Following are the big and small news items from this month.

BTA Southeast to Host Fall Colors Retreat Oct. 26-27 in Waynesville, N.C.

Sept. 26, 2012 – On Oct. 26-27, 2012, the Business Technology Association’s (BTA; www.bta.org) Southeast district will host its annual Fall Colors Retreat at the Waynesville Inn Golf Resort & Spa in Waynesville, N.C. The event will include a round-table discussion and three education sessions led by industry leaders, providing insight and strategies that can help any office technology dealership reach new heights. Dealers will be able to participate in networking events that will allow them to connect with their peers, including a welcoming reception and a dinner. There will also be plenty of time to visit with exhibiting sponsors. On Saturday afternoon, there will be time to explore the Waynesville area and enjoy the fall colors.

The event begins at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 26, with a round-table discussion, “Marketing: What is Working? What is Not?,” led by the BTA Southeast leadership team. Attendees will be able to ask questions of and receive answers from the BTA Southeast leadership team and their peers, and they will be able to share ideas with the group and receive feedback. A welcoming reception will follow the round table from 6:30 until 8:30 p.m., giving attendees time to network with peers and visit with exhibiting sponsors.

On Saturday morning, Oct. 27, a breakfast buffet will be held from 7 until 8 a.m., followed by three education sessions and breaks that will give attendees time to visit with sponsors. From 12:30 until 6:30 p.m., attendees will have time to explore the Waynesville area and enjoy the fall colors, play a round of golf or just relax. Cocktails will be served at 6:30 p.m., followed by dinner and a closing presentation.

Fall Colors Retreat education sessions will include: “How to Use Social Media in Your Dealership,” with Darrell Amy, CEO of Dealer Marketing Systems; “Coaching Sales Performance,” with Troy Harrison, president of SalesForce Solutions; and “Managed Services for the Small-to-Mid-Sized Dealership,” with Chris Ryne, a partner at Growth Achievement Partners.

The exhibiting Fall Colors Retreat sponsors: ACM Technologies, Color Imaging, DocuWare, ESP Energy Intelligence, GreatAmerica Leasing Corp., InkCycle, LEAF,OKI Data Americas (Oct. 26 Reception Sponsor) and Square 9.

BTA member registration for the Fall Colors Retreat is $159, which includes the Friday and Saturday education sessions, Friday welcoming reception, Saturday breakfast (Waynesville Inn guests only), cocktails and dinner. An additional attendee from the same dealership is only $129. Non-member registration is $209. A spouse or guest can attend for $79, while children under 12 are $40 (both prices include the Fridayreception and Saturday dinner).

For more information, including full session descriptions and the registration form for the event, visit http://www.bta.org/BTASoutheastEvent.

BEI Services to Offer MPS Cost Control Solution from Preton

Sept. 24, 2012 – Preton, a provider of printing cost reduction software, and BEI Services, a provider of performance management and enhancement products and services, have announced the execution of a reseller agreement where BEI Services will offer Preton’s software and technology to BEI’s extensive customer base.

Preton’s PretonSaver software significantly reduces ink and toner usage without degrading end user print quality, provides a robust set of user focused reporting data, including page coverage calculations, and includes print policy enforcement to help end users manage costs, according to a BEI Services press release. PretonSaver uses Preton’s core Pixel Optimizer technology, which intelligently identifies and removes wasteful pixels during the printing process without visibly impacting quality. BEI Services notes that this toner optimization capability is critical for MPS providers as fixed toner costs represent a significant portion of their pricing structure.

