MFP Copier Blog

Geesh, do I write the forward before or after the video? 

Each week we'll be giving you a round up of MSP activity. This is my first attempt and this and as time marches forward we'll expand and get better.  Thus for the next month the content will be open for all to view, read and comment. PDF is available for Premium Members

MSP Industry Notes

July 15^th, 2019

CGI is awarded major managed and IT contract for Public Transportation Administration in Stockholm.

• The value of the contract is about 900 million Swedish Krona ($900 million US Dollars)
• Includes IT management, proactive end-point management, consultancy services, end-user and cyber security services

lot Managed Services Market will grow at a CARG of 20.% in terms of revenue for 2018-2026 according to Persistance Market research

Microsoft has selected Aryaka as one its first partner for managed services provider program. https://www.fiercetelecom.com/...ice-provider-program

Vion a cloud service provider launches Vion Cloud Enterprise

• Better able to provide clients with the public cloud experience they want behind their firewall
• Allows clients to manage multi-cloud environments from a single cloud platform
• Simplifies the entire multi-cloud management experience

Logically Strengthens Senior Management Team

• Names Karl Noone as Chief Financial Officer
• Noone responsible for finance operations, accounting, financial planning and recruiting
• Previously served as SVO & Corporate Controller for Global Capacity
• Logically is Managed IT Service Provider (MSP) for small & midsize organizations

ThinPrint Launches Cloud Partner Program for Micrsoft CSPs

• New partner model is designed for cloud service providers to integrate ThinPrint’s ezeep for Windows Desktop into their services portfolio
• ThinPrint is being presented at Micro Inspire 2019 in Las Vegas
• Goal is to enable Mircosoft Cloud service providers to easily add professional printing support to their services

Great America Launches Enhanced Private-Label Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP) Solution Collabrance MSSP Offering help IT Solution Providers

• Collabrance Master MSSP to provide end-user clients with different cyber security components the seek
• Help progressive IT providers differentiate in the IT channel
• Portfolio includes several components designed to help IT providers offer subscriber clients cyber security

Fujitsu and GE Research Join LF Edge as Premier Members to Propel Open Source Innovation

• Launched in January 2019, LF Edge is comprised of five projects
  • Akraino Edge Stack
  • EdgeX Foundry
  • Home Edge
  • Open Glossary of Edge Computing
  • Project EVE

Support emerging edge applications across areas as non-traditional vide and connected things that require lower latency, faster processing and mobility

Joins a growing roster of 70 plus current members

TPx Receives 2019 Unified Communication Product of the Year Award

• Award honors most innovative communication products and solutions
• Integrates several functions and third-party applications into a single function app
• UCx desktop and mobile apps, users are able to call, chat, video conference, start interactive meeting from anywhere

DataBank Deploys Expansion if its Pittsburgh Data Center

• 1500kW of 2N critical UPS IT capacity
• Supplements 400kW of N+1 IT load capacity on first floor N+1, including upgraded rooftop heat rejection equipment
• New 1500kW of IT load supported by two new 2500kW generators with 2N redundancy 
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• Utility power delivered through new 2N transformers served by DQL 23kVA primary utility service
• 250 Tons of N+1 cooling
• Customer space including office, conference and break rooms

Square Clover Launches Desktop Defenders, Endpoint Detection & Response for SMBs

• MNS offering. Desktop Defenders features advanced endpoint detection and response (EDR) for SMBs
• EDR software provides immediate resolution to ransomware attacks, can restore a PC in minutes

Apiphani Selected as Enterprise Cloud Partner

• Selected by Dallas-Based Hunt Consolidation to host and manage their SAP Business Warehouse and Business Process & Consolidation
• 3 year contract
• Migration with included an inflight upgrade of the underlying HANA database and managed services

Align Ranked in World’s Most Elite 501 MSP Providers

• Winners are most elite, innovative and strategic IT service providers on the planet
• Align is a global provider of technology infrastructure solutions
• 32 years offering IT services
• Headquarters in NYC and office in London, Chicago, San Francisco, Arizona, New Jersey Texas and Virginia

One Neck Ranked in World’s Most Elite 501 MSP Providers

• Winners are most elite, innovative and strategic IT service providers on the planet
• One Neck placed in the top 20
• Offers full suite of hybrid IT solutions including cloud and hosting solutions, managed services, enterprise application management, advanced IT services and hardware
• 12 years offering services

Cloud Carib Ranked in World’s Most Elite 501 MSP Providers

• Ranked 150 out of 501

• Highest rated in both the Caribbean & Latin America

• Solutions range from complex bespoke dedicated cloud offerings to hybrid cloud services

