple just released, to a rather conservative fanfare, the latest addition to the iPhone lineage.  Some were waiting for a "Dick Tracey" watch and others lamented a "phablet", instead, Apple released some less expensive color devices and a new 5s - in Gold.

To many, the device was less than expected - I took note of the A7, 64-bit processor.  In a word, "Awesome" and I'm not an Apple FanBoy.

The A7 is the first 64-bit of its kind to be found in a phone, processes twice as many bits per cycle, and incorporates built-in, on-the-chip encryption.

This all means the little gold box will do stuff faster, crunch more numbers and drive cleaner video - all in the palm of your hand and this is just the beginning.

Back to big data.

Soon, we'll all be carrying around enough processing power to compress massive calculations and connect from anywhere on the planet.  Our customized, 1:1 news will stream flawlessly, and profit, commission, productivity, and financial reports, both personal and business, will seamlessly appear.

In the cloud, huge amounts of calculating power will collect data from billions of sensors all around the planet.  For example, when one of your Konica Minolta is repeatedly misfeeding, AND throwing off ambiguous errors, our newly ubiquitous business intelligence network will:

• Analyze the multitudes of sensors inside the copier...
• Backtrack the units manufacturing chain of custody...down to every component
• Research the composition of toner and examine the entire supply chain...
• Research the composition of the paper, all the way back to the tree...
• Measure the humidity fluctuations and compare them to occurring misfeed times...
• Compare the reported symptoms with millions of other devices and every other device ever recorded... 
• Measure the incoming power...
• Report back a meaningful diagnosis - or simply make corrections remotely - and then report back...

All real-time. No paper because the paper is too slow, no glass, because glass is too restrictive.

Chew on that.

PS - I used a copier as an example but you and I both know, there won't be any copiers left, don't we?
#Wink #DOTC #NoReallyThisTimeItIsPaperLess

1910 -

The Mundaneum

Founded by Paul Otlet (who outlined a concept of a globally connected network of computers in 1934) and Henri La Fontaine, The Mundaneum aimed to "gather together all the world's knowledge and classify it according to a system they developed called the Universal Decimal Classification".

Originally posted on Walters & Shutwell, Inc. Sept, 2013.

_________

Remastered by GPT4.0, 3/2023

The rise of Big Data and the increasing use of algorithms is transforming the way we process information, leading to the obsolescence of traditional methods such as spreadsheets. This was an observation made by my colleague Jennifer during a conversation we had about Big Data.

Algorithms are becoming the new workflow, automating processes with greater efficiency and accuracy. Why use static spreadsheets when a preconceived formula, connected to live data, can provide actionable information directly to your device, pane of glass, or contact lens in real-time?

For instance, imagine asking your computer: "What is the most profitable group of devices in my fleet today?" The answer is not only reported orally but also displayed as a running graphic representation of your most profitable machines, compared to similar devices worldwide.

But the impact of Big Data extends beyond visual representations. Soon, our customized, 1:1 news will stream flawlessly, and personalized financial reports will appear seamlessly. In the cloud, massive processing power will collect data from billions of sensors all around the planet.

For example, if one of your Konica Minolta repeatedly misfeeds and throws off ambiguous errors, our newly ubiquitous business intelligence network can analyze the multitude of sensors inside the copier, backtrack the unit's manufacturing chain of custody down to every component, research the composition of toner and examine the entire supply chain, research the composition of the paper all the way back to the tree, measure the humidity fluctuations, and compare the misfeed times. 

Then, it can compare the symptoms with millions of other devices, every other device ever recorded, and measure the incoming power to provide a meaningful diagnosis or make corrections remotely, all in real time.

These advancements are leading to a paperless future and could even render traditional office equipment such as copiers obsolete. As we look to the future, it's worth remembering the Mundaneum, founded by Paul Otlet and Henri La Fontaine in 1910. 

They aimed to "gather together all the world's knowledge and classify it according to a system they developed called the Universal Decimal Classification." It's remarkable to think how far we've come since then, and even more incredible to imagine where we'll be in the future.

_________

Tweet: Big Data is changing everything! From automating processes to providing real-time insights, the possibilities are endless. #BigData #Automation #RealTimeInsights

Intro paragraph: In today's world, Big Data is becoming increasingly important, as it has the power to revolutionize the way we process and utilize information. With the rise of algorithms and automation, traditional methods such as spreadsheets are on the path to obsolescence. The ability to connect preconceived formulas to live data provides actionable information in real-time, changing the way we work and make decisions. Big Data is not just about processing information, but it's also about how we use it. From customized 1:1 news to personalized financial reports, the possibilities are endless. In this era of digital transformation, Big Data is changing everything!

