Editorials

Toshiba Looks to Build On Solid Foundation at 2013 Dealer and End-User Conference

By George Mikolay, Senior Product Editor, A3/Copier MFPs, December 4, 2013

Nearly 1,000 professionals convened in Orlando November 13-14 to participate in LEAD 2013, Toshiba America Business Solutions, Inc.’s (TABS) annual technology showcase. Unlike with most vendors, who have similar meetings every year attended by dealers and industry media, Toshiba’s approach is unique in that select end-users are also invited. The approach has paid dividends for Toshiba, as last year’s conference accounted for more than $7.2 million in new U.S. business for Toshiba from end-users.

Positioned for Growth, but from Where?

According to Scott Maccabe, new president and CEO of TABS, the company remains profitable and well positioned for growth. Noting that it was his 132nd day on the job, Maccabe said, “We have seen impressive growth in color system sales, and have also experienced significant growth on the MPS [Managed Print Services] and A4 side.”

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HP Print Day 2013

By Marlene Orr, Senior Analyst, Printers/A4 MFPs, December 3, 2013

Hewlett-Packard (HP) hosted a small group of press and analysts at its campus in Boise, Idaho in mid-November to provide a closer look at the fall product introductions, gain further insight on software solutions and participate in a behind-the-scenes look at some of HP’s LaserJet test labs.

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2013 Konica Minolta Dealer Meeting: Numbers Don’t Lie (Part 1 of 3)

By Carl Schell, Associate Editor, December 3, 2013

Throughout his opening remarks at “Shape the Future,” President and COO of Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A. (KMBS) Rick Taylor peppered in a few jokes, along with some self-deprecating humor. The news he and other executives shared over the next several hours in the Venetian Theater, though, was no joke.

Strategy. Passion. Leadership. These were the pillars upon which the event was built, regardless of the topic at hand, and they served to support the biggest theme: transformation. Looking back to 2008, when Taylor was hired and began bringing his team on board, it’s obvious that the company’s journey over the past five years has been marked not only by positive change but also impressive results, particularly in the areas of dealer relations, the continued “flipping” of the hardware-based business model to one that’s solutions and services-centric, and the overall score on the board.

Sharp Sets the Stage for Success at 2013 National Dealer Meeting

By Jessica Schiffenhaus, Research Editor, December 3, 2013

A crowd of over 900 attendees joined Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America (SIICA) in Orlando, Florida, for the Tour de Force 2013—the company’s national dealer meeting.

The theme of this year’s event centered on music because of the similarities between the issues faced by the music industry as it embraced the digital age and those facing the copier industry, which is transitioning from hardware-only sales to providing complete solutions, explained Laura Blackmer, SIICA’s new senior vice president of sales as of May 2013. Blackmer’s previous experience includes holding senior positions at Hewlett-Packard, Onforce, Inc., and most recently as senior director of North American Channel Sales for Intermec, Inc. The event included live performances on welcoming night and a concert following the awards ceremony (Doug Albregts and a few other members of the Sharp team took the stage during the opening act). And Tuesday’s guest speaker was Bruce Dickinson, lead singer of Iron Maiden, whose speech emphasized the importance of listening to customers so that they become not just customers, but fans.

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HP’s Answer to Mobile Printing in the Enterprise

By Marlene Orr, Senior Analyst, Printers/A4 MFPs, December 2, 2013

In the age of BYOD (bring your own device), workers and IT directors need to find a way to increase mobility and compliance in office environments. Workers want to be able to print easily from their mobile devices; IT directors don’t want to compromise security. At a recent analyst event in Boise, HP offered insight on its current offerings for mobile printing in enterprise environments.

The Evolving Workforce

According to HP research, 75 percent of smartphone users use their phone for both work and home, 65 percent of SMBs support some level of BYOD and 37 percent of the global workforce is expected to be mobile by 2015. While PC shipments are expected to remain relatively flat, with only the slightest increase in the coming years, smartphone and tablet shipments are on the rise, with smartphone shipments worldwide expected to exceed 1.5 billion devices by 2017; tablets are expected to exceed laptop and desktop PC shipments combined by 2015.

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Go Green

Everyone has heard the term “Go Green.” It can hold different meanings for different people, but it mostly encourages companies and households alike to lead eco-friendly lifestyles and adopt sustainable practices.

People thought it was a passing trend but the need for “going green” is here to stay.

One great way of being kind to the environment in your business is through reducing the amount of printing you use.

Here are reasons why your office should cut back on printing:

The Spirit of Innovation is Alive and Well

By Laurie Riedman, a Xerox contributor

The spirit of Xerox innovation that got kick started 75 years when Chester Carlson invented the xerographic process in that cramped  makeshift laboratory in Astoria, Queens is alive and well. Last week, over 300 inventors came together in Rochester, N.Y. to celebrate those light bulb moments and the resulting patents awarded to the engineers and scientists who are continuing Chester Carlson’s legacy of innovation.

While Carlson’s invention of “xerography” certainly launched Xerox and revolutionized how information is shared and, ultimately, how office work gets done –our inventors are still hard at work today simplifying how work gets done in 160 countries and through the support of 140,000 Xerox people.

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Ricoh ChaMPionS Services-Led Approach at Convergence 2013

By Jessica Schiffenhaus, Research Editor, November 19, 2013

Ricoh’s national dealer meeting this year, Convergence 2013, was held October 28 to 30 at Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. This year’s Convergence was Ricoh’s largest to-date, with over 1,200 people in attendance, more than 700 of whom were from the 250-plus dealerships that attended. The aptly themed meeting—Fast Forward—demonstrated the company’s progress since Convergence 2012, when it announced its new “services-led” business model, Ricoh Americas Corporation reorganization, and goals for growing dealer sales volume.

Jim Coriddi, vice president of Ricoh USA’s Dealer Division, led the general session with some updates on the dealer channel:  Equipment sales through the dealer channel were up 10 percent year over year; color production growth doubled since last year; and the results of a dealer survey were favorable in areas such as dealer pride and brand quality, but weak in support, communication and strategic partnership management.

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Document Management: Law Offices Should Implement an EDMS Into Their Practice

There are certain industries that have laws and regulations requiring them to secure their documents that contain personal information on them. Law offices are in this category.

Paper work is a big part of being in the profession of law. That is why document management has long been the factory assembly line for most law firms. All of the contracts, personal information, spreadsheets and billing information need to be stored somewhere secure and inaccessible to just anyone.

With a lawyer-client relationship there is the important issue of liability for mistakes resulting in possible malpractice and personal liability for the lawyer if these documents get into the wrong hands.

Medical Organizations Need Document Management Services

Document management service (DMS) is beneficial for companies across the board. It doesn’t matter what industry the company is in they will see:

  • Increased Productivity
  • Elimination of Lost, Damaged or Missing Files
  • Reduces Physical Storage Space
  • Disaster Recovery
  • and Enhanced Security Access

But one of the industries that has the greatest need for DMS is the medical industry.

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