Print.IT Reseller - issue 86

01732 759725 42 VOX POP Cloud services are re-writing the rule book when it comes to business operations and customer expectations. Managing IT infrastructure in the cloud make it easier for organisations to flex and scale, reduces costs, and increases employee efficiency and flexibility. For vendors, cloud services offer recurring revenue streams and increased customer stickiness Re-writing the rule book – part two Adam Bishop, Chief Revenue Officer, EveryonePrint: “I don’t believe that MPS providers will be able to recover from all of the losses as a result of the pandemic. The move to home working has changed the game - perhaps forever. The reality is that many individuals have simply got used to not having access to a quality printer and have changed the way in which they work and collaborate – with the new hybrid working model set to be the norm moving forward, I believe we will see the pattern of printing less continuing. That said, this disruption also creates opportunity. “MPS providers now have to decide what kind of service provider they’re going to be. Whether that’s to continue to ‘limit’ their offering to a traditional MPS offering – hardware, toner, service etc. all wrapped up in a monthly billing cycle – a largely commoditised offering – or, to transform their go-to-market strategy and become a cloud MPS provider. Leading with a cloud-native solution will see channel vendors deliver all the benefits of traditional MPS, as well as taking care of the underlying infrastructure that supports print – providing customers with a solution to address many of the pain points associated with the print infrastructure as well as enabling them to flex and scale as business needs change. It seems inevitable that customers will continue the march to the cloud, and will be looking for providers that can take that headache away. Offering cloud services will help MPS providers to differentiate – which will be key to winning new business as we return to business in the new normal.” Hugo Marqvorsen, Co-founder & Sales Director, Printix : “Admittedly, our initial traction as a cloud print service provider came from managed service providers (MSPs), who understood cloud. However, the print element of deployment is not typically in an MSP’s responsibility. They tend not to know about print drivers, how to configure printers, etc. But MPS providers have this deep print knowledge. A synergistic offering that leverages the skills of both MSPs and MPS providers offers lucrative opportunities in cloud print management.” Christoph Hammer, Senior Vice President Cloud Services, ThinPrint : “Hybrid working is here to stay with most eligible employees likely working from places other than a corporate office three to five days a week. These employees need to print from home, from shared workspaces and corporate offices. MPS offerings have been successful by focusing on corporate offices. In the future that will not be sufficient. Unmanaged printing is a cost as well as a security challenge. While monitoring either in a corporate office network can be done with a number of tools, bringing printing in remote locations and home office into the managed and monitored corporate environment is a challenge. Cloud print services are best suited for addressing this challenge. Outside of the limitations from VPNs, network segmentation or access controls, they can make any printer part of the corporate print infrastructure.” PrintIT Reseller: Managing print in the new hybrid working model brings fresh challenges. Do you believe that the ability to offer cloud print services to address customers’ changing needs will be a key differentiator, and will a focus on this area help MPS providers recover from losses experienced during the pandemic? Hugo Marqvorsen Adam Bishop