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What Will Happen to Managed Print Services When Aliens Land on Earth?

9/2014

Long ago, before the Star Wars Generation grew old, people who discussed alien planets, time travel, robots with brains, or life created in a petri dish would be labeled as "off", "introvert", odd, strange, socially awkward, clumsy, etc.

Not today.  Today, it's not so geeky to talk about anything in the context of science fiction.

Signs -

In the 2002 movie "Signs" Mel Gibson plays a reverend who after losing his wife, rejects God and Faith.  Aliens play cat and mouse for a few days utilizing crop circles as navigation symbols.  The invasion is concentrated around these designs; Mel's family lives on a farm and has recently been a victim of other worldly graffiti.  As more and more indicators reveal themselves families begin to suspect the worse.

The movie is a tapestry of past, present, and future events all woven together leading to the ultimate ending where all the pieces fall into place; hindsight is 20/20.  Everybody saw the signs, but nobody put them all together until the very end.

With this in mind I pose this question with all seriousness and grace - in a cold and analytical manner:

Do you See The Signs?

If not, let me point out a few of the Crop Circles in our cornfield:

• Recharger: Gone
• Lay-offs: Prevalent, secular
• 3D Printing: The latest 'Adjacency' does not make marks on paper
• IBM sells off Servers - "...its the Cloud, stupid..."
• Dealers offering Coffee and Water Services - no, really, its true
• Old Content - We're telling each other the same thing again and again, expecting new results
• Self-implemented MpS engagements; fewer clients need our services
• MIF reductions - If your numbers are up, you're simply trading MIF with a competitor
• Financial: Sharp, Panasonic, Kodak, HP - if the exchange rate wobbles, look out
• Show attendance:  ITEX, Recharger, BTA; each was much bigger than they are now
• Paper plants closing: International Paper announced the closure of one of its biggest plants in 2013 - primary output was 8.5x11
• IBM sells off SDN - googlitize it
• IPad: Almost as many sold as cases of paper, just kidding, but you get the point
• E Signatures - from car loans, to insurance forms, to lease payments everybody is doing it except you
• Google sells off Motorola - patents more valuable than the hardware
• Kids these days - all Thumbs and not a newspaper to be seen
• Lawsuits - desperation; it's like hoping for a penalty when you are down 3 points, late in the game.

There Are Two Groups -

"People break down into two groups when they experience something lucky. Group number one sees it as more than luck, more than coincidence. They see it as a sign, evidence, that there is someone up there, watching out for them. Group number two sees it as just pure luck.

Just a happy turn of chance.

I'm sure the people in Group number two are looking at those fourteen lights in a very suspicious way. For them, the situation isn't fifty-fifty. Could be bad, could be good. But deep down, they feel that whatever happens, they're on their own.

And that fills them with fear. Yeah, there are those people. But there's a whole lot of people in Group number one.

When they see those fourteen lights, they're looking at a miracle. And deep down, they feel that whatever's going to happen, there will be someone there to help them. And that fills them with hope.

See what you have to ask yourself is what kind of person are you? Are you the kind that sees signs, sees miracles? Or do you believe that people just get lucky?"

Or, look at the question this way: Is it possible that there are no coincidences?"

"Swing Away, Merrill"

What signs are you ignoring?  Do you see crop circles, but blame the "kids down the street" for little late-night shenanigans?

Is it a coincidence that International Paper is shutting down paper plants, that HP refers to IPG as the "once cash cow", newspapers and magazines shift away from print, that industry show attendance dwindles, MIF falls off lease, and dealers now provide toner and coffee services, all while hardware margins shrink?

It's not so cryptic. The more difficult conundrum is figuring out which group you're in...

"Do you believe it because it's true or is it true because you believe it?"

#Managed print Services - TheDeathOfRelationship Selling

Original post, 10/3/11

"...Now and then I think of all the times you screwed me over

But had me believing it was always something that I'd done

But I don't wanna live that way

Reading into every word you say

You said that you could let it go

And I wouldn't catch you hung up on somebody that you used to know..."

All those original MPS Engagements are about to come up for renewal soon, aren't they?  Or do yours all have auto-renew's? Nice.