Nuance Announces eCopy PDF Pro Office 6 with Enterprise-Class Productivity Innovations and MFP Integration for Business

Sept.25, 2012 – Nuance Communications, Inc., a provider of speech and imaging solutions, has announced the release of Nuance eCopy PDF Pro Office 6. The newest version of the software boosts office productivity through complete PDF management, and by seamlessly connecting scanning and PDF workflows to MFPs, according to Nuance.

eCopy PDF Pro Office is indispensable for enterprises that want to gain more business value from PDF. The intelligent and intuitive software is designed to handle the diverse PDF business requirements of every department in an organization. The software offers a streamlined experience for scanning from a networked MFP using eCopy ShareScan – the document scanning and workflow solution. This integration eliminates both unnecessary steps and non-essential paper from document workflows. It can also create, view, convert and edit all industry-standard PDF files.

The solution delivers unmatched connectivity to the cloud with the new ability to save and open PDF files in popular cloud services such as PaperPort Anywhere, Box, Google Docs, Windows Live SkyDrive, Office 365, Evernote, and Dropbox, says Nuance. It also features Dragon Notes, powered by the world famous Dragon voice recognition software, to allow users to simply speak and create text notes without typing.

eCopy PDF Pro Office is a PDF solution for enterprises. With Nuance’s PDF solution, large and small organizations can replace Adobe Acrobat Standard or Professional without compromising versatility or enterprise-class needs. The solution features network deployment tools that allow organizations to customize installations; support Citrix and Windows Terminal Services virtualized environments; utilize full redaction capabilities; and, integrate with all major Document Management Services including Microsoft SharePoint Server, Windows SharePoint Services, Microsoft Office 365, Hummingbird Enterprise™ 5.2, and EMC² Documentum 6.5, among many others. In addition, compliance with PDF/A standards is assured through Nuance’s built-in compliance checker and resolution process.

With eCopy PDF Pro Office, users are able to make changes to PDF files with the fluidity, flexibility and interactivity of word processing, reduce PDF file size before sharing and store PDF files.

eCopy PDF Pro Office is now available from all the members of Nuance’s global channel of MFP vendors, partners and dealers. For additional information on features, pricing and volume licensing programs, please visit http://www.nuance.com/for-business/by-product/ecopy/ecopy-pdf-pro-office/index.htm.

DocuWare Announces Alliance With Brooks Internet Software

Sept. 25, 2012 – DocuWare Corporation has announced an alliance with Brooks Internet Software, Inc. This alliance will enable DocuWare users to receive and convert data from a variety of systems into a form readily used by the DocuWare system. This includes translation and clean-up from UNIX and iSeries systems, among others.

“DocuWare Corporation provides document management solutions to its target audience consisting of small to mid-size companies, government agencies and departments in large organizations,” explains Greg Schloemer, president of DocuWare Corporation. “The distinctive features of Brooks Internet Software give our network of resellers and our sales directors a decided advantage when developing workflow designs for a wide range of our customers with unique solution requirements.”

Brooks Internet Software has worked with DocuWare customers on a variety of cases, such as generating a unique banner page for each print job with the user, title and timestamp, then converting the job to PDF.

Nuance Announces eCopy PDF Pro Office 6 With Enterprise-Class Productivity Innovations and MFP Integration for Business

With eCopy PDF Pro Office, users are able to make changes to PDF files with the fluidity, flexibility and interactivity of word processing, reduce PDF file size before sharing and store PDF files.

eCopy PDF Pro Office is now available from all the members of Nuance’s global channel of MFP vendors, partners and dealers. For additional information on features, pricing and volume licensing programs, please visit http://www.nuance.com/for-business/by-product/ecopy/ecopy-pdf-pro-office/index.htm.

