Greg Walters
Greg Walters seems to have done just about everything over the course of his career. He’s sold managed print services, he’s been an industry consultant with his new company Walters & Shutwell, he’s been a blogger, and he’s been a guest speaker at industry events where he talks about MPS and other industry trends, and he’s the current president of The Managed Print Services Association (MPSA). He’s also not shy about shaking things up. His late, great The Death of the Copier blog (www.thedeathofthecopier.blogspot.com/) was known for mixing cutting edge commentary with sometimes controversial analysis about industry issues and trends. It’s a good life and any conversation with Walters, a loose cannon and self-proclaimed technologist, is never dull. In a recent conversation he shared his perspectives on the MPSA, MPS while also contradicting what others have said about the path to MPS success. In the first part of this interview we focused on MPS and what he had to say was candid to say the least. In the second part of our interview, Walters talks about what’s happening with the MPSA and responds to my questions regarding the continued relevance of that organization.
What’s the word on MPSA? Any interesting initiatives or anything whatsoever that you can share with me about what’s happening with the organization?
Walters: Thanks for asking. The MPSA has enjoyed its best year, ever. Membership is up, our financial position is secure and our initiatives our independent and educational for all.
This year, we’ve moved our awards ceremony to the CompTIA show, ChannelCon. We’ve done this to expose our membership to the ‘other side of the house’, the IT world. At ChannelCon, our members will be able to learn about the cloud, Big Data, mobility and many other subjects typically not discussed during the average copier show. The content will be presented by people who have been in that industry for years and it should be a great time.
Globally, the MPSA is expanding and formalizing chapters in Europe, Australia and South Africa. MPS is a global phenomenon and is not staying on one page, if any.
We are very excited about the MPSA, our global footprint and our continued contribution to the industry and those who practice MPS every day.
As the industry becomes more “Managed Services” oriented, do you think the MPSA will continue to remain relevant?
Walters: Great question and I think addressed partially, by my previous answer. Just look at our definition of MPS: “…the active management and optimization of document output devices and related business processes…”
When we designed the definition, we were very careful not to print ourselves into a corner. You notice no mention of ‘copier’ or ‘printer’ – a device can be a slice of glass. A document can refer to almost any information-conveying medium; from paper to voicemail. Related business processes include everything from loading paper to optimizing the workflow involved in accounts payable. Once you look at MPS through this lens, irrelevancy is something others need to be worried about, not your MPSA.
So yes, I believe the MPSA and our members will remain relevant because I believe MPS has always been a managed service. This is exactly why we are reaching out to associations like CompTIA, who typically reside on the IT side of the house.
This is also one of the primary drivers in our Webinar series with subjects including classic managed print services discussions as well as talks around the cloud, big data, managed services and workflow. The MPSA understands the integration of the entire business ecosystem, not just marks on paper.
My administration’s vision is, “… to educate and inform membership promoting professional growth & individual improvement within and beyond the imaging ecosystem. Your MPSA is a leading association committed to its membership, bringing new technology and ideas to light. We honor our heritage and go boldly into the future.”
This says it all.
As you travel around and get invited to more conferences this year, what are some of the things that are going to be at the forefront of your talk tracks?
Walters: I must say, the subjects have evolved over the last 18 months. Jennifer [Shutwell] and I have presented and talked about moving from a vendor to a partner. We’ve seen more interest in managed services, of course, and the interesting dynamics around millennials in the work place.
The overall movement from paper to glass and mobility is very relevant and the impact all this is having on business and personal workflows will be an interesting topic for years to come.
But we’ve seen the general interests expand beyond MPS, MS, and printing. Workflow, improved business process and the strategic application of technology, in both business and personal life, seem to be the biggest topics of discussion so far.
It is a great time to be exactly where we are.