Are you setting yourself apart and building value into your relationship?  Or are you screwing them over, blaming them?

They'll figure it out, waking up one day and making you 'somebody that they used to know...'

MpS'es I speak with report a customer retention rate of 99.9999%, mentioning their depth of client relationship as one of the supporting pillars.

Relationships. That's what it is all about - but how do you define a "relationship"?

Quarterly Business Reviews? Weekly client meetings? Lunch and learns? Bondage and Rapport? "Nice Fish".  That was then, this is Now.

-- Read the Rest Here --





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Stop Doing These Four Things & Sell More Managed Print Services

Selling managed print services and managed services is not brain science, it's more like Rocket Surgery.

What year is this, 1989?

Maybe you know of these, maybe not.  The point is, I'm hearing more and more about how the better MPS selling organizations are replacing failed existing MPS engagements.  The losers are not covering the basics like toner delivery, prompt service and correct billing let alone workflows and business acumen.

As always, these are my views and mine alone - take 'em or leave 'em.

The Death of the Internet, Paper...and Single Payer Healthcare

9/2014

Yosemite is internationally recognized for its spectacular granite cliffs, waterfalls, clear streams, Giant Sequoia groves, and biological diversity. Almost 95% of the park is designated wilderness - most visitors focus on the seven square miles of the valley.  If you haven't seen the valley from Tunnel view, you should.

For all its rough exterior and dangerous trek possibilities, I was amazed at the ease of access to almost every waterfall - paths have been constructed suitable for wheelchairs.

When Apple released the iPhone 5Si the A7 chip set immediately attracted our attention - in essence, the A7 promised delivery of transparent connectivity between all (Apple) devices AND capturing sensitive data in the device - NOT THE CLOUD.

When I open an email on my iPhone, my MacBook knows and I can continue to read it on the laptop...or tablet; they are all connected.  That means, when a call comes into my iPhone, I will be able to answer on my MacBook;  I'll check voicemail, on my iPad.

When texting from my iPhone, I'll be able to attach voice and video to the IM and regulate how long that message exists - it will self-destruct in three minutes or exist forever.

As far as security, all our information, passwords, credit card numbers, bank account information would be held on our personal devices behind security hardware and fingerprint scanners.

By connecting to other devices directly thereby utilizing them as sensors, the iPhone is positioning to become the nexus of all things connected.

"One word, kid, apps..."

The connectivity of everyone is impressive, but that's just a fraction of the story; the key has always been the software.  Today we buy 99 cent solutions to our million dollar challenges, in the near future, we will all simply write our own apps as we need.

The Shape of Things to Come (respect to TR7), a list of the next hierarchies to transform - enjoy:

The Death of Nationalized Healthcare -  In this new walled garden, we control our health from blood sugar monitoring to the latest cancer treatment.  But here is the kicker, with smarter devices connected privately to whoever we want, without 'cookies', our health data is ours.  We won't need 'clearing houses' or central databases to store immunizations history.  What's more, a great percentage of diagnosis equipment testing labs will be obsolete.  If you stop and think, it is easy to see.

The Death of the Search Engine - We search the mesh directly, not up and down

The Death of the Internet - who needs the internet when all devices connect through a web of personal servers.

The Death of Apps - We will write our own, ad-hoc

The Death of the Internet of Things - Connected people, not things

The Death of Spreadsheets - BI is an app that connects to billions of other apps/sensors

The Death of Cell Services - The Mesh will carry voice and video

The Death of Cable Companies - We are the Cable Company

The Death of ISP - No need for an internet service provider

The Death of VoiP - Just as homes are getting rid of the phone-on-the-wall, so to shall B2B

The Death of MSP - Self-healing systems, simpler and easily affordable(free) technology

The Death of Paper - Information moves faster than print

The Death of Hierarchies - everything will flatten

The BIG Transformation - The Death of Hardware

The Convergence is progressing to a point where our decision processes will be supported by software/apps instantaneous and dynamically.

Apps are nothing more than thoughts frozen in time, converted into repeatable algorithms, manipulating a stream(or streams) of inputs. The old ways meant this processing was static - the algorithm doesn't change directly.

This too, shall change...

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DOTC Prime - TheDeathOfTheConsultants

...this is a rant...good for the soul...from July 6, 2013

During the first 12 months, of our incorporation, we've explored the many nooks and crannies of a sector of our niche typically haunted by trainers, coaches, advisers, analysts, gurus, sages, and prophets.

