The Market’s Fastest, Most Productive Scanner Boosts Agency’s Productivity by 25%

Chantilly, VA — December 17, 2019 — Contex, the world leader in large format scanning, today announces that the Texas General Land Office (GLO), the state’s oldest agency and a longtime Contex customer, is boosting productivity by 25% with the Contex HD Ultra X 60-inch large format scanning solution. The GLO uses the scanner to preserve more than 45,000 maps, surveys, and sketches, which are available online to the public. Researchers, genealogists, surveyors, title companies, and historians frequently access the repository and can purchase copies of any item. Proceeds from the sale of prints benefit the agency’s Save Texas History Program, which allows those original maps in poor condition to be professionally conserved.

The GLO began its large-scale file-conversion project in 2000 with a Contex 50-inch large format scanner. Upon learning of the Contex HD Ultra X 60-inch scanner, the team decided to upgrade its scanning solution.

“We needed a scanner that could rapidly generate accurate images of more than 45,000 maps — complete with stains, creases, and faded colors — without an operator spending an inordinate amount of time adjusting each one,“ comments Susan Smith Dorsey, Director and Records, Management Officer, Texas General Land Office. “The Contex HD Ultra X 60-inch scanner helped us to achieve this goal, while significantly reducing our scanning workflow.”

“The Contex HD Ultra X 60-inch scanner is an ideal fit for the General Land Office, considering the types and sizes of documents that it preserves. These include many delicate and oversized materials, and the results are amazing,” comments Doyle Cryer, scanning expert and National Account Executive, National Azon. “Cartographers from back in the day would regularly draw characters in the maps, such as a farmer and his family, and the scans are so accurate that you can even see the threads on a farmer’s buttons. The fidelity is excellent.”

A Texas DIR (Department of Information Resources) cooperative contract streamlined the purchasing process of the Contex scanning solution for the state agency, and Cryer helped to facilitate the installation of the scanning solution. The solution includes a Contex HD Ultra X 60-inch CCD scanner with a ScanStation, Nextimage scanning software, and 21.5” tablet.

The HD Ultra X is Contex’s fastest scanner, with a top speed of 17.8 ips. Scanning speed alone has significantly boosted GLO’s workflow, giving staffers more flexibility than they ever thought possible. Thanks to true size detection, the Contex scanner wastes no time initiating the scanning process, and the floating transport design of the glass plate minimizes friction and reduces upkeep. The scans are so precise that they rarely require editing.

The HD Ultra X’s advanced technology also helps the GLO save valuable time in the scanning workflow. Before, GLO’s scanning process could take up to 6 people to maneuver the extra-large documents through the scanner. With the HD Ultra X scanning solution, they reduced it to two. Instant start-up and the LED light source eliminates the need for the equipment to “warm up.”

The GLO also values the proximity of the touchscreen monitor. Dorsey comments, “When scanning fragile items, it is helpful not to have to step away to a computer to operate the scanner. Also, having a CANCEL/STOP hardware button is very beneficial when scanning fragile items, as we so often do at the Land Office.”

For more information, visit www.contex.com or send email to salesamericas@contex.com.

About Contex

As the world’s leading developer and producer of large format imaging solutions, Contex leads the market with innovative technology and advanced scan and copy software applications. Sold worldwide in more than 100 countries, Contex solutions are recognized in a wide range of industries for reliability, value, high performance, and superb image quality. For more information, please visit www.contex.com

It's been a few years since I blogged about how are Print4Pay Hotel partners give back to their community or to their charitable cause.

Thus for the next few days we'll be posting a paragraph or two from our sponsors.  Please hit up the like button and please share, it's wonderful that these companies take the time and effort to give back to others in need.

The Copier Solution Shop aka VZ Industries

The Copier Solution Shop is part of the VZ Industries Group a complete factory to produce steel products is ‘at hand’ to help Schools or Clubs.

A nice example is the ‘Dik Trom’ School in Hoofddorp (The Netherlands).

Dik Trom is a very famous personality in Dutch history, who really lived in Hoofddorp, and of which many books are written.

