Managed print services are red hot this week, with several companies announcing new services and partnerships. The upside to this trend is the energy efficiency component, lending a decidedly green hue to the managed printing space.
Digital imaging company Lyra Research has launched its new Managed Print Advisory Service as part of its Managed Document Practice. The solution analyzes the active migration away from traditional imaging hardware and the cost-per-page purchasing model toward a robust and efficient managed print services (MPS) distribution model. The trend shows that aggregation of imaging devices and supplies in addition to service revenue under MPS agreements is shrinking the point of customer contact and consolidating the overall distribution channel, ultimately resulting in greener printing practices.
The service offers tools for sizing the MPS segment of the North American office imaging market, as well as clear and transparent definitions of what and why specific revenue categories are counted in the MPS segment. It also provides analysis of the key technology, service providers and other market players and primary research pinpointing demand trends and market drivers.
“Imaging in the office is undergoing a significant consolidation and vendors are becoming increasingly competitive,” said Frank Stefansson, CEO and executive vice president of Lyra Research. “The traditional business model is being pushed aside and the MPS distribution model is becoming the main focus. With these considerable changes taking place, Lyra realized the need for a new service devoted to MPS to help our clients create a strategic approach to MPS that will positively impact their business.”
“We saw a real need in the market for an MPS service that brings together objective, real-world data with a detailed forecast model to provide greater clarity about the dynamics behind the movement toward a managed-print form of distribution and service with respect to print output,” said Joel Mazza, director of Lyra’s Managed Document Practice. “This, coupled with the ability of our analyst team to provide accurate and reliable insight, makes Lyra the right choice for OEMs, distributors, and retailers that are trying to maximize their share of the office imaging market and avoid mistakes.”
CA Technologies and Canon (News - Alert) Business Solutions recently announced a managed print services relationship that has helped CA (News - Alert) save more than 19 million pages of paper and 2.5 million liters of water in about 20 months. The partnership has helped CA eliminate about one-third of the network-attached printer fleet it previously managed, paring down those devices to about 200.
Oce (News - Alert) Business Services also joined then Canon Group last year to strengthen its managed print services. Oce will highlight its records management, document imaging and managed print services at the AIIM International Exposition and Conference this week.
The Oce MPS offers enterprises optimized utilization of document output equipment, better control of document-related expenses and improved operating efficiency. The resulting reduced total cost of office print/copy is estimated at three percent of revenue according to leading industry analysts like Gartner (News 
- Alert), IDC and InfoTrends.
"Many document management professionals are looking for untapped opportunities to contain costs and improve efficiency," said Elizabeth Halaki, chief marketing officer for Oce Business Services. "Our experts are available to help information management executives gain insight into best practices that span document imaging, print/copy and records management, and other critical document management processes. These insights will enable executives to implement solutions that can give their company the competitive edge it needs to thrive in the days ahead."
Additional proof of the rapid enterprise adoption of MPS solutions comes from today's announcement from AUXILIO, Inc., a managed print services provider for the health care industry. The company said it has renewed a five-year MPS contract through 2016 with the Saint Barnabas Health Care System in New Jersey. The company has six campuses, more than 18,000 employees and treats more than two million patients per year. The customer has realized savings, reduced print volume across its campuses and improved workflow efficiencies and satisfaction since the initial partnership in 2005.
“It is a privilege to continue our work with the Saint Barnabas Health Care System staff to support their print needs in the delivery of quality patient care,” said Lisa MacDonald, senior vice president, AUXILIO. “Together we have created a program that will serve as a benchmark for further MPS efforts.”
“We are honored to have earned the confidence that Saint Barnabas Health Care System has in the successful execution of our MPS program and in our partnership,” said Joseph J. Flynn, chief executive officer, AUXILIO. “As the largest and one of the most revered partnerships for our company, we are pleased that the demonstrated results of savings, solutions and customer satisfaction that our company has provided since the start of our business relationship, has resulted in the renewal of another five year contract.”
Edited by
Tammy Wolf
