Gartner at the Print and Imaging Conference: Take Aways

"Companies are saying that managing print is one of the most effective ways to manage costs," - Frederico de Silva Leon, principal analyst at Gartner.

The Print and Imaging Conference was recently held here in LA and Gartner chimed in with some observations of the MPS Ecosystem.

Based on an article over at Channel Web, Gartner is illustrating information most of us have been living with for two years now.

For instance, Gartner reports,

"Customers are also looking for ways to improve their business processes. Up to half of a knowledge worker's time could be spent printing and looking for documents,...This is a an area where we could see significant improvements."

Huh, who woulda thunk...And welcome to the party!

Maybe I am a little, what's the word, jaded - but isn't this the third generation of "johnny come lately's"? Me being part of the second.

That's fine, the MPS boat has lots of room.

In a nutshell, according to the article, Gartner believes:

- Companies should move to a three year refresh rate on printers
- Employees could be spending up to 50% of their time printing documents
- It is better to purchase a color device if monthly volume is below 5,000
- Printing hardware cost is falling
- Color pricing is falling
- Purchasing color devices that emit 5,000 images a month could save $1,000.00 per year
- Less 11x17 and more A4 devices would be better
- Keep an eye out for "smart MFP's"

Additionally, another principal research ananlyst with Gartner defined MPS as,

"...as a series of steps for cutting print costs, including an assessment of a company's current fleet of devices and printing requirements, technology and processes to optimize the management of that fleet, break-fix and management services, management of the hardware and consumables, and training..."

- I guess we can finally put this little debate aside.

But why stop at defining MPS, why not endulge in creating, I mean describing, MPS best practices:

-Create a strong corporate governance environment
-Carefully manage the transition to managed print services
-Holistic management of the service

Huh, again, who woulda thunk...Yes, I am being very sarcastic.

To be serious, I only ask, "Hey Gartner, where ya been for the last two years? Getting wine'd and dine'd by all those Upper Right Quadrant dwellers?"

Gartner's Magical Quadrant and The Scales of Justice

On December 4, 2009, ZL Technologies filed an amended complaint against Gartner, Inc. in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California.

The Court granted ZL the opportunity to clarify and augment our earlier allegations of defamation and trade libel.

In the first round of ZL's legal dispute with Gartner, Gartner argued to the Court that its rankings and other statements in the proprietary Magic Quadrant Reports are merely opinions that are not based upon fact, and that they are understood as such by the readers of those reports.

However, Gartner's past statements in marketing materials, white papers, blogs and even the Magic Quadrant Reports themselves, assert that their research and analysts' opinions are based on a body of facts compiled through what is asserted to be a rigorous process.

The amended complaint clarifies ZL's contentions about the inaccuracy of Gartner's reports, the inherent conflict of interest arising out of Gartner's voluminous business with the vendors it reviews, and its subsequent bias towards large and established vendors. The amended complaint also adds new detail about Gartner's repeated claims that its research is based on objective facts a position exactly opposite to the stance forwarded by Gartner in court.

While this case is focused on ZL's dispute with Gartner over the erroneous statements in Gartner's publications, the issues here also implicate Gartner's larger business model.

Gartner plainly admits that it attempts to leverage value from its largest clients, many of whom are also vendors covered in the company's research.

ZL's legal filings describe how that business model causes Gartner to favor those large companies at the expense of identifying the best technologies, thus misleading not just the vendors who are inaccurately reviewed by Gartner, but the consumers who base their IT purchasing decisions on Gartner's biased research.

ZL is seeking injunctive relief as well as compensatory and punitive damages from Gartner.

The amended complaint can be found here:

http://www.zlti.com/courtdocs/docs/First_Amended_Complaint.pdf

Today, I Had Drinks with a Hero...

April 1941, Pearl Harbor.

The newly wed couple fresh from the states live in a one bedroom house. They share the shower, and toilet with 2 other couples. He a Naval corpsmen, his beautiful young bride the homemaker.

After being married a few months and living with family in a small, cramped California house, they journey thousands of miles and half an ocean's distance to finally live together alone.

Together in Paradise.

This is Oahu, April of 1941. Cane fields surround the lazy, sleepy town of Honolulu. Soft, tropical breezes stir through the palms drying out remnants of morning showers. The island was home to 50,000 service men but it still had only one traffic light.

Hawaii is a US Territory, statehood nearly two decades away. The town has one road in and out; no skyscrapers, mega-resorts, or miles of lights, to wash out the stars of the night sky.

A time as foreign to us contemporaries as the surface of Mars.

On the morning of December 7th, eight months after arriving in Paradise, and a mere 30 minutes before "all hell breaks loose", this sailor gives his new bride a kiss on the cheek and heads of to another day doing whatever a corp man does. She expects to greet her husband at day's end, with a home cooked dinner.