From all the adventures he encountered the most hilarious is him riding a donkey backwards.

When the school needed new soccer-goals, the Copier Solution Shop was happy to help!

Two new soccer-goals, with the Dik Trom Logo, were made and donated to the school.

Martin Hofman

Managing Director

It's been a few years since I blogged about how are Print4Pay Hotel partners give back to their community or to their charitable cause.

Thus for the next few days we'll be posting a paragraph or two from our sponsors.  Please hit up the like button and please share, it's wonderful that these companies take the time and effort to give back to others in need.

DocuWare Supports Local Students

At DocuWare, we take our corporate social responsibility seriously because we believe that the people in our communities are our most important stakeholders.

We strongly support tech education, as it has a direct and significant impact on a community. One of our continuing initiatives is to support local students (of any age) interested in careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) through customized, fully funded educational programs.

We work with the students of Nora Cronin Presentation Academy in Newburgh, NY to fund annual school field trips and host a hands-on tech workshop for the 8^th grade girls. In the fall of 2019, we launched a certified tech training course for adults at the Newburg Armory Unity Center. Once certified, we help them find a job with our wide network of local business partners.

We volunteer as a group at our local Food Bank of the Hudson Valley and many of our employee’s volunteer on their own time as fire fighters, animal shelter workers, teachers and more.  DocuWare extends the reach of our philanthropic spirit through our global network of 600 DocuWare partners. By supporting the non-profits with whom they work, we can continue support our core initiatives like STEM education, medical research, sustainable energy sources and more.

DocuWare

It's been a few years since I blogged about how are Print4Pay Hotel partners give back to their community or to their charitable cause.

Thus for the next few days we'll be posting a paragraph or two from our sponsors.  Please hit up the like button and please share, it's wonderful that these companies take the time and effort to give back to others in need.

Polek & Polek partners with Baking Memories 4 Kids

The proceeds of the cookies we purchase from Baking Memories 4 Kids are used to provide children with life threatening and /or terminal illnesses and their families an all-expense paid vacation to ALL the theme parks in Orlando, Florida.

For one week, these courageous families can focus on each other in a positive, uplifting environment instead of beside a hospital bed. Baking Memories 4 Kids recognizes that having a loved one who is ill affects more than just the person afflicted, it encompasses the world of everyone around them.

Baking Memories 4 Kids gives these families the opportunity to create amazing, lifelong memories that may be a form of comfort for their journeys ahead.

I met Frank Squeo at a business event 4 years ago, and heard his story about creating Baking Memories 4 Kids.  Right away I knew this was the organization we wanted to partner with when we gave back for the Holiday Season.  Our customers love the delicious cookies, and the proceeds go to a fantastic cause.

Chris Polek

CEO Polek & Polek Inc.

“Mediocrity will never do. You are capable of something better.”

Gordon B. Hinckley

Sales reps who are mediocre are afraid to think big.

A mediocre sales rep operates in a state of accepting and working according to average standards, in other words: just getting by; barely making it. Operating with mediocrity creates a mindset that living in the comfort zone is acceptable.

Too many sales people are comfortable living in mediocrity. They choose to follow in the foot steps taken by many other sales reps because they believe it provides a sense of security.

These sales reps are content with muddling along without ever really breaking into a sweat. They get the job done but will never set the sales world on fire nor blow it out of the water.

They're happy to be mediocre. Close to hitting quota is good enough.

The definition of success for a mediocre sales rep... “It works”.

Good enough just doesn't cut it in this highly competitive, dog eat dog and digitally driven business world.

I'm concerned with the amount of low expectations and standards. So many aren’t willing to put in the extra effort to create something really magical, exciting and breathtaking. They fail to invest in themselves and don’t put in the effort to keep their skills up-to-date. There are way too many in sales who are happy using technology from years ago, as it keeps them ticking and that’s good enough.

There are way too many sales reps out there who believe they are 'A' players but in actuality they are nothing more than 'C' players hiding inside an empty suit

Accepting mediocrity as the standard for success will ultimately screw with your sales career. It won’t take much for your competitors to beat you squarely when your goal is “It works”.

