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A solid source says Dell is taking a very close look at the managed print market. At first glance, managed print services are a natural “hardware as a service” (HaaS) opportunity for managed service providers. But as one distribution executive recently told me, most major printer companies have struggled to gain traction with their HaaS initiatives.
Here’s what to expect from Dell.
First, some information about the managed print services market.
HaaS offerings like Xerox PagePack provide customers with predictable monthly costs for printing and document management. Those managed print offerings also generate recurring revenue for VARs.
But from what I’ve seen, most printer companies have been working in a vacuum — building their own proprietary back-end systems for VARs and MSPs to leverage. Instead, printer manufacturers should aggressively partner with MSP software providers. Xerox PagePack and other managed print services should leverage APIs (application programming interfaces) to plug into all of the major MSP platforms. If that work is already in place, printer companies have done a terrible job promoting those efforts.
Ironically, Dell may be in the best position to jump-start the managed printer services market. Dell pieced together its initial managed print strategy in 2006. But this time around, the company has all of the key technology components under its roof: Dell printers, ink services, as well as Dell managed services platforms (Silverback and Everdream, both of which Dell acquired last year).
I expect Dell to very aggressively articulate and promote its managed print strategy over the next few months.
It begs the question: Where is Hewlett-Packard? HP has largely ignored the managed services market. That’s shocking, considering HP printers maintain dominant market share, and HP servers, desktops and laptops rank at or near the top of their respective markets.
Posted In: Hardware as a Service | Platforms | Software as a Service and Hardware as a Service
Tags: | Dell managed print services | Hardware as a Service | Hewlett-Packard | MFPs | Multifunction Printers | Xerox PagePack
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It is very surprising that HP has not yet entered the fray with a MS offer. I wonder where their focus in these days. Layoffs and mergers, maybe?
Even though we are a partner with Dell, I do not view their interest in this arena as contributing to our MSP business. I see them competing directly against us MSP’s. They are broadening their service footprint and have a very large field service organization to support their MSP model (albeit outsourced to BancTec.) That said, even if they were trying to drive business with partner MSP’s, they would want to embrace more API’s than just their own solutions. LPI, Kaseya, etc. have large market share. I am not switching our service monitoring and delivery tools to get Dell’s API, robust as it may be.
This is news to MSP’s, but more competitive than complimentary. It does amplify the need to get moving on printer management solutions though…
@Davenport333: HP’s inability to find a partner position in the MSP market is baffling. Truly baffling. All those HP printers, laptops, desktops and servers in small business. You’d think HP would want to partner up with MSP software companies….
Actually, HP has MPS offerings for both Enterprise customers and SMBs; the former are generally sold directly, often to existing HP business customers, whereas the latter, in the form of HP Smart Printing Services, are sold through the channel.
I respect HP but I’m disappointed that many of the company’s employees can’t effectively describe HP’s MSP strategy…
My firm, the Photizo Group, has an on-going tracking study in both North America and Western Europe which monitors the adoption of Managed Print Services by corporate decision makers (companies with 250 employees or more). We have conducted over 700 interviews in North America and Western Europe to determine both Managed Print Service purchase models, and brand positions (including which brands have the most MPS engagements, brand awareness levels, brand consideration levels, and brand familiarity levels) including brand satisfaction and recommendations. This is, to my knowledge, the only quantitative on-going tracking study for the MSP market.
I only provide this as a context to my next statement, which is that HP is a MAJOR player in the market and actually one of the top MPS vendors. I definately would not underestimate their ability to impact this rapidly growing market place.
Edward: Thank you for providing the context for your comment.
I agree that HP is a major player in the market, but frankly we don’t see or hear from them — at all — when it comes to the topic of managed services for servers, PCs and notebooks.
Perhaps their printer division understands the managed services industry. But their PC and server teams are late/missing from the MSP game.