Navisite and Alert Logic Provide New Managed Threat Detection

• Fully integrated portfolio of Managed Threat Detection and Remediation services for enterprise cloud clients
• Solution designed with a focus on intelligent threat detection
• Cyberattacks are more frequent
• Clients in need of help in mitigating risk if breach

Alaska Communications Awarded Multi-Million Dollard Contract

• Build high-capacity network in Alaska also to provide network services to major international telecommunications and its client
• 10 year contract and opportunity to extend for another ten years
• Alaska Communications is the leading provider of advanced broadband and managed IT services in Alaska

Acquisitions

• CompassMSP (Jacksonville) acquires GreenPoint (New Jersey)
• Techaisle survey found that 35% of MSP’s sees mergers or acquisitions in the next three years

 -=Good Selling=-

Thursday had me in the field with 2 appointments and ten or so planned stop ins and cold calls. I also mentioned that I would be on the lookout for other opportunities for prospects.  Many times reps will ask, "where are the prospects?". Ah, grasshopper the prospects are all around you. All you have to do is use your eyes.  Many of you know that I sell my fair share of wide format, and with wide format prospecting all you have to do is use your eyes for prospects.  When you're out driving, sitting at a traffic light, or maybe in a hitting the head there are prospect (potential client) galore!  All commercial trucks need to be lettered with the company name. Over the years Ive written down those names and or taken pictures of the truck. Once I'm back in the office I make the call, some work out some don't. However it's a great way to get a conversation going when you mention you saw one of their trucks.  Try it, because you never know what tomorrow will bring!

Enjoy these awesome threads from Fifteen Years Ago This Week!

-=Good Selling=-

In yesterdays post This Week in the Copier Industry 5 years Ago I wrote about the end of the month for me along with still have 25% of the month left.  Well, tonight there's still 20% of the month left. I had two appointments, both where buying decisions will be made for August.  Thus they count as two added opportunities.  The rest of the day was spend with pre-planned stop ins, along with anything else that looked interesting.  I had ten on the list, made all then and added two accounts that looked like they could have potential. 

I'm amazed that reps are still cold calling willy-nilly.  There needs to be a plan and that plan should focus on prospects that could provide decent revenue.  Why even bother knocking on a door where there are 5 cars in the parking lot (unless it's an Architect, Engineer or Construction = wide format).  Doesn't make much sense, scout the parking lots that are jammed because there's something going on there!

Enjoy these threads from Ten Years ago this week!

Just a thought for everyone today. Today marks the last week of the month. I'm  had sitting on some 25 plus opportunities and for many reasons (not losing) most have moved to August and September. I'm still short to get to my quota, but I look at this like this. I still have 25% of the month left, and when I don't see the movement then it's time to do some additional prospecting.  Thus an old dog like me will be knocking on doors in between two appointments tomorrow. BTW, it's suppose to be HOT & HUMID, might need to put an extra shirt in the car.  When the going gets tough the tough get going!

Enjoy these threads from 5 years ago this week!

At my age sometimes it gets interesting to remember where you went on the weekends.  What I do remember is that I accompanied my wife to one of our local food stores. I'm thinking it was a Wegmans, could have been something else, but it was one of the higher end food stores. I was not impressed with was the prices! Frak, let me stick to making money so the wife can spend it. Please don't tell me how much that steak cost.

If you're a professional in the imaging channel then you're always looking for opportunities. I'm a huge fan of print and find it fascinating how print is used with branding of products, especially food products.  Every prepared package of fruit, nuts, salads all had a full color branding label. The icing on the cake for me was the brown paper bags, yup they also had a full color branding label on bag.

Print is not dying, print is bigger that ever, problem is that print is migrating and most office equipment dealers are not migrating with it. #followprintmigration

If your dealership is selling Production Print systems then it's a simple jump to offer color label presses or color wide format.  A couple of years ago I attending a seminar that was hosted by Frank Cannatta. Frank spoke about the opportunities for industrial print, wide format print and the endless revenue for inks.

Label Press University

At the top of each blog you'll see .  Clicking that link which is at the top of each blog will then bring you the collection of blogs for Color Label Press University.  It's pretty neat, you'll see all of the blogs that we've posted for an easier read and simple way to toggle from blog to blog.

Color Label Presses can be used as seeding devices in larger Print4Pay opportunities, or help that dealer or rep get a conversation going with an account where they have never had any traction with MFP's or IT services.  In addition, the competition is ripe for takeover.   Let us not forget about the GP!