MEDICORITY IS SAFE!

Mediocrity is a sales disease.

Mediocrity is poison. It takes root in our minds and convinces us that the point of living within the sales profession is to simply get by. It's unfortunate as many fail to push themselves beyond the bare minimum, without a nudge from someone or something on the outside.

Taking a risk is scary. Each one of us will face a risky decision. One can decide to take the risk, leading them down the road to betterment or avoid it, staying mediocre. When the time comes, many simply freeze, stopping dead in their tracks becoming afraid to go for what they desire, a better sales life.

"Trust yourself, let go of expectation, go for everything you've ever wanted and stop living your sales life as never having tried"

It's the numbing of the mind that condemns one to a mediocre, boring life. Whenever you come across risk, search within your heart and go for it. This requires courage and resilience. Rest assured, you will survive and lead a fulfilling sales life.

THE SECRET SAUCE

Spice and heat... I love hot sauce and spicy foods. Real, raw, genuine and relatable sales professionals add a bit of heartfelt spice throughout what they do as they continually douse the flames of mediocrity.

TONY CHACHERE

In a sales world full of mistrust and rampant skepticism, Tony Chachere creole seasoning is the sincerity spice. It's great on everything!

Sincerity: being real, being genuine, and being human in a sales world riddled with empty suits lies within the heart and soul of sales professionals.

Faking sincerity will get you exposed! Empty suits come to sales opportunities and relationships with their own hidden agenda. They're wrapped up and too busy thinking about quotas and promotions as they reek of commission breath. It’s not about you, it’s about the wants, needs and expectations of your clients and prospects.

FRANKS REDHOT

Without substance one can't add business value. You must uncover business goals, challenges and what might be troubling your clients or prospects; then offer them sound advice.

Empty suits and mediocre sales reps fail to zero in on specific business challenges. They fail to demonstrate they understand as they care more about what goes into their wallet and their bank account.

When you think of substance, a heartfelt professional splashes Frank's Redhot Sauce and puts that Sh$t on everything. Business acumen combined with business conversational skills leads to substantive executive conversations.

SRIRACHA

I believe sales professionals are leaders: they build relationships, cast vision, and motivate people to take action. Think for a moment... Can the Emotional Intelligence traits of effective leaders be applied to sales professionals?

Authenticity and heart is one of the biggest challenges for salespeople in a profession riddled with scrupulous, fake, disingenuous and mediocre sales reps.

"It's about having the heart to rise up"

Add a splash of Sriracha and watch out! Everything tastes better with Sriracha and so do heartfelt and emotional business conversations.

PUT AN END TO MEDIOCRITY

A mediocre sales rep easily gives up in their quest to become a heartfelt sales professional. Why do they do this? It's because pursuing this lifestyle is lonely, hard work and often goes against the general opinions shared by other sales reps.

"A vast majority of sales reps are mediocre and average at best."

The next time you're at the grocery store think...

• Tony Chachere's, Am I being sincere?
• Frank's Redhot Sauce, Am I bringing substance?
• Sriracha, Am I bringing my heart?

Success is exciting and tastes great! Mediocrity? Well that's a decision you need to make!

I understand, I get where you all are coming from. Every day, I walk in your shoes. I am fully committed to helping your sales team integrate social aspects and modern strategies into your current sales process to grow new business. I want you to get results. This is why I am passionate about doing this the right way, the genuine way, the authentic way! It's about understanding value before visibility.

Selling From the Heart is making a difference! I poured my heart into every page of this book and I think you're going to love it. You can find it on Amazon in paperback and Kindle. You can click on the book image below and this will take you to Amazon.

You can find more material inside Selling From The Heart.

In a world full of empty suits, I'm passionate about helping sales reps succeed by getting valuable before they get visible. I help sales teams understand the true value they bring to the market. 

