Written by Rob Watts | Jul 10, 2015 4:22:28 PM
There's no shortage of advanced MPS software tools to help resellers provide managed print services to their customers. With that said, the initial cost and infrastructure requirements of some of these products are enough to make them impractical for use with SMB clients. So it's no coincidence that three-quarters of SMBs are not part of an MPS program, according to research by Xerox.
In order to help channel partners meet the needs of those clients, Xerox has announced four new tools within its Xerox Partner Print Services program. Aimed at the providers tasked with selling MPS, the aim of these tools, Xerox claims, is to “take advantage of Xerox’s three-stage MPS strategy – assess and optimize, secure ad integrate, and automate and simply.”
The tools include:
-Enhanced Managed Supplies Service: Empowers resellers with the ability to easily and automatically replenish equipment supplies for the customer for a reliable, additional revenue stream.
-NewField IT e-Commerce Storefront: A digital marketplace for tools allowing partners to assess a prospect company’s IT infrastructure for smart, informed MPS sales pitches.
-MPS Application Programming Interface (API): A software development kit designed to reduce costs associated with administration and client billing as well as to improve help desk functionality.
-Xerox Digital Alternatives: New to the dealer channel, this desktop and mobile assistant technology is intended to automate workflows. Sign, annotate, share, save, and read funtions are available in one interface, saving the user time and frustration.
These new tools are designed to help enhance the relationship between providers and their clients. Xerox says that the NewField IT e-Commerce Storefront is available now to partners in the U.S. and Europe. Partner accreditation for the Digital Alternatives tool begins in July for European resellers, with applications for US partners beginning later in 2015. The Enhanced Managed Supplies Service is expected to launch in Canada later in the year.
For more information on these tools, click here.