Here is a paragraph from the latest from Managed Print Services (MPS) by the Photizo Group
"I believe that HP has seen the light and over two years ago started its major move into services – particularly managed print services. With the acquisition of EDS, HP has been able to offer customers a simpler way of managing their IT infrastructure and their printers. The recent announcement of their new MPS division again shows their services orientation."
(emphasis mine)
-- by Mike Huster, Sr. Consultant and Partner, Photizo Group
This is from Greg Walters Death of the Copier Blog
"HP has established a strong leadership position in the growing MPS marketplace, so to have the support of a company of this caliber brings a great deal of credibility to the MPS Conference and validates its importance to the MPS marketplace," said Ed Crowley, CEO and Senior Partner of the Photizo Group, which is hosting the MPS 2009 European Conference."
Two years huh? Must be nice to have a strong leadership position within the MPS marketplace with only two years experience. I suppose a giant brand name and a well known blue logo must cause some people to forget that they are essentially letting a toddler of the mps industry provide their company with a program that did not even exist a few years back.
Would you let a two year old drive your car? Do your taxes? Manage your company?
Then why would you trust one to provide your company with a managed print services program? Regardless of whether its HP, Canon, Ikon, Konica Minolta or one of the other "Big Boys" the fact remains that all of them have less than a decade experience in the MPS industry.
Sure becuase of their size and brand they may have a global presence with accounts all over the world and may very well seem like experts, but are they really? Some of these large companies are going to start going after smaller accounts and SMBs. If your the CEO of such a company again I would like to ask you:
Would you let a two year old drive your car? Do your taxes? Manage your company?
The answer is of course no.
So when your company is ready for an MPS program do your self a favor and think twice before choosing a provider with a big name and a well known logo and instead, do your homework. Chances are you will find (an albeit smaller) company that has far more years of experience in the field than these imaging industry giants who are really babies in regards to managed print services.
Nathan -
ReplyDeleteGreat point.
Fortunately, the HP's MPS programs referenced in the above articles reflect enterprise accounts, where the "well known blue label" stands for more than a toner refilling machine out back, in the garage.
I agree 100% with you - client's should evaluate a prospective MPS partner with great care, and beware of those not only who say they are experts with only 2 years experience, but also wary of those who say they've been doing MPS for 25yrs.
How many companies, back in 1984, had IT Directors or CIO's?
Managed Print Services is more than Managed Toner Services, as you and I both know.
Also, I agree that the "smaller" MPS firms have the advantage of being more flexible and responsive to customers' needs - I just can't support a global corporation with my small MPS Practice.
And yes, the "big boys" are redefining Enterprise level accounts down, and SMB opportunities up - they are going after the bigger piece of the pie.
I welcome this.
The more nimble dealers will be able to tear these "corporate sales" people to shreds.
Good read.
Greg, thanks for the feedback. While some of the smaller guys may not have been doing MPS for 25 years some have for about 15.
ReplyDeleteI truly believe that when certain size companies as mentioned above decide they need and MPS program that some of us smaller companies while not able to handle global accounts can and will be able to handle smaller SMBs better than the "Big Boys".
My hope is that the CEO's of these companies consider those of us who have been doing this far longer before latching on to a large company simply because they claim to be experts.
I personally believe that one can only be an expert after years of experience in the trenches, I think you would agree yes?
While we certainly can't tackle global accounts but we can say that we have a full remanufacturing facility with multiple refilling work stations with a custom built refilling technology, as well as our own IT, and Marketing departments.
None of that really makes us a great MPS company though. What does is people like our founder and folks like you who know MPS inside and out.
thanks for the insight and taking time to post, hope all is well, take care!