I appreciate getting the opportunity to share my stories. Integrating the use of social and sharing my story on LinkedIn was my “game-changer” in the highly competitive office technology world. With great pride I transform, challenge, coach and inspire sales teams to grow new business by helping them share their story and how they communicate it out by integrating the use of social inside the sales process. You can follow me on LinkedIn, Twitter and on my podcast by clicking on Selling from the Heart.

December 15th

MSP & MSSP Industry Notes

Sponsored by

Arcoa Group

ARCOA Group is here to help you successfully manage your IT Asset Disposition process. We help you recover value from retired electronic equipment through responsible methods of reuse and recycling.  We ensure proper handling of assets which may contain data, while being environment stewards for assets that have no reuse value and are headed for recycling. We’ve built a robust de-manufacturing process to offer additional options for asset value recovery by disassembling equipment for commodity grade materials, which can be diverted from landfills and be used to create new base materials.

Mission and CEO Simon Anderson Earn Comparably Award for Best CEO

• Mission located in Los Angeles, California (USA) offer managed services and is a Premier Consulting Partner with Amazon Web Services (AWS), Partner Network (APN)
• Announces it has won 2019 Comparably Award for Vest CEO
• Comparably Award winners are determined by comparing anonymously-provided sentiment ratings from employees at 50,000 U.S. companies
• Comparably’s Best CEO Award selection is based on how employees rated their CEOs

Hogan Consulting Group Named to Prestigious 2019 Next-Gen 250 List

• Hogna Consulting Group headquarter in Chesterton, Indiana (USA), also has additional offices in Carmel, Indiana, Cincinnati, Ohio, and Louisville, Kentucky
• Provides IT consulting and managed IT services throughout the United States
• Announces addition to the 2019 CRN Next-Gen 250 list
• CRN 2019 Next-Gen list highlights 250 technology solution providers
• "From AI consulting to managed services, to End User Computing and IT security, our clients rely on Hogan Consulting Group to provide consulting strategy and direction to simplify overall IT infrastructure while consistently increasing user productivity," said Hogan. "It truly is an honor to be acknowledged and named to the 2019 Next-Gen 250 list"

SolarWinds Orion Suite v4.0 Undergoes Common Criteria Evaluation

• SolarWinds out of Herndon, Virginia (USA) provides affordable IT management software
• Annouces that the SolarWinds ® Orion ® Suite for Federal Government v4.0 is undergoing evaluation for Common Criteria to Evaluation Assurance Level (EAL) 2+ under the Netherlands Scheme for Certification in the Area of IT Security (NSCIB)
• Common Criteria is an international set of guidelines and specifications designed to ensure information security products meet agreed-upon security standards for government deployments in 30 nations. Conformance is verified through laboratory evaluation and scheme certification

KORE acquires Integron to expand footprint in IoT solutions and managed services

• KORE based in Alpharetta, Georgia (USA)
• Acquires Integron for undisclosed sum
• Integron founded in 1985, has offices in Rochester, New York and Ulestraten, The Netherlands
• KORE is the largest global independent IoT enabler with more than 6,000 clients
• Integron offers managed IoT services, and managed services portal

Brillio Named Microsoft Azure Expert Managed Service Provider (MSP) by Microsoft

• Brillio located in Santa Clara, California (USA) and provides digital consulting services and solutions
• Announced that they have been named a Microsoft Azure Expert Managed Service Provider (MSP)
• “Brillio has invested in hundreds of trained resources, and dozens of projects to build and harness deep Azure knowledge and service capabilities,” said Raj Mamodia, Founder and CEO at Brillio
• Brillio has seven offices in three continents and has 1,500 plus employees

FirstLight Acquires ColoSpace

• FirstLight located in Albany, New York (USA) provide fiber optic data, internet, data center, cloud computing, and unified communications
• Announces acquisition of ColoSpace
• ColorSpace is a regional provider of colocation, managed IT services, cloud solutions, and disaster recovery services in New England area of the United States
• Founded in 1999, FirstLight has been building and operating its own fiber optic network for 20 years
• "Since founding ColoSpace nearly 20 years ago, we have been singularly focused on delivering high quality, innovative solutions to our customers. As enterprise cloud adoption continues to accelerate exponentially, comprehensive IT solutions coupled with scalable, low latency connectivity has become increasingly important to our clients. FirstLight, with its unparalleled fiber network and communications capabilities, is the ideal organization to enable our clients to benefit from these technology trends," said Aaron D. Sawchuk, Co-Founder & Chairman, who will remain with the organization to help lead the Company's Data Center/Cloud business

CSP Inc. Reports Fiscal Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2019 Financial Results; Increased Direct ...