Often, when we attempt to tell people what it is we do for a living, we get one or more of the following responses:

• "Oh, you must be consultants like Photizo..." - understood, but no.
• "Oh, you work with end-users, helping them weed out MpS programs..." - goodness, no.
• "Oh, you're trainers like Strategy Development..." - nope.
• "Oh, you're providers like Preo..." - huh?
• "Oh, you're an MpS Practice, like OnePrint..." - sorta, only not.
• "Oh, you're analysts like IDC..." - not even close.
• "Oh, you're recruiters..." - again, sorta, only not.
• "Oh, you're writers..." - isn't EVERYONE?

These responses make sense because folks think of us as people who have answers. To be fair, with a combined 40 years in this nutty business, we easily slip into the consultant role.

I keep telling you, the 'p' is getting smaller! I have seen the Future of MpS...

Original 11/30/11

"Hello little Printer"

Is your MiF shrinking?

Is your OEM hammering you for year-end commitments and next year's forecasts?

Are MDF and back-end rebates heading right to your bottom line? Or are we finally counting both as top-line revenue? (LOL!)

How's that mobility practice going? Selling many mobile print engagements? To Commercial accounts?

Is that new Xerox 'just too darn big to fit into all your SOHO leads?

Fear not, fragile traveler. The Future of MpS is upon us.

Follow me printing? Sure thing.

Increase in 'clicks'?  Nope.  A new model, "Cost Per Inch".

 "Are those your keys?" she asked, "No...it's your new mobile printing solution, say hello to my little friend..." 

0.00000000000012/inch - ...I frickin love this business!
  
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The Death of The Internet

Originally posted on Walters & Shutwell, April 11, 2014.

This month marks the 25th anniversary of the addressing vehicle for the internet, the "World Wide Web". The internet, as it is defined, has been around 40 years, created in 1973.  The thing is, I don't see the internet surviving another 40, let alone 10 years.

No really, I'm calling it, we are witnessing the very beginning of the Death of the Internet.

Indicators:

1. MSFT releases iOffice - One of the largest technology hierarchies cries "Uncle!"
2. The Snowden Effect - the internet is a centrally located sieve 
3. The US gives up ICANN - addresses are irrelevant
4. Bio/Nano technology - not 'smaller' technology but 'closer' technology
5. Apple implements 'beam' and wire-less mesh for messaging...(Someday, very soon, Apple will be bigger than the internet)

Expansion and contraction are natural ways of business technology and social evolution.  For instance, the glass rooms of mainframes moved to the desktop with the PC, then to our laptops, notebooks, tablets, smartphones - smaller yet more powerful computing expanded the reach boundaries of connectivity.

MpS: The Unifying Theory & Convergence

Originally posted, 7/11/11

Oh, what could have been.  Reading these words today is more than nostalgic.  How can an article written in 2011 have relevance, if not foretell the future, today?

Enjoy.

Just over three years ago (four now), when I started writing about copiers, MpS, technology, selling, and pole dancing, I was one of three. Back then, if one were to Google “managed print services,” the dozen or so returns would’ve consisted of wedding invitation printers and “full-serve” print advertising providers.

There were a few fleet monitoring alternatives and fewer proactive supply management solutions. Hardly anyone mentioned cost reduction, business process, fleet optimization, or phases. And nobody championed reducing costs by reducing prints, copies, or printers and copiers.

This isn’t to say nobody serviced printers or supplied toner. Yes, some were “optimizing” fleets, shifting volume, addressing document workflow and business processes, or managing hundreds of devices, but we inhabited our own little silo.

Xerox, IKON, Canon, Océ, and Pitney Bowes all had their FM division – each conducting site surveys and usage analysis as well as working with colored dots and floor plans.

Silo 1.
The bane of OEMs, third-party cartridge manufacturers, lived their existence in the dark on the periphery of the ecosystem, struggling from legality to legitimacy.

Silo 2.
Liberty, Kofax, and other software companies were conducting user interviews, charting document flows, developing Statements of Work, and evangelizing paper to digital.

Silo 3.
Copier reps walking the streets were suggesting ROI, lower lease costs, TCO, and the benefits of color to purchasing agents and church deacons alike. They were churning, flexing, and otherwise landing gear, giving “more for less” and pitching scan-once-print-many (keyword being “many”).