PCS Director Embedded and GlobalScan NX Single Sign-On Coming Soon

Sept. 24, 2012 – Print Audit, the developer of Ricoh PCS Director Embedded, has completed version 6.1.3 of the software, which includes Single Sign-On support with Ricoh GlobalScan NX. The new version, which is currently in testing, is expected to be released by September 30th, 2012.
With the new Single Sign-On support, users who have authenticated with PCS Director Embedded can use GlobalScan NX to perform scanning functions, without having to authenticate again. The Single Sign-On feature will work on devices running GlobalScan NX version 2.0 or newer.
Ricoh PCS Director Embedded is a software application that runs directly on the touch panel of Ricoh multifunction devices, allowing organizations to easily track and charge for all of their walk-up copying, faxing and scanning. Embedded integrates seamlessly with the desktop version of PCS Director, providing a comprehensive print, copy, scan and fax tracking solution that is compatible with all types of printing devices.
PCS Director is a Ricoh OEM software tool that can help Ricoh sales branches and independent dealers win more deals and keep more customers by offering a high-demand print management solution that adds thousands of dollars in savings to their proposals.

For more information on PCS Director, please visit www.printaudit.com/contact.asp.

sd|University to Hold MPS Sales Workshops in Phoenix November 13-15 and Bryn Mawr, PA

Sept. 24, 2012 – sd|University, the advanced training division of Strategy Development, is conducting their MPS training November 13-15 in Phoenix, AZ. The SD MPS Sales Workshop will take place on November 13-14, followed by the SD MPS Advanced Sales Workshop on November 15, 2012.

For dealers who are an sd|University member company, this is one of the portfolio of educational experiences a sales and management team should attend. Dealers who are not enrolled in the tuition program can still attend by enrolling for the individual classes. This training—receiving the highest accolades over the last six years—is available at the lowest individual class investment in the industry.

The two-day class, SD MPS Sales Workshop, will be led by Gary Schwartz, consultant for Strategy Development, and will cover the MPS sales process for both small, fewer than 25 devices, and mid-sized, 50 – 250 devices, companies. Attendees will learn the proper contact level and value proposition based on company size; how to get an appointment at the correct level; how to identify the areas of pain associated with the print environment based on company size; how to conduct an effective and efficient assessment to support the business case for a change; how to price a transaction, both outsourced and equipment led; and finally, how to present a winning proposal. For more details please visit www.strategydevelopment.com/mpsfundamentals.

The one-day SD MPS Advanced Sales class, also led by Schwartz, will focus solely on the quarterly business review (QBR), a process Strategy Development introduced to the MPS community. With proper execution of the QBR you will consistently gain share of wallet within your customers’ accounts. For a full class description, please visit www.strategydevelopment.com/mpsadvanced.

The MPS Sales Workshop will arm your sales professionals with the tools they need to be successful in MPS and be successful at taking customers from your competitors. Once you start to grow your portfolio of mid-sized MPS customers, the MPS Advanced Sales class will demonstrate specifically how to continue to gain share of wallet within your customers’ accounts.

For more information or to register for the SD MPS classes, visit www.strategydevelopment.com/mpsfundamentals or contact Tom Callinan at callinan@strategydevelopment.com or at (610) 527-3317.

Sd|University to Hold Service Management University in San Francisco November 7-8; Special Partner Credits Available from BEI Services

Sept. 18, 2012 – Sd|University, the advanced training division of Strategy Development, is conducting their Service Management University (SMU) on November 7-8, 2012 in San Francisco, CA. BEI Services, a Strategy Development partner, will be offering their clients a $400 account credit to attend the November SMU.

SD Service Management University provides service leaders with concrete steps they can take to achieve sustainable margins over 52%, and achieve 60%+ margins in managed print services. Ken Staubitz will teach the intensive, two-day program, designed by Strategy Development consultants. Participants will learn to use the industry service model to assess their department’s strengths and weaknesses, develop specific actionable plans to address areas of opportunity, execute action items to drive sustained profitability and quality customer service, instill ownership and accountability for desired results, properly manage parts, and successfully deliver profitable service in the MPS world.

The SD SMU is recommended for a dealer’s entire service leadership team, including the vice president, director, service manager or service supervisor. For dealers who are a sd|University member company, this is one of the portfolio of educational experiences their sales and management team should attend, according to Strategy Development. Those who are not enrolled in the tuition program can still attend Strategy Development’s education by enrolling for the individual classes. This training—receiving the highest accolades over the last six years—is available at the lowest individual class investment in the industry, according to Strategy Development.