The market for full color digital labels in huge and the potential to make some serious commissions is enormous.  BTW, isn't that why we're in this crazy business? 

Initial Tack  Degree of stickiness when a pressure sensitve label is first applied to a product.
Ink Bleed  Penetration of one color of ink into the facestock in such a manner as to cause one color to run into and discolor either the background color of the facestock, or another color of ink that is laid down adjacent to the color that is bleeding.
Ink Fountain  Device which stores and supplies ink to the inking rollers on a printing press.
Ink Holdout  Describes the degree to which pigment and binder stay on the surface of a material; a function of the ink, material and solvent (or chemical) interactions.
Ink Pump  Electric or air driven mechanical pump that circulates an ink or coating from a holding tank to the ink fountain.
Internal Stress  Stress created within the adhesive layer by the movement of the adherends at differential rates or by contraction or
expansion of the adhesive layer.
Ion Deposition  A method of printing using a non-impact electonic image process.
Ir-Scannable  Capable of being read by an infrared scanner.
Irradiation  Treated with ultra-violet light or another high energy ray.
Jig  Device used to assist the correct placement of a semi-automatically applied pressure sensitive label. Usually it is made to fit the shape of the product being labeled.

Jog  To intermittently operate a press for very short increments of web travel. Inching.
Journals  The end shafts on which a roll rotates, usually within the needle bearing or bushing of a die block.
Jumbo   Roll A full width roll of converted material where the outside diameter is larger than standard.
Key-Line   In artwork, an outline drawing of finished art for labels to indicate the exact shape, position, and size for such elements as  halftones, line sketches, text, etc.
Key Mark or Triger  A code bit(s) that provides the scanner with the instruction that the code is in a position to be read. Used in some fixed
beam readers.
Kickout   The precipitation of the solid part of an ink or coating.
Kiss Cut   A die-cutting operation which cuts through the face sheet to a liner but not through the liner.
Kiss Impression   The lilghtest possible impression which will transfer the film of ink from the transfer roll to the plate and from the plate to the
material being printed.
Knock-Out   In color printing, the process of dropping an image out of the color such as dropping white type out of a color background.  Often called reverse printing.
Kromekote    A trademark of a clay coated paper with a highly polished, mirror-like finish; high gloss.
Label   The functional portion of a pressure sensitive construction comprising the face material and adhesive, die cut into various shapes.
Label Panel    Main panel of a container.

Label Stock    Pressure sensitive laminate from which labels are produced, usually refers to roll stock.
Labeling Machine   Dispensing apparatus that, by means of driving or pulling the backing, delivers a pressure sensitive label and applies it to a
product.
Lacquer    A clear protective coating, usually glossy, applied to a printed web in-line on a label press just prior to die-cutting.
Laminant   An adhesive for combining and bonding a combination of films, foils, plastics, papers or other materials. Pressure sensitive
constructions are often call laminants.
Laminate   A web material formed by bonding two or more materials together as in a pressure sensitive construction. To apply one layer of material over another.
Lamination   A plastic film bonded by heat, adhesive, and/or pressure to a printed web for protection or appearance. Two or more materials bonded together functioning as one.
Laser Paper    Paper suitable to accept laser printing.
Laser Printing   A method of printing which utilizes a laser beam to put images onto a substrate. Usually the surface of the substrate must have specific characteristics to accept laser printing.
Laser Scanner    An optical reading device using a low energy laser light beam as its source of illumination.
Latex   An emulsion of rubber or resin particles dispersed in an aqueous medium. A natural or synthetic elastomeric dispersion in
an aqueous system.
Latex Paper   Paper manufactured by two major processes; one of which is where latex is incorporated with the fibers in the beater prior to
formation of the sheet, and the second of which is whrte a preformed web of absorbent fiber is saturated with properly compounded latex. The paeprs are characterized by strength, folding endurance, resistance to penetration by water, flexibility, durability and resistance to abrasion.
LATMA    Label and Tag Manufacturers of Australia, an Australian organization similar to TLMI.
Lay Flat   A label material with good non-curling characteristics making it suitable for automatic overwrapping, insertion or any other
form of further processing

To learn more about Label Presses pay Muratec a visit here

-=Good Selling=-

Today's MSP must deliver "Stellar Customer Experiences." Especially in this fast-approaching commoditization of the market. Master Service Providers strive to build a commonality they intend to scale. This commonality is destroying the originality of the MSP's they service. In enhance making them a commodity.