At work, a line of gray battleships - the might and power of the United States Navy - are tied off - "Battleship Row". They carry names of honor; Nevada, California, Tennessee, Maryland, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Utah and Arizona.

This sailor will be late for dinner.

His name is Jack and her name is Mary. Jack is my wife's, mother's uncle and is one of the few remaining Pearl Harbor survivors. It is always an honor to share adult beverages (yes, plural) with him. Jack is 89 years young.

His life story includes witnessing and surviving the attacks of Peal Harbor, evacuating his new bride months later on a troopship.

From Pearl he was ordered to Southampton, England to setup a medical facility in preparation for a secret "big push" in Europe - D-Day. His facility receives the casualties from the beaches of Normandy.

Not long after, he is ordered aboard a "tin-can", hunting German U-boats in the North Atlantic. He has a most vivid memory of he and his destroyer shipmates rolling along in swells, seasick and miserable, looking over at the sailors on an carrier, playing ping-pong on the fight deck.

Now a days, he lunches with his pals at Denny's or Big Boys - his "pals" include WWII aces, test pilots, Medal of Honor recipients.

He belongs to organizations whose rosters include men with the names of Yeager, Lindberg, Hoover and Doolittle - Jimmy Doolittle's grand daughter has been to his house often researching her next book.

His life is full of experiences, ghastly visions and terrible smells:

Memories of the battleship Nevada beaching directly in front of him on Hospital Point.

Bremerton bay from the deck of a shattered Enterprise.

The rumble and flashes in the pre-dawn sky of June 6th.

Rolling seas, frigid, arctic salt air, under a gray, troubling sky in the North Atlantic - do those memories sustain him and give him pause? Of course.

Yet, I suspect that those 8 months on Oahu, from April to December, memories of two young lovers in Paradise - I think those memories sustain him to this day.

He is a Hero. He does not think of himself as a hero, they never do.

He offers us his memories, his history, to sustain us, not him.

Jack is a "Living History Speaker".

He and a group of survivors visit schools and tell kids about December 7th and the War - refreshing. Alas, I fear, more kids have been subject to Nobel Prize winning Enviro-mercial, "Inconvenient Truth" than Jack and his pals could ever reach.

Very unfortunate, when considering the biggest risk Al Gore ever took was operating his cherry-picker.

Paradise Lost.

Clarion University Saving Money with The First Two Stages of Managed Print Services

Stage One and Stage Two of the MPS doctrine - but not Stage Three, yet.

The project was led by the university President. (C-Level sponsorship)

Purchasing and IT worked together.(prerequisite to moving forward)

A study conducted. (Assessment)

Machines removed. (Primary Goal of MPS)

CRD revamped. (CRD's can be included)

From 0.12/B&W to 0.035/B&W.(Quick Win, hard cost savings)

Six Million Images in the first year. (Baseline measurement)

Early in February 2010, Clarion University Purchasing, Computer Services, and IKON/Ricoh will be holding a demonstration of methods and equipment for the rest of campus. IKON/Ricoh will be training staff and faculty on the use of new equipment. (On going MPS Engagement)

Partnered with Ricoh/IKON(throw everything I said above, out. Its a CPC not MPS)


Printer changes saving Clarion University money

Clarion University is looking for budget savings one printer cartridge at a time.
President Joseph Grunenwald with the printers and ink
cartridges removed from offices in Carrier Hall.

Printer cartridges, the type used in all desktop printers appears to be a small budget item when purchasing decisions are being made. Clarion University discovered that on a large scale this commonly used product results in thousands of dollars in purchases each year, leading to an effort to curb this expense by moving to centralized print devices.

Led by President Joseph Grunenwald, the administrative offices in Carrier Hall are leading the way for campus. Most all of the desktop/personal printers, including those in the president's office, have been removed. A Ricoh central printer/copier/scanner, for use by the entire floor has replaced the personal printers. One centralized networked printer will serve as backup per department.

"Our intent is to look at how the entire campus copies and prints, and what to do on campus with copiers and printers," said Rein Pold, director of purchasing.

The analysis was eye opening. There were roughly 540 print devices (mostly Hewlett Packard) on campus, which used $60,000 a year in print cartridges. Clarion spends $12-15,000 per year to purchase printers and an additional $4-5,000 per year to maintain the devices. The cost to print from these devices is six to 12 cents per black and white copy and 15 to 32 cents per color copy.

During 2009, a switchover started. Ricoh Equipment installed 27 color/black and white and 44 black and white only copiers on campus. The copy volume during the first year for these 71 machines was almost six million black and white copies and 250,000 color copies. Factoring in the cost of toner, maintenance, and other supplies, the cost per copy was .03 to .035 cents per black and white copy and .08 to .09 cents per color copy.