All sd|University classes can also be held at a dealer’s location for larger groups. For more information on sd|University and how the tuition program works and how it stacks up against the competition please visit them at www.sd-university.com. For more information or to register, please contact Ken Staubitz at staubitz@strategydevelopment.com or at (513) 200-2169.

Clover Expands Technology Infrastructure

Sept. 17, 2012 – Clover Technologies Group has announced the completion of a state-of-the art, 15,000 square foot technology center at its Ottawa, Illinois facility. An ambitious project, almost 18 months in the making, Clover’s new advanced technology center will be the base of operations for the design, development, and deployment of robotics and machining equipment across all of Clover’s global manufacturing facilities. Not only does it house the latest, most technologically advanced software, robotics, and machining equipment but it brings together, under one roof, a skilled team of 22 electrical and mechanical engineers and specialists focused on the area of automation and robotics. Features of the lab include:

• Direct support of the mono laser, color laser, and inkjet product development and manufacturing environments

• 3D component scanning, modeling and animation to deliver accuracy in the machine design process

• Development of all circuitry, pneumatic diagrams and electronic controls for robotic and automation machinery

• DXF direct import of CAD drawings into CNC machining centers equipped with automated tool changers to deliver accuracy and efficiency in the machine assembly process

• Onsite and remote support to ensure global robotics network is operating at peak performance

With these new technology capabilities, engineers at the Ottawa technology center will be able to remotely monitor, program, and troubleshoot Clover’s robotics and automation equipment on a global basis. This team will also collaboratively work with the global R&D and manufacturing teams to reduce time to market with new products, enhance existing product quality and maximize manufacturing efficiency – guaranteeing the highest quality product and availability in the market today.

Epson Rolls Out Expression Premium Small-in-Ones

Sept. 18, 2012 – Epson America has introduced the Epson Expression Premium XP-800 and XP-600 Small-in-One printers for families and technology enthusiasts. Designed to deliver superior performance, including both brilliant photos and crisp, sharp text with Epson’s MicroPiezo printing technology and Claria Premium inks, the Small-in-Ones are also equipped with Epson Connect, Apple Airprint, and Google Cloud Print, offering easy wireless and mobile printing from an iPad, iPhone, tablet, or smartphone, according to an Epson press release.

The Expression XP-800 and XP-600 include built-in Wi-Fi CERTIFIED n for sharing one printer or print from any room. Both models also offer automatic two-sided printing as well as creative tools such as a dedicated photo tray and direct CD/DVD printing.

The flagship Expression XP-800 comes equipped with a 30-page ADF featuring automatic two-sided copying, scanning and faxing, a 3.5-inch touchscreen with gesture navigation for enhanced setup and operation, specialty paper support through its rear paper feed⁴ and an auto-extend paper output tray that automatically extends any time the user hits print from a Mac, PC or iPad. It also offers a variety of wireless functionality, including Wi-Fi Direct for printing from a mobile device without a network.

The Epson Expression Premium XP-600 ($149.99) and EPSON Expression XP-800 ($279.99) will be available in late-October through major retailer stores nationwide.

Sharp Adds Pronet to Dealer Network

Sept. 17 , 2012 – Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America, a division of Sharp Electronics Corporation, has announced that Pronet Image and Information Technology has joined its nationwide network of authorized dealers. As part of the agreement, Pronet will now offer a range of integrated technology solutions, including Sharp’s extensive portfolio of copiers and multifunction printers (MFPs). Sharp Authorized Dealers receive a wide array of marketing and sales support, including access to innovative tools and ongoing training. Pronet Image and Information Technology, located in Augusta, GA, has been in the office equipment business since 1998, serving clients in the greater Augusta and Central Savannah River area.

