Print IT Reseller - issue 60

enterprise software providers have been forced to make the shift. Research Director Laurie Wurster, said: “SaaS has not killed the software market, but is growing rapidly and pressuring legacy providers to include SaaS options or risk losing market traction.” Moreover, Garner predicts that by 2020, all new entrants and 80 per cent of historical vendors will offer subscription-based business models. With software vendors leaping ahead in the subscription economy, it begs the question is the ‘everything-as-a-service’ economy too big an opportunity for traditional print providers to ignore? “Undoubtedly,” says Phil Jones, Managing Director, Brother UK. “With so many elements of the marketplace becoming commoditised at pace, the trickledown effect from large enterprises to small and medium businesses demanding ‘everything-as-a-service’ will gather pace. We’re already seeing the significant growth of ‘born in the cloud’ resellers who are taking advantage of this market change.” Jeremy Spencer, Marketing Director, Toshiba Tec UK says that to use the broad-brush approach to ‘everything- as-a-service’ is, in his opinion, too wide a brief. “But I do believe that much of an organisation’s requirements can be addressed ‘as-a-service’, so in that respect I do think that it presents an opportunity.” Spencer continued: “Our aim is to ensure that we help organisations realise efficiencies and the constant development of ‘as-a-service’ means that we are able to act in our customers’ best interests by ensuring they pay only for what they use rather than over committing to products and services that they don’t need. This delivery method means that the measurement of efficiencies can be monitored, leading to a more trusted relationship and a better outcome for the customer.” Opportunity for partners to differentiate According to Shaun Wilkinson, Managing Director, UTAX (UK), the ‘everything-as-a- service’ mind-set is still very much in its infancy. “But it’s a massive opportunity for partners to differentiate and for customers to purchase more efficiently,” he said. “Many UTAX Partners are realising the opportunities this new economy can present and are noticing increased revenues as a result. We continue to encourage those partners yet to make the change to their business model, through highlighting the benefits that the combination of our devices and software can provide. Partners who implement the consultancy approach will realise that it’s the ideal opportunity to maintain, upgrade and sell to their client base solutions that can make visible differences to business processes,” Wilkinson added. From a reseller’s perspective, Darren Bird, Head of Technology, Xeretec also concurs with the notion that this is too big an opportunity to ignore. “According to Deloitte, 70 per cent of companies think that ‘everything-as-a-service’ (XaaS) is ‘very’ or ‘critically’ important to their business success, so it is essential to embrace this shift,” he counselled. “There’s no doubt that how we procure products and services is changing, from mobile devices to new cars. This consumer experience – and its benefits – is now spilling into IT procurement in the workplace. We’re already seeing the significant growth of ‘born in the cloud’ resellers who are taking advantage of this market change PRINT IT RESELLER.UK 29 SUBSCRIPTION ECONOMY Companies of all sizes are looking at not just more cost-effective ways to acquire new products and services, but more effective ways of ensuring that those products and services are updated regularly and can scale effortlessly to benefit their businesses’ efficiency, productivity and security,” Bird explained. “Customer expectations of deploying the latest flexible technologies without requiring capital expenditure can only be achieved through the provision of ‘as-a- service’ solutions,” said Mark Bamford, General Manager, Hollis Office Solutions. Hollis has always focused on the provision of end-to-end, holistic solutions selling everything-as-a-service. Instead of trying to sell on price, which is, according to Bamford, now a doomed strategy. “We have built a strong and stable customer base through the provision of comprehensive services charged on a monthly basis. In addition to generating ongoing revenues, this helps to ensure that customers receive the highest level of service and support at all times.” In conclusion Bamford warned: “This operating model currently has so much momentum that traditional approaches will find it hard to compete, apart from in a small number of peripheral applications.” www.vantagecomputing.co.uk www.brother.co.uk www.hollistechnology.co.uk www.ysoft.com www.toshibatec.co.uk www.utaxuk.co.uk www.fiduciaconsultancy.co.uk www.xeretec.co.uk www.paebusiness.com www.xerox.com www.gartner.com Phil Jones Shaun Wilkinson Mark Bamford