• CSP headquartered in Lowell, Massachusetts and provides security and packet capture products managed IT and professional services along with technology solutions
• Growth of 12.8% and fiscal fourth quarter
• Growth of 8.4% for fiscal 2019 that ended September 30, 2019
• Paying quarterly dividend of $0.15 per share
• Total revenue of fiscal year ending September 30^th, 2019 was $79.1 million

Grupo Gtd Leverages Netcracker's Managed Services After Deploying End-to-End Solution

• NEC Corp. and Netcracker Technology announced today that Grupo Gtd, the Chilean-based service provider with customers across South America, has expanded its professional services relationship with Netcracker
• Grupo Gtd is leveraging Netcracker’s full-stack solution as part of its large-scale B2B transformation program, which is focused on introducing new enterprise services, digitalizing the customer journey and experience and automating ordering and fulfillment processes

Loffler Companies acquires Office Systems Company of Sioux City, IA, bringing suite of managed IT, copy, print, security and cloud solutions to Iowa and Nebraska

• Loffler Companies, headquartered in Bloomington, Minnesota (USA) provides IT solutions, managed print services, phone systems, security and surveillance systems multi-functional copiers/printers, document workflow technology and people-based managed services
• Acquires Office Systems Company located in Sioux City, Iowa (USA)
• “We’re pleased to join the Loffler team and are confident our clients will benefit from the excellent, nationally recognized service and support Loffler’s almost 600-member team provides”, stated Chic Wolfe, Office Systems Company President
• For the past four years, Loffler has been recognized as one of the top 150 IT Managed Service providers in the United States by CRN

IDC reports spending growth on security

• $47 billion spent worldwide in 2019 on managed security services, integration services,consulting services and IT education/training
  Security services have CAGR (cumulative annual growth rate) of 11.2% over next 5 years
  $38 billion spent in 2019 on endpoint security, identity/digital trust security, security analytics, intelligence, response and orchestration software

Solano supervisors approve $13M in IT service contracts

• Solano Board of Supervisors award $12.79 million IT contract to Avenu Insights and Analytics
• Avenu Insights to provide managed IT services from January 1^st,2020 to December 31^st, 2021
• Solano County has a one-year option as well
• The second two-year contract, for $530,192, is to provide project management services to the property tax administration system replacement project from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2021
• The agreement includes three subsequent one-year renewals that could take the total amount to $877,511
• Avenu Insights and Analytics has offices in El Dorado Hills, Fresno, Pleasanton, Sacramento and Westlake Village

Netsurion Simplifies Cybersecurity Management for MSPs with IT Glue Integration

• Netsurion located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida (USA) is a provider for advanced threat protection for managed IT service providers
• Announces new integration between it’s Event Tracker SOC-as-a-Service and document platform provider, IT Glue
• “Every minute matters in the face of a cyberattack,” noted A.N. Ananth, chief strategy officer of Netsurion. “Which means the less time you need to spend checking multiple data sources, reports, and repositories, the better. And even in day-to-day operations, the IT Glue integration can help MSPs accelerate their cybersecurity maturity with better visibility and repeatable processes to make better and faster decisions.”
• IT Glue based in Vancouver, Canada and provides Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)for IT professionals

Bates Security Owners Expand into IT Managed Services with Launch of Heron Managed Services

• Heron Managed Services offers ‘IT At Your Service’ and was born out of a 30-year legacy of excellence in security solutions
• Expands business services to include IT infrastructure and managed services with launch of Heron Managed Services
• “We have developed a successful business model for providing security solutions and supporting our customers which we will also use to deliver successful IT related services to our existing customers,” said Bryan Bates, Co-Owner of Heron MSP

