The VAR Guy

There’s a lot of opportunity in the MPS space, The VAR Guy is learning at the Photizo’s Managed Print Conference this week in Orlando. Yet only about 20 percent of MSPs in the MSPmentor 100 (tallied by The VAR Guy’s sister site MSPmentor) provide managed print services. But why? Read on for The VAR Guy’s perspective …

In a nutshell, offering managed print services is easier said than done — it’s not enough to sell the hardware, it’s about selling a complete solution. In some cases, it’s also more than selling a complete package, it’s about educating potential buyers about why they could benefit from managed print services.

Both vendors and MPS providers said potential customers often see printers and copiers as appliances like refrigerators, and not part of a whole-office solution. In addition, some MPS providers including Chris Brown, director of channel sales at Preo Software said it was equally important that MPS providers listen. Brown thinks that all too frequently, MPS providers and vendors get ahead of themselves by offering a solution that’s too much, too quick for the customer or one that simply doesn’t address the real print issues a company is having. MPS providers, in Brown’s opinion, should be looking to provide a long-term relationship with a goal shared by both the end user and the MPS.

Brown’s words were telling, and echoed by many. But the prevailing feeling wasn’t of despair but rather optimism. Many believe the MPS potential is yet to be fully tapped and that there is a land of plenty — it just needs to be approached the right way. The reason only 20 percent of the MSPmentor 100 are offering MPS services could very well be because other MSPs haven’t figured out how to crack the printer nut yet.

The VAR Guy thinks it might not be hard to do, but requires some dedication on an MSP’s part. As the conference rolls on, The VAR Guy will continue to tally up just exactly where managed print services is headed, and whether the prevailing sentiment continues.

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