Silo 4.
The OEMs were flush – seemingly changing models every 90 days. Corporate marketing departments were shoving quotas down the channel, and the channel responded obediently, floor-planning and filling show floors.

Silo 5.
Back then, VARs were executing thousands of transactions a day – servers, desktops, laptops, networks, data centers – and yes, tens of thousands of printers flew off the dock into waiting cubicles.

Silo 6.
I am simplifying by stating only six silos. We may have discovered as many as 11 silos or dimensions over the past two decades inside what can be called the imaging/technology industry.

The number doesn’t matter. Mere acknowledgment is important. Always there, unobserved until now. You see, even though these functions and organizations existed and thrived, there was never a recognized commonality. There was no unifying factor.

Until now.

If you envision these silos standing individually, what could be the common ground? More aptly, what would be the white spaces between the columns?

Managed print Services, the M-theory – that’s what.

Think about it. As we move through the stages of MpS into MS, the “P” fades and other factors, the other columns, illuminate – from third-party toner to scan-to-file, storage, mobility, and EDM – once unique and isolated, now pulled together as one overarching system.

The players haven’t changed, but the game is all different. Those of us who can now ”see” the ecosystem will thrive.
There’s more.

This point in history is unique. This is a time of technological convergence, time compression, and shifting control from a central authority to the individual. MpS is a vehicle for change at this moment. Again, not everyone will see the opportunities or the pitfalls; it takes a wider perspective and pure intent, but those who stay could be champions.


Posted by Greg Walters on 07/11/2011

"I shall call him, Mini-Pad and His Big Sister shall be Maxi -" #Apple

Originally posted 7/9/12

Kindle, schmindle, I want a PC in the form of an iPAD!

I want the comfort of Windows 1.0 and enough ports to plug in my optical mouse AND trackball- while you're at it, throw in parallel port to boot.

And I want it to print to any and every printer in the world. Dare I say, an Epson LQ-2550 and an IBM 4019 Laser printer.

Yeah, print to those, you goofy, goof-ball.

Those Win8, hockey pucks won't print.Not because they can't, because NOBODY WILL WANT TO PRINT.

Will Win8 be a bust?  Will it lock up, like every other Windows version? Has there been a history of new interfaces confusing the hell out of everyone? Whatever.

Pascal's Triangle & The Digitization of the Office - 1/3/2014

2014

In the Beginning -

The workplace has been evolving since the beginning of time. We've moved from farms to churches to castles, to high-rise office buildings and mega-cities. As communication shifted from handwritten documents to print to electronic, so too, did the office and the way we conduct day-to-day business.

Some consider the process started sometime in the 90s - while others imagine true digitization kicked off with the advent of the IPad. 

My observations and research reveal the shift has been occurring since the late 1600s starting with a device invented and built by an 18-year-old, French kid. The mechanism performed addition, subtraction, and multiplication through the manipulation of gears and dials. The teen was helping his father calculate bigger numbers when performing French tax accounting. 

Who is The World's Best Managed Print Services...in the World

I love the phrase, "It ain't bragging if its true..." - my high school football coach used it often.

I've noticed a trend over the past few months in our little niche: Robo-Boasting.

Self-promotion is great.  I get that and if you're proud of your MpS, I say get that story out there.  But don't do it through a robotic channel.

Bragging -

So many software, OEMs, dealers, toner pirates, distributors, consultants and analysts either claim to be or report to know the best Managed Print Services something-or-other.  The twitter-feed is chock-full of MPS robo-brags and self-promotion, it is blinding.  Observed from the outside it looks like one huge Love-fest. (I was going to use 'circle-jerk' but that might seem offensive)

Toner For Tablets - March, 2012 "The New #iPad Will Kill Printed Documents"

Originally posted, March 4, 2012

"One of the iPad's biggest competitors has been paper," said Nick Bilton, a tech columnist at The New York Times, "and now this is better than paper."

So many books and so little printing-

I was somewhat dismayed to learn Britannica is no longer going to print its encyclopedia.

I was a bit vexed when I read that printed,  pulp-erotica isn't as hot as it once was.

My confusion cleared upon discovering the hottest thing on  E*Readers is ladies' romance/erotica - women and their dirty little Nook's. This makes perfect sense; nobody can tell what you're reading while sucking a caramel macchiato, head down on a Kindle.  Poor Fabio.

Even Conde Nest is moving out of print and into the online subscription business.

