Managed Print Services Heats Up
Summary: “Managed print services is a game-changing trend that will have significant impact on the hardcopy market well into the future,” said Michael Orasin, research manager, Hardcopy Software and Services for IDC. “The growth of print services will continue to escalate as companies of all sizes comprehend the savings that can be realized under such programs and vendors compete to gain share. The majority of vendors are either aggressively investing in services that they have had in place for several years or, seeing the adoption trend, working to initiate competitive programs to remain relevant.”
You know you’re on to something when your industry starts getting tracked by the respected folks at International Data Corporation (IDC). Seems the esteemed researchers have discovered the Managed Print Services trend and just released a major assessment of the industry.
“Managed print services is a game-changing trend that will have significant impact on the hardcopy market well into the future,” said Michael Orasin, research manager, Hardcopy Software and Services for IDC. “The growth of print services will continue to escalate as companies of all sizes comprehend the savings that can be realized under such programs and vendors compete to gain share. The majority of vendors are either aggressively investing in services that they have had in place for several years or, seeing the adoption trend, working to initiate competitive programs to remain relevant.”
The report, IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Managed Print Services 2010 Hardcopy Vendor Analysis (IDC #222872), evaluates the current capabilities and future strategies of 10 vendors. Current capabilities include each vendor’s menu of services, how well a vendor delivers and executes these services, and how well these services align to customer needs. The future strategy evaluation focuses on each vendor’s high-level strategic decisions and underlying assumptions about offerings, customer segments, business, and go-to-market plans for the next three to five years. The vendors included in the analysis are Canon, HP, Konica Minolta, Lexmark, Océ, OKI Data, Pitney Bowes, Ricoh/IKON, Toshiba, and Xerox/Fuji Xerox.
The IDC MarketScape methodology placed Xerox, HP, and Ricoh/IKON in the “Leaders” category. The companies were recognized for their robust portfolios and well-defined go-to-market strategies targeting growth in both direct and indirect channels. These companies have also embraced cloud computing architectures as a means of delivering scalable, consistent managed print services to both large enterprises and SMBs. The assessment acknowledged Ricoh/IKON’s deep expertise in the managed services market and a well thought out set of offerings.
The report, of course, has tons more data, but it will cost you to take a deeper look. Hey, all that respect and esteem come at a price. But Doc says that if you’re considering a big contract in the Managed Print Services category, it might be well worth a look.
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Talkback Most Recent of 7 Talkback(s)
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New Report Due Soon
Its good to see the that the industry is beginning to take note of MPS. A new report is coming out soon from the MPS Thought Leader (the Photizo Group) based on surveys of over 1,000 MPS engagements to provide a definitive view of vendor performance, based upon the ultimate measure - the MPS Customer!
eacrowley@...27th May 2010 -
RE: Managed Print Services Heats Up
Just not sure where the savings is for companies that decide to buy toner in bulk and call print vendor as repairs are needed. The average company can get a remanufactured toner off of ebay for .01 per page, or even less on some high yield models. Where exactly is the savings other than a companies payables? Just curious.
nmontanino@...16th Apr -
RE: Managed Print Services Heats Up
Ditto what Ed said.
I only add, "What took you all so long?" - it's great to see more recognition. Yet, I still wonder how all those manufacturers reconcile the MPS goal of reducing the number of machines placed...
GregWalters27th May 2010 -
RE: Managed Print Services Heats Up
@GregWalters
The mfgs will reconcile reducing the machine count by shifting the value proposition from hardware to software and services. Hardware in this industry is basically a commodity these days. The true differentiation comes in the total solution (bundled hardware, software, services) offered by the vendor. These companies are going to have to play in the IT space now more than ever moving forward - especially with cloud computing evolving as it appears to be. Things are going to get very interesting. Stay tuned...
ejburckle28th May 2010 -
RE: Managed Print Services Heats Up
@ejburckle -
HP/EDS, Xerox/ACS, DELL/Perot (lol!) - differentiation, in MPS, means reducing the number of machines sold and in the field.
As long as there are plants back in Japan, churning out "units", hardware quotas are established and purchasing levels committed to.
Counter intuitive to Pure MPS.
But, perhaps I am a purist at heart..GregWalters1st Jun 2010 -
RE: Managed Print Services Heats Up
@GregWalters
And those plants back in Japan can keep trying to sustain their own levels of production or let the market dictate the waterline. Those mfgs that try to force the issue are going to be sitting on a pile of excess inventory if they're not careful. That is assuming this pure MPS model does become reality. Plants can be closed, downsized and/or consolidated, but if the vendors in this industry don't adapt and evolve accordingly, well let's just say chaulk one up for Darwin.ejburckle2nd Jun 2010 -
RE: Managed Print Services Heats Up
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