Tagged With "Seat"

Is it just me, or does West McDonald look like Wolverine? I watched the Seat-Based Billing video that was posted from the Top 100 Summit. Definitely some interesting points going back and forth. Print Audit has done a great job of persistently marketing seat-based pilling to the copier industry.

Czech funny you should mention that "wolverine" look, it was actually one of the "challenges" at the event. Whom ever had the most completed challenges won a MS Surface tablet. I did not win.

I disagree that you have to own the network in order to offer seat-based billing. Before I go into why, can we (imaging industry) please stop referring to Managed Services as MNS? No one in the IT world uses this term; it's industry jargon that makes you stand out as a copier dealer 1st and an IT Services provider 2nd. Managed IT Services, Managed Services...fine. MNS needs to die. Now, here is why I disagree that you have to own the network as a client's Managed Services provider in order...

Tx, awesome post! The conclusion for managed IT was at our own round table and not the general audience. One of the dealers in my group is heavily involved with managed IT, and thought it would be great offer. Yes, it was stated that MNS is only used by copier dealers and should be referenced to what you described. TY for the awesome reply!!

I will also add since you mentioned wanting to do this on copiers/MFPs: our industry also needs to get the idea that MPS only has to do with printers & A4 MFPs out of their heads. Output is output, & our clients don't see any difference so why should we? Properly deploy what systems meet the client's needs (or just get rid of them if that is best) & be of service in whatever way you can. Hell, our customers want all of this stuff to go away (just wait til the Millenials are in...

Is it just me, it seems that the general rule of thumb for the copier industry to end users is "the take or leave approach". Meaning, come hell or high water we're not going to change the way we bill, the way we support, or the financial solutions that we offer. While I was at the Top 100 conference, a rep from Wells Fargo spoke about the billing options that they now have in their leases. One of the options was for seat billing for managed IT services. My thought is that if it's available...

No, Art. You're spot on. I haven't had many jobs outside the industry, but the majority of the old guard is so proud of the way they've always done it & receives so much validation from other dealers with the same mentality (via BTA, CDA, SDG, et al) that they often refuse to admit the need to change until it's practically too late. There are ideas & concepts that I brought up 3-5 years ago that were considered to be "interesting but not really necessary" that we're suddenly latching...

Great minds think alike!

Originally Posted by txeagle24: I disagree that you have to own the network in order to offer seat-based billing. Before I go into why, can we (imaging industry) please stop referring to Managed Services as MNS? No one in the IT world uses this term; it's industry jargon that makes you stand out as a copier dealer 1st and an IT Services provider 2nd. Managed IT Services, Managed Services...fine. MNS needs to die. Now, here is why I disagree that you have to own the network as a client's...

This just sounds to me like Facilities Management under a different name. Facilities Management is the practice of setting up a printing operation within a company as a service to the company. The people operating the equipment are employees of the Facilities Management company not the corporation. It is buying the apples, not the tree taken to the extreme. It's not uncommon that all postal services are packaged in as well. As far as MFP seat licensing...I don't see it ever coming to pass.

Old Glory ty for the comment. Yes, Facilities Management could be just a different spin on an old theme. MFP seat licensing would solve many issues that we have with selling the customer a traditional finance lease.

From my understanding, "per seat" billing isn't designed to overcome leasing objectives. It's designed to add additional revenue in deals through Managed IT Services, which uses per seat billing. Both products get amalgamated under a single solution with a single invoice based solely on the amount of employees that require the service. For me, the big question is who pays for the equipment? Can a dealer really support financing/purchasing a large volume of MFP's and putting them out on 1 or...

I've heard of dealers doing seat licensing on smaller tabletop printers for MPS accts but not for larger MFP's. I've heard this being done in the Chicago Metro market place. Chicagoland adopted the MPS programs real early & the BTA dealers have really penetrated the market in a big way by now. The dealers are now fighting to differentiate themselves & offer something different & this seat licensing seems to be the new buzz. I never heard of it being done in any other geographic...

I definitely see per-seat billing for MPS in the near future for the more progressive dealers with one huge benefit being that under such a program the goals of the dealer and client agree a aligned, because both benefit from less printing. It will make sense for dealers that have successfully transitioned from a transactional business model dependent upon hardware placements to a services business model where the priority is growing recurring revenue. I could even see hardware being bundled...

tx good stuff

What's one of things I found out about on my recent trip to the Top 100 Summit (hosted by Print Audit)?  I'm a stone cold junky for sea level oxygen!  Having lived at or around sea level all of my life, meant that I had no clue that my body...

As an Managed Print or Managed IT Services Dealer providing MPS you have noticed that the times are changing. There is an all-out war for the management of printers, pages and other network assets such as desktops and servers. Margins on traditional billing models are under pressure. What is a Managed Print or Managed IT Services provider to do? Change the game by billing by seat instead of by page or individual network element. Here are the top 5 advantages to PSB over traditional Cost Per...

Print and Imaging as-a-Service (PlaaS) is an all-inclusive service including the provision of hardware and print management services without Customers having to own or lease any of the equipment or associated software. PlaaS moves operational...