Half of YOU will Be A #Freelancer - And Won't Print #paperless

Getting up early to fight the traffic.  Fast food lunches, office politics, 'walk around management', empty Monday morning meetings, and equally nauseating, re-cap meetings Friday at 4:00 PM.

Ah, the modern, cube-rat life. Sick of it? You're not the only one.

There is good news - studies suggest by 2020, 50% of us will be freelancers.  All of us, not just writers and out-of-work salespeople will either be or know somebody who is an independent, hired gun, freelancer.  Everyone from CEO to Controller will have the opportunity to work 24/7, from anywhere in the solar system.

Before you say, "I couldn't concentrate at home..." I'm not just talking physically at home.  Besides, you can concentrate anywhere.    Consider the monthly costs your employer carries to put a roof over your head, phone in your hand, and connect you to the interweb.

For Five Six years this U2 video has played.  Seems like it happened yesterday.

2014

2013

#Apple September 9, 2014 #IOS8, #AppleWatch #APPL

It was about the A8. It was about calls shifting from wireless to cell, seamlessly.

It was a bigger phone with more Sensors, new gyroscope better camera.

NFC - Pay without Cash
Pay at McDonalds, Disney, Apple, etc.

Apple Pay 
"Will forever change the way we pay for things.  Online Transactions - Pay with a Finger"

Target, Uber, Open Table and more.  Pay online with your fingerprint and keep all your credit card information in the palm of your hand or on your wrist.

There Are No SEO Experts - #SToPiT!

#managedprintservices, #gregwalters, #mps, #sales, #seo, #searchengineoptimization, #traffic, #mysterymeansmargin, #pleasegoviral, #keywordsorcontent. #mysteryinSEO, #theSEOConspiracy, #UrNotReadinThis

I know this is going to ruffle some feathers, but my latest foray into the world that is the interweb has lead me to the above conclusion. Let me be even more precise: There is no such thing as an SEO expert in our industry. That’s going to hurt the few who claim to be guru’s and pundits - sorry.

It has been, and still is my belief that pure content is the best way to attract an audience. Google agrees. Their search algorithm seeks out fresh, organic content.

Traveling the world of content marketing and marketing content, I see parallels between this realm and the early days of managed print services.(MpS)

In the beginning, nobody really knew what MpS was or how to sell and support a profitable program - some still don't. Back then, there was a great deal of mystery in MpS so anyone who had the slightest insight vaulted to the rank of 'expert' - take it from me. Back then, one needed to have a few weeks more experience than everyone else.

Why No Experts, Greg?

How Cloud Computing Will Change Your Business in the Future

From Workintelligent.ly, Aug 27, 2014.

As we know, the cloud is a platform that allows you to store and process data away from your personal device. The resulting information can then be presented to that or other devices.

This is not a new concept. It’s the way computing originated. Programs originally ran on mainframes, mirroring sessions to terminals throughout an organization. But these were expensive options. In the very early days of personal computing, businesses could only afford to provide CFO’s and controllers with spreadsheet applications and $10,000 PCs.

How to Get Better at Managed Print Services Assessments: 3 Points

Here's a quickie...

For decades, MPS assessments have been a cornerstone to almost every engagement. Even when a 30-Second assessment is popped off, as light as it its, its still an assessment.

Indeed, every sales rep assesses the situation upon entering into a conversation - its only natural. You're measuring the opportunity to be embarrassed or rejected in the first seven seconds. Think back to 7th grade and asking 'whats-her-name' to dance. Or is it just me?

Good Workflow Kills Paper - The Once and Future Managed Print Services

From The Imaging Channel.

Passing notes in class used to result in a disciplinary action. Back then, the most efficient method of conveying information or querying a prospect was to scratch a simple question on a scrap of paper and ask your neighbor pass it along. “Do you like me? Do you want to be my friend? Check yes or no." In the early days of business, like those notes in third grade, sales orders were hand written on paper with a pen.

As time went by, more advanced order-entry processes developed around carbon and carbonless paper and forms. One instance of data entry, writing information down on the order, would create three or four copies, which you’d just peel apart and forward a copy to the appropriate department — original into daily sales, yellow to the warehouse, goldenrod over to accounting as an open order, and the pink gets thrown away. (As an aside, do you remember how challenging it was for some copiers to make a copy of a yellow background, carbonless form? That’s right, we were making copies of copies.)