Coordinated Business Systems 30^th Anniversary

Sept. 12 , 2012 – Coordinated Business Systems, is launching their year-long 30^th Anniversary celebration to honor their customers and the community on October 3, 2012 with ‘The Power of 30” Open House at their corporate headquarters in Burnsville. October 3^rd is significant because it was on that very date 30 years ago that Coordinated first opened its doors with three employees. Just a few days later they had their first office technology customer, Trans Alarm and that firm remains a customer to this day.

“The Power of 30” was chosen as the 30^th Anniversary theme because it captures the essence of Coordinated Business Systems’ success. In addition it represents the staying power of an industry leader and the ongoing commitment to customer service that has allowed Coordinated Business Systems to build so many long-lasting relationships within the local business community.

As a “kick off” to the year-long celebration of customer oriented events and promotions, the Power of 30 Open House will begin at 10:00am and continue until 5:00 p.m. No one will leave hungry or empty handed as there will be plenty of fantastic catered food, hourly prize drawings and a free apple pie for each attendee.

According to Coordinated Business Systems Founder and President, Jim Oricchio, “We will be showcasing all the newest, heavy hitting office technologies at the Open House accompanied with one-on-one demonstrations that will show businesses of any size how they can use this technology to work more efficiently, save money and gain a greater competitive advantage.” Oricchio went on to say, “Attendees will be able to see for themselves all the latest in cost-effective document imaging and software technology, Managed Print Services, IT services, business communications and voice solutions. One of the hottest attractions will be the 3-Cent Color demonstrations that will explain how businesses can save up to 70 percent on every printed color page.”

He adds, “A great deal goes into having a business succeed for 30 years; a lot of hard work, an entrepreneurial spirit, commitment and dedication from exceptional people. Most importantly we have found that also having an unwavering commitment to putting ‘Customers First . . . Always’ is the key to eliciting trust, confidence, loyalty and long-term success.,”

Formax Unveils Large-Format Card Cutter

Sept. 12, 2012 – Formax is expanding its line of digital print & finishing solutions with the introduction of the FD 125 Large-Format Card Cutter. The FD 125 is ideal for on-demand processing of full-bleed color business cards, postcards, greeting cards and photos. With its capacity to cut a wide range of paper sizes in weights up to 350 gsm, users can create professional quality cards right from the desktop. The FD 125 features a control panel with LCD display, and cuts sheets from letter size up to 13-inches x 19-inches.

The FD 125 automatically cuts and slits documents and stacks them in sequential order at speeds of up to 240 business cards per minute. Users can utilize the 7 pre-programmed jobs or 6 programmable jobs to save time and effort. The unit includes a stand which doubles as an easily-accessible waste bin compartment. Options include a 15” conveyor for neat and sequential output, and easily interchangeable cutting cassettes for even greater productivity.

HP Ramps Up its Security Solutions Portfolio

Sept. 11, 2012 – HP has announced additions to its security solutions portfolio that enable enterprises to assess, transform, optimize and manage their security environments to proactively protect what matters. For public sector organizations, security threats are continuing to escalate, regulations are becoming more complex and budgets are shrinking. HP Security for Public Sector reflects the breadth and depth of HP’s security services capabilities to meet the exacting standards of these organizations worldwide. New additions to this portfolio include:

New features added to HP Assured Identity, a solution that offers simplified identity, credential and access management. It enables tighter controls against insider threats, robust identity proofing and reduced complexity around secure information sharing between collaborating organizations.
Comprehensive Applications Threat Analysis (CATA) on Demand lowers the cost of application security by addressing threats throughout the development life cycle.
HP Security Operations Center (SOC) Consulting Services, designed for public sector clients outside the United States, enable clients to establish an on-site intelligent cybersecurity operations center. Clients also can acquire HP Services to assist in managing the center. This service complements HP’s U.S. Public Sector security consulting and security operations center service.

