Industry transactions rolled forward this week with a trio of announcements. Xerox picked up augmented reality support specialist CareAR. On the dealer side, All Copy Products and Time Business Systems merged while MTS Office Machines became MTS Office with a change in ownership.
Xerox Holdings Corporation (NYSE: XRX) expanded its growing software portfolio with the acquisition of CareAR, an augmented reality support platform company that provides real-time access to expertise for customers, employees, and field workers.
With CareAR software, remote agents and experts can virtually see the situation and visually guide a solution using a suite of augmented reality tools via desktop, mobile, and smart glass devices, as if they were in-person.
Today, one-third of field service on-site calls require remote expert assistance to resolve issues but cannot effectively communicate the context of the situation. This causes delays, creating negative customer perception while risking loyalty and retention. Equipment downtime can be costly, running organizations between $300,000 and $5 million per hour, depending on the company’s size.1
“Our software solutions address some of the biggest needs for customers – content management, digital transformation and personalized communications. And now we’ve added enterprise augmented reality,” said Steve Bandrowczak, president and chief operations officer, Xerox. “By combining DocuShare, XMPie and CareAR, we have a Software business that can together and apart supports a wide range of clients’ needs.”
This expanded software business will be led by Sam Waicberg, vice president and general manager of Digital Services for Xerox and former CareAR Co-founder and CEO prior to acquisition.
CareAR’s platform seamlessly integrates with workflow leader ServiceNow, ensuring an end-to-end approach to work orders, cases and incidents for full visibility and better troubleshooting.
“CareAR’s augmented reality software, which is integrated and certified with ServiceNow, helps customers remotely view and solve service issues,” says Michael Ramsey, vice president of customer workflow product Management at ServiceNow. “Xerox’s acquisition of this technology can help drive further opportunities to modernize field service, customer support and IT services leveraging the power of the Now Platform and CareAR.”
Today, ServiceNow is collaborating with Deloitte to integrate the CareAR platform for ServiceNow into the operations service systems and support workflows for joint clients.
“Xerox’s CareAR augmented reality platform provides us an ability to extend our market-leading, industry-focused ServiceNow offerings,” said Asish Ramchandran, principal, Deloitte Consulting LLP. “CareAR represents the next mile in the digital transformation journey of organizations and together we have the ability to deliver next-generation solutions that drive greater outcomes and value for our collective clients.”
CareAR is the latest addition to a series of solutions Xerox has launched to provide digital transformation tools to customers. These include automation and centralization solutions like DocuShare, a content management platform providing robust tools to automate processes and support cloud-enabled digital transformation; and XMPie, a flexible technology that allows customization and personalization of assets across customer touchpoints, both online and offline, for full marketing campaign integration.
In acknowledgment of the acquisition, CareAR is offering a free trial, found here: CareAR Trial. Offer valid starting Jan. 28 in the U.S. only.
All Copy Products-Time Business Systems Join Forces
In an effort to continue providing its customers with superior service and state-of-the-art technology to its clients, All Copy Products (ACP) has announced a merger with Time Business Systems, a highly-respected and integral part of the greater Denver IT industry since 1981.
ACP is regarded across the Rocky Mountain Region as an innovator and industry leader amongst office equipment and technology providers. Mergers, such as this merger with TBS, give ACP the ability to expand its offerings and develop new ways to empower their clients to achieve their business goals.
Brad Knepper, president and CEO of All Copy Products, said, “ACP is continually searching for the best ways to help support our clients and we believe this merger with TBS will not only allow us to offer enhanced technology and support to them, but will also provide TBS’s loyal customers with new services and solutions. I am looking forward to working alongside the TBS team and continuing to provide their customers with the same quality of service they have become accustomed to receiving from TBS.”
Time Business Systems owner Gary Clark is optimistic about the merger with ACP saying, “I am excited about the merger of Time Business Systems and All Copy Products and the benefits it will bring to our loyal customers. With the merger of TBS and ACP, our customers will receive more timely, professional service and a whole complement of products and services offered by ACP. Many of our customers are already benefiting from the various products and services offered by ACP.”
MTS Office Changes Hands
Mike Dudek and Rich Wisniewski of Zygoquest Group served as the advisor to MTS Office Machines LLC of Anderson, South Carolina, and its owners Alex Martin and Lynne Martin, on the sale of its assets to MTS Office, owned by Mason Smith. The terms of the transaction are confidential.
MTS Office Machines was a full-line authorized Toshiba and Lexmark dealer that provided office equipment and document solutions and services to customers located throughout Anderson County, South Carolina and 15 other counties in South Carolina and Georgia.
Alex Martin founded MTS Office Machines in 1982 as a typewriter business, and migrated over time to selling digital copiers, fax, printers, MFPs and managed print services.
###
About Xerox
Xerox Holdings Corporation makes every day work better. We are a workplace technology company building and integrating software and hardware for enterprises large and small. As customers seek to manage information across digital and physical platforms, Xerox delivers a seamless, secure and sustainable experience. Whether inventing the copier, the Ethernet, the laser printer or more, Xerox has long defined the modern work experience.
1FieldPoint: The Numbers Behind First-Time Fix Rates You Should Know About
About All Copy Products
Since 1975, ACP has been helping businesses succeed by serving as their one-stop shop for all of their office technology needs. ACP is the largest privately-owned office technology provider in the Rocky Mountain Region and employs over 400 individuals across 13 offices in 6 states. Striving to continually evolve and anticipate business needs, ACP serves as its clients’ trusted source for finding the perfect solution to their current and future needs.
About Time Business Systems
TBS has been supporting the Denver area as a full-service business phone system company providing system solutions for businesses since it was founded in 1981. TBS’s goal is to help companies by taking the confusion out of choosing the best business phone system for them. Known for their excellent customer service and expert knowledge regarding IT phone systems, TBS has received an A+ rating from the BBB every year since 1983.
About MTS Office
MTS Office is owned and operated by Mason Smith. Smith, who has 10 years of industry experience, is a native of South Carolina who attended Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina.
About Zygoquest Group and Mike Dudek
Mike Dudek, an attorney and CPA, is the owner of Zygoquest Group “seeking to unite” which provides customized merger and acquisition services to buyers and sellers of companies. Zygoquest is the #1 M&A authority in the office products industry. Dudek and Rich Wisniewski are authors of over 500 consummated M&A transactions including many technology services acquisitions during their careers. Prior to founding Zygoquest, Dudek was vice president of Acquisitions for IKON Office Solutions, a $5.5 billion NYSE company acquired by Ricoh Corporation. Dudek has evaluated transactions ranging from the smallest transactions to the largest deals in the office products industry – from million-dollar deals to multi-billion-dollar deals. The Zygoquest website contains deals you will recognize.
About Law Office of Mike Dudek
Mike Dudek also owns the Law Office of Mike Dudek, which provides owners and executives with customized and affordable legal services on mergers and acquisitions and other complex business transactions.