"We didn't invent this process," said Pold. "Hewlett Packard removed all non-networked printers from its corporate headquarters in 2008 and they make $21 billion per year selling printer cartridges. Clarion is approaching this idea cooperatively so the employees understand going to the right place for the right job is the most cost effective approach. The Ricoh copiers became the default printers for all people working on a floor or in a department, with each employee having the ability to print directly to that copier through their personal computer. The machines can also be used as copiers and can scan printed items so it may be e-mailed or faxed.

"This has been a cooperative effort of purchasing and computer services," said Pold. "Steve Selker, and Scott Bauer from computing services led the efforts to set up the new equipment."

Pold also sees PAGES (Printing and Graphics Express Service), Clarion University's own full-service printing, copy and promotional center, being reintroduced as the shop where volume work for campus can be completed. PAGES will hold an open house early in 2010 to demonstrate new services and equipment.

Early in February 2010, Clarion University Purchasing, Computer Services, and PAGES; and IKON/Ricoh will be holding a demonstration of methods and equipment for the rest of campus. IKON/Ricoh will be training staff and faculty on the use of new equipment.

"What Clarion is doing is unique within the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education," said Pold. "No one else has the cost-per-copy program that Clarion has. President Grunenwald was on board early supporting this process, leading by giving up his own printer."

Clarion University is the high-achieving, nationally recognized, comprehensive university that delivers a personal and challenging academic experience.



Posted by University Relations on 12/4/2009 9:00:00 AM

Comcast Buys NBC or GE Sells NBC: Why does this matter to you?

Twenty years ago, Comcast was new to our area.

Back then, I remember over a few brews, discussing with a cadre of friends, of all things, how computers could bring the telephone, TV, and Cable all together.

At the time, it was called "convergence".

Well, as we see today with the smart phones, and connectivity to the Nth degree, the great Mash-Up is here, has been here, and will continue to expand into every facet of our lives.

This is a big move in many ways, not just about technology and business, its touches every corner of our life - Media.

Press Release:


The following is the full text of the press release regarding Comcast's acquisition of NBC Universal, sent Thursday at 6:16 a.m. Eastern.



PHILADELPHIA & FAIRFIELD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA, CMCSK) and General Electric (NYSE: GE) announced today that they have signed a definitive agreement to form a joint venture that will be 51 percent owned by Comcast, 49 percent owned by GE and managed by Comcast. The joint venture, which will consist of the NBC Universal (NBCU) businesses and Comcast’s cable networks, regional sports networks and certain digital properties and certain unconsolidated investments, will be well positioned to compete in an increasingly dynamic and competitive media and digital environment.

The combination of assets creates a leading media and entertainment company with the proven capability to provide some of the world’s most popular entertainment, news and sports content, movies and film libraries to consumers anytime, anywhere. The joint venture will provide consumers the broadest possible access to content, and support high-quality, award-winning content development across all platforms including film, television, and online. It will be anchored by an outstanding portfolio of cable networks and regional sports networks that will account for about 80 percent of its cash flow, including USA, Bravo, Syfy, E!, Versus, CNBC and MSNBC. The joint venture will be financially strong with a robust cash-flow-generation capability.

Under the terms of the transaction, GE will contribute to the joint venture NBCU’s businesses valued at $30 billion, including its cable networks, filmed entertainment, televised entertainment, theme parks, and unconsolidated investments, subject to $9.1 billion in debt to third party lenders. Comcast will contribute its cable networks including E!, Versus and the Golf Channel, its ten regional sports networks, and certain digital media properties, collectively valued at $7.25 billion, and make a payment to GE of approximately $6.5 billion of cash subject to certain adjustments based on various events between signing and closing.

Comcast Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Brian Roberts said, “This deal is a perfect fit for Comcast and will allow us to become a leader in the development and distribution of multiplatform ‘anytime, anywhere’ media that American consumers are demanding. In particular, NBCU’s fast-growing, highly profitable cable networks are a great complement to our industry-leading distribution business. Today’s announced transaction will increase our capabilities in content and cable networks. At the same time, it will enhance consumer choice and accelerate the development of new digital products and services. GE has provided NBCU with a great home and has dramatically and positively transformed the business. We are honored that under this agreement Comcast would take over the stewardship of this important collection of assets and are absolutely committed to investing in NBCU and ensuring that it is a vibrant, financially strong company able to thrive in a rapidly evolving marketplace by delivering innovative programming. We are particularly pleased to be creating this new joint venture with GE and Jeff Immelt and to have their continued involvement.

“For Comcast, this transaction is strategically compelling and will generate attractive financial returns and build shareholder value,” continued Roberts. “It is also expected to be immediately accretive and will also allow us to maintain our strong commitment to returning capital to shareholders– all while increasing the scale, capabilities and value of our cable distribution, content and digital assets.

See the rest here.