Microsoft and NTT Corporation Start a New Strategic Alliance

• Reported in Financial Buzz NTT Corporation and Microsoft announce multi-year alliance for delivering secure and reliable solutions
• NTT is a global technology and solutions provider for global networks, cybersecurity, managed IT, applications services, fat center and cloud services
• Companies to collaborate on IOWN

Innodata Launches docAnalytics, a Web-Based, AI-Enabled Document-to-Data Transformation Engine & Document Analytics Platform

• Innodata located in New York, New York (USA) and is a data engineering company
• Announces launch of docAnalytics, which is a web based document analysis platform

HP expands with new R & D facility for software

• HP is in negotiations in City of Vancouver, WA to purchase 68 acres of industrial land
• Planning to move out of its current leased facilities at the Columbia Tech Center and build a new location from scratch at what was once the English Pit gravel mine
• Subsequent phases would see the company’s campus grow to encompass an estimated 1.5 million square feet, including offices, research and development and manufacturing
• currently employs around 1,100 people in Vancouver — 700 badge-carrying employees, and another 400 full-time contractors
• The company would initially spend a minimum of $50 million to $80 million to develop two office buildings with 330,000 square feet of space on about 28 acres of the property, leaving 40 acres for future development
• The proposed deal features a number of perks for HP including $10 million worth of city funded infrastructure improvements and a potential reduction in transportation impact
• The city’s contribution to building out the streets and other public infrastructure in the Section 30 area would start with $3.5 million for the first phase of the project and ultimately top out at about $10 million

InnovateMR's Managed Services Dashboard Delivers Project Transparency

• InnovateMR located in Calabasas, California (USA) offers B2B First Class Panel allows researchers access to business professionals including small business owners, developers, IT decision-makers and more
• Amanda Keller-Grill, VP, Global Innovation & Product Strategy commented, “Transparency and ease of use were the guiding principles in the development of this dashboard. We understand the demands on time that researchers encounter, and we are thrilled to provide a solution that truly empowers industry professionals. The dashboard will provide a comprehensive and actionable picture to effectively optimize projects.”

GreatAmerica and Collabrance Announce 2020 Managed IT Sales Training Dates

• Chartec’s Alex Rogers to Facilitate Three Additional IT Sales Process Training Sessions
• Designed for Managed Service Providers (MSPs) and Office Technology Dealers
• Two-day training event to be held at Great America headquarter in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. (USA)
• Solution providers learn how to profitably sell Everything-as-a-Service
• GreatAmerica is the largest independent, family-owned national commercial equipment finance company in the U.S.

Sales Simplicity Seminar 2020 Dates:

• January 21-22, 2020
• March 24-25, 2020
• August 25-26, 2020

For quite a few years I've been blogging about what it's like going into the last few months of the year for sales.  I blog I'm fond of id "12 Days of Selling", which is based on the last twelve selling days of the year. It's daily account of who I met, how I prospected and how I was able to write the business that I needed.  If you have the chance you can check them out here "12 Days of Selling". It's great content for newbies, and veterans.

Look at these fantastic threads from 5 years ago this week!

Do you remember? 

Roledex’s (not be to be confused with Rolex), index cards with call back notes, telephone cords that got all twisted up, yellow pages books,  street address books, competitive books like Minellas Guide to Copiers. If so there's an excellent post on Linked from Brent Wiesner and David Owens over at Accel Imaging Systems Inc., make sure you check out the cool video and chime in!

Here's the link: Video from Accel Imaging Systems

Member

VinceMcHugh

VIP

My apologies for not blogging as much in recent weeks. It's that end of year thing, and I'm still looking to hit some numbers/ I suffered a set back (kinda ) today when a client told me there was a new rule in place for purchases above ten grand. Yeah I know what that means, competitive quotes need to be gathered. It happens and I understand what I don't understand is why I can't catch a break every now and then. Seems the month, the quarter and the year is going to come down to the wire AGAIN!

Enjoy these really cool threads from 15 years ago this week!