"Commonality is the road to commodity."

My experience in outsourcing the help desk with two different Master Service Providers I conclude the better option for the MSP's is to build and operate their own. Especially those MSP's who strive to stand out from the crowd. This article explains my reasons.

All MSP's need supporting vendors. However, MSP's must also differentiate themselves from a crowded field.   

Vendors who support MSP's are tools to help that MSP deliver better experiences to their end-users. MSP's must search and explore all that can improve on what they do, making them unique. MSP’s have to become more unique and build a model which allows them to increase their added value. However, an MSP's uniqueness conflicts with the Master Service Providers who aspire to scale commonality.

"Dependency on others always causes unawareness to possibilities and leads to complacency."

Master Service Providers live in the world which works for them, and the MSP is forced to live in that world with them. Unfortunately, the MSP's end-user customer lives in a separate world. The bottom line, outsourcing your SLA's first line of contact (the help desk) to a master service provider is a significant risk in controlling your customer's experience. All the noise which a customer presents the help desk goes unheard by you, the local MSP the customer contracted.

This silence of awareness prevents the MSP from learning things through the customers' conversations. The MSP is then limited to generic reports of the number of calls, the number of tickets cleared, or the number of calls still on hold. Everyone in the industry understands these generic reports and sharing them with your customer executives is a complete waste of their time. Soon they can contract with Amazon, or another enterprise provider and get a report online live.

The more generic in reporting an MSP is, the more commoditized their deliverable becomes. MSP's must add more value to the conversations with their customers.

Those who call the help desk you outsourced to are the internal customers of the decision-maker who sign and renew your contracts. Think about the information which is readily available from a caller to the help desk. Your customer's internal customers are a wealth of information for those willing to listen and when appropriate, have the time to be inquisitive.

No outsourced help desk can understand the peculiarities of all your clients better than you and an outsourced help desk will not take the time to be inquisitive.

Outsourced help desks are built to close calls quickly, and they cannot engage the caller in a way the local MSP can. The Master Service Providers will not hire staff based on the MSP's Culture, and those Master Service Providers who believe they can commoditize their culture are sadly mistaken. 

Those successful MSP's who have internal help desk. Built them to service their customers based on their own culture. The internal help desk will always be closer to the customer than an outsourced one could ever be. The MSP's with complicated customers will clear through the complexity much more efficient than the Master Service Provider.

"The commoditization of deliverables happens when the deliverable or service is common." 

Remember, Master Service Providers can only scale commonality. This commonality approach is deadly to the uniqueness an MSP must have to differentiate themselves from a crowded field.

Master Service Providers can not scale without being common to those they serve. So, delivering services to customers' with peculiarities outside the majority of the customers they serve is impossible, or extremely challenging at best. The more a Master Service Provider influences commonality, the bigger the threat to an MSP's uniqueness. MSP's must become unique to outpace the commoditization of the deliverable. Customers won't pay more for what they deem to be the same as the many others who deliver cheaper.

What can an internal help desk do an outsourced one can't?

The noise of the customer is critical to the awareness of opportunities, and potential pitfalls, which may affect customer experience. Your help desk is your uniqueness don't let it be a commodity.

Imagine this, of course those MSP's who outsource to Master Service Providers probably experienced it firsthand

Your customer calls your outsourced help desk. This customer has an issue with a third-party software they use, or the customer is using a thin client. Both of these things are everyday occurrences with your customers. However, these things are a minority experience of the outsourced help desk who services thousands of customers. The help desk tech answering the call who has limited understanding of thin clients and they struggle in understanding a proprietary software or your customers application. The conversation that proceeds will be a fact-finding odyssey which will challenge the patients of most seeking immediate help.

Requests outside the normal scope are challenging for the Master Service Provider's help desk. The technician will simply do what they can, but rarely will they have the ability or the desire to act outside the Master Service Provider's Box.

Today's commoditization of IT Services MSP's must look to differentiate themselves and strive to then delivery above and beyond customer expectations. They do this by becoming intimate with their customers. 

"It is through customer intimacy that value is determined."

Remember, Master Service Providers did not sell your customers, they did not walk through their facilities, they did not witness their workflows, they never sat face to face with the people they will serve, and they will never be as intimate with your customers as you.

"Status quo is the killer of all that will be invented."

Ray Stasieczko

Please send invite if you wish to connect here on LinkedIn also I welcome all to subscribe to my YouTube Channel here's the link https://www.youtube.com/channe...A?view_as=subscriber