Technology Reseller - v18 2019

01732 759725 DOCUMENTS 34 Growing awareness Boyt says that thanks to the work of Xerox and partners like those mentioned above awareness of the Xerox app platform is growing. “We are not yet getting customers asking about the Workflow Mapping Tool and asking us to come in and optimise their processes – that’s one of the things we are looking to promote – but they are asking for apps. Everyone is used to putting apps onto their phone, which has become like their personal assistant, so the idea that your MFP can be your workplace assistant is resonating with customers,” he said. In time, Boyt expects the Xerox App Gallery to become a significant revenue generator for many more partners, pointing out that if you sell a device for $500 but then produce 10 apps for which you charge $50 each per year, money from apps could soon overtake hardware revenue. Perhaps more significantly, he suggests that Xerox’s ‘find it, map it, app it’ approach could lead to the development of solutions that have no link to MFPs, helping Xerox and its partners to evolve into broader- based app and solutions developers. “The truth is that today the biggest reason for building apps and solutions is to have a differentiator that helps to sell the box, the clicks, the annuity. Even so, logic dictates that apps and solutions are going to grow to become of material value. What we also know is that printer volumes are declining, and the second benefit of these apps and solutions is that they provide a route to additional or alternative revenue streams. “The interesting thing is that while the not gone out to bid, but have come straight to us,” he said. Another PAB partner that has seen its business transformed by apps is e-dox, based in Germany. At Xerox’s second European PAB Forum, held in the UK last November, e-dox Managing Director Marcus Putschli explained how the company had developed its first app after a customer announced it wasn’t going to renew its MFP contract and in the future would only require cheap desktop printers. The reason? The multifunctional capabilities of its MFPs were too complicated and required too many steps for the business process in question. “I said ‘If there was a device where all these steps were rolled up and you only had to press three buttons would you lease it from us?’,” he explained. “They said they would. So we went away, developed the app and produced a proof of concept, after which they signed another five-year lease – not because of the machines, not because we were providing good service, but because we delivered a solution. That was four years ago, and now our company has completely changed. All from one instance where we failed to win business in the usual way.” Based on that experience, e-dox has hired software developers and implemented agile software development processes, which it uses to create solutions for customers as well as for resale to other partners. Before Christmas, the company took this to the next level and started to offer its software development capabilities as a service to third parties. ...continued New Xerox ConnectKey apps Over the last few months, Xerox has been expanding the capabilities of its ConnectKey-enabled VersaLink and AltaLink devices, with the launch of new apps in three main categories, device integration, workplace assistance and sector-specific solutions. In the first category are apps that integrate printers and MFPs with popular business platforms, such as: n Xerox Connect App for Salesforce , which enables users to scan documents directly into client folders within the Salesforce CRM system; n Xerox Connect App for QuickBooks Online , which streamlines expenses management with multiple receipt scanning, automatic extraction of relevant data and the creation of digital expenses reports, which it routes to reviewers for approval; and n Xerox Connect App for Concur , which provides Concur users with similar receipt management functionality. The second category includes standalone apps that convert the MFPs into productive workplace assistants, such as: n Xerox Forms Manager App , which simplifies the management of multiple forms and reduces paper-based filing risks, for example by using embedded QR codes to ensure scanned forms are automatically sent to the correct email address; n Xerox Quick Link App , which offers a quick and easy way to connect to an MFP for the first time, by sending an email containing links to drivers and configuration settings directly from the device to a PC or laptop; and n Xerox Audio Documents App , which converts hardcopy documents into audio files that users can listen to while travelling or multi-tasking. The third category of industry-specific vertical solutions includes new apps for the education sector, including: n Xerox Connect App for Blackboard , which integrates with the Blackboard learning management system so that MFP users can digitise documents and store them in their Blackboard Learn account without having to move from the device; and n Xerox Proofreader Service , which checks scanned documents for spelling, grammar, style and plagiarism. www.xerox.com apps that make most sense to people initially are the ones closest to the box, the reality is that once you start finding problems and building apps to resolve them, you might find that a smartphone app is the right way to go. So, having the right mindset of ‘find it, map it, app it’ will help us move from a focus on building apps for MFPs to selling software and solutions whether they are connected to the box or not.” The IT reseller channel To date, most of Xerox’s efforts have been focused on training its own salespeople and the copier channel. However, with the expansion of the Xerox App Gallery, Boyt argues that the model has evolved to the point where it starts to make sense for IT resellers too. “The IT channel sells lots of printers on a fast turnover basis. Their ability, or willingness, to invest time to ‘find it, map it, app it’ is not there – they have 10 minutes to complete a transaction and then move on to the next one. Now that we’ve got the e-commerce platform, it’s no different to the logic of the smartphone. “When you buy a phone from O2 or Vodafone, they don’t spend a huge amount of time telling you about this app or that app; what they sell you is access to the app gallery where you will find all these great things that are going to solve your problems. What’s interesting for the IT reseller channel is the model where the value is the gallery and what they sell is the platform that gives customers access to that. We fit that model of a fast transaction that also offers the benefit of apps and solutions,” he said. Xerox’s ‘find it, map it, app it’ approach could lead to the development of solutions that have no link to MFPs, helping Xerox and its partners to evolve into broader-based app and solutions developers