pariah |pəˈrīə|It wasn't long ago, the darling of the dance, managed print services, was filled with wonder and promise. Like Carrie's senior prom, that bucket of toner came crashing down spoiling mood and prom dress alike.
noun
1 an outcast: they were treated as social pariahs.
2 historical a member of a low caste in southern India.
Yes, it is true - managed print services has become the industry pariah - oh how the mighty have fallen. Supplanted by help desk, email, and disaster recovery the lowly printer has left the stage.
Managed print services has ended up meaning little more than service and toner delivery leveraged to lock customers in, expand shelf space and drop more machines in field. But that wasn't what MPS should have been.
It had the potential for so, so much more but we couldn't handle it. True mps is huge, expansive and all inclusive; a concept including printers and wireless routers, scanning, digital workflow, and the paperless life.
Too Big for Most People's Mind -
They invited managed print to the prom, put her on stage. Then, in a pre-planned scheme, they attempted to shame and belittle. Unlike Carrie's story, the devious ones here understood the overwhelming power of a new business model. Instead of simply embarrassing the concept, the sought to destroy it. They've succeeded.
Self-centered.
"...And the raven was called sin..."
The prom is over. But there is always another dance, another Carrie.
Let's try something that isn't tied to OEM hardware. Indeed, let's start proposing and selling ideas that ROMOVE hardware from the equation(one possibility derived from mps). The scary truth is your prospects and customers are doing it right now, with or without you.
Would you like to learn more about how your business could move away from OEM driven quotas?
Reach out to me.