I first heard about the concept of Print 2.0 at an HP conference last year, when company executives talked about the next-generation of printing. It makes sense – it’s a pain to print certain Web pages or blogs, for example, and something needs to be done to make that work.
But it seemed for a long time – like, the past decade – that the printer market was pretty much dead (for the channel, anyway). Margins were minimal, and if a VAR was lucky enough to make a bulk sale, there was no guarantee of hearing from the customer ever again.
More often than not, small and mid-sized businesses are turning to the Staples and Business Depots of the world to buy their printers, which have become as commoditized as calculators. And once they run out of ink or toner or paper, they just run out to the nearest Grand & Toy.
But something is starting to change, perhaps because of this Print 2.0 world. We’ve been hearing a lot about managed services over the past year, particularly security and storage. One that we haven’t heard so much about is managed printing. But Tech Data is taking this on, allowing VARs to offer managed printing to their customers.
The distie has teamed up with FMAudit, a company that provides managed print services tools – and it offers a whole lot more than bulk printing. VARs can design their own print management solutions using FMAudit’s Rapid Print Assessment software, which includes automated metering, reporting, and consumable and service alerts. If the customer has disparate systems, the VAR can come up with a management solution, charging a monthly or per-seat fee.
And this is only the beginning. Tech Data says it plans to offer a number of managed services for printing, so other deals are likely in the works.
Konica is also trying to make it easier for VARs to bring in service revenue by offering the do-it-all 8650DN printer through the channel (it’s working with D&H, Ingram Micro, Synnex and Tech Data). The printer, which eliminates the need to outsource high-quality documents and offers large-format capabilities, allows VARs to build vertical market solutions, and then offer ongoing support, supplies and maintenance. Konica has also reworked its partner program.
It makes sense for VARs, but will customers buy into this concept? After all, people nowadays feel like they’re being nickled and dimed in every aspect of their lives, so are they going to want to sign a service contact for their printers? Managed security or storage might be an easier sell, since many organizations don’t view printing as a strategic part of their business.
In order for this to fly, VARs will have to position this service as something that can make employees’ lives easier and, ultimately, save money. Several surveys indicate that we’re nowhere near reaching the paperless office holy grail – in fact, we’re printing more than ever. We print Web pages, we print blogs, we print e-mail. It can add up to a lot of waste – both for the environment and the organization’s pocketbook. It’s one of those hidden costs that C-level execs don’t always consider.
So maybe the printer market isn’t dead after all.