HP also unveiled new products and services to provide clients transparency and control over their entire organization. New offerings include:

HP Data Center Protection Services evaluate organizations’ existing security practices and provide actionable recommendations to help them optimize infrastructure and improve program management across the data center.
HP ArcSight Enterprise Security Manager 6.0c is a powerful, scalable security monitoring and compliance solution that identifies and remediates cyberthreats faster than ever before. HP ArcSight Enterprise Security Manager rapidly identifies security threats across an organization’s infrastructure and prioritizes critical issues to reduce potential damage.
HP TippingPoint NX Platform Next Generation Intrusion Prevention Systems (NGIPS) ensures protection across network devices, virtual machines, operating systems and business-critical applications by adding significant capacity for deep-packet traffic inspection. The new modular architecture is designed to adapt automatically to threats as they are discovered, while allowing organizations to save rack space and maintain consistent power consumption and cooling costs.

HP also announced a mobile application for IT security professionals that uses data from HP Digital Vaccine Labs (DVLabs) to monitor current and trending cyberthreats. HP Information Security Pulse, available at no additional cost, enables security professionals to determine and address risks that may affect their environment. The application is currently available for webOS, Apple iOS, Android, and Web browser platforms.

Konica Minolta Presents the bizhub PRESS 1250/1052 Series

September 4, 2012 – Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. has announced the immediate availability of the bizhub PRESS 1250/1052 Series, Monochrome Digital Presses, a a black and white digital solution that will deliver proven reliability and cost-efficiency to meet high-volume B&W output demands.

Comprised of the bizhub PRESS 1250, bizhub PRESS 1250P and bizhub PRESS 1052, Konica Minolta’s newest digital presses offer output speeds of up to 125 ppm and are custom-built for a heavy-duty production cycle of up to 3,000,000 impressions per month. All models feature tandem printing functionality to double output speeds as well as the flexibility to print on a wide range of substrates from thin 40 gsm paper, to heavyweight media up to 350 gsm in sizes up to 12 x 19 inches. In addition, the Konica Minolta bizhub PRESS 1250/1052 Series delivers true 1200 x 1200 dpi resolution Inline finishing options perform multi-position stapling, hole-punching, saddle-stitching, perfect binding, multi-folding, and even ring binding.

The bizhub PRESS 1250/1052 series offers a large 15 inch on-board, touch-screen control panel that provides simple, intuitive menus and thumbnail previews of print jobs. Graphic icons highlight paper tray and output tray, for easy setup, and separate command sequences for print, copy and scan functions help speed workflow. Job List, Job Ticket Editing, and Job Scheduling functions are all available on-screen to keep jobs moving and easily manage any last-minute changes. Job Memory, Recall and Reserve capabilities also enable fast printing from memory without reloading data or re-scanning originals. With Pagescope software, users also have powerful functions for checking status and managing accounts, and Printgroove offers a sophisticated production automation system that speeds workflow.

Business Technology Association Unveils Two New MPS Workshops

Sept. 4, 2012 – The Business Technology Association has announced two new classroom educational workshops that will provide office technology dealerships the guidance and tools they need to establish and manage highly successful managed print services (MPS) programs. The two classes will make their debut on Nov. 14-15 as front runners to the Capture the Magic event (www.bta.org/BTAWestEvent), to be hosted by BTA West on Nov. 15-16 at the Mandarin Oriental in Las Vegas, Nev.

The BTA MPS Client Engagement Workshop, designed for MPS sales specialists, is an interactive, full-day course that will take participants through the entire sales cycle for MPS engagements with clients. Utilizing the eight-step MPS Client Engagement Model, participants will learn how to create a compelling value proposition to increase success in securing MPS engagements, practice conducting C-level appointments in a “live” setting, conduct an efficient and effective assessment process, and build compelling, profitable proposals.

The BTA MPS Survival Guide Workshop, designed for dealership owners and executive-level management, is a day-and-a-half interactive, hands-on course that will cover the various MPS program options available in the market today, explore the resource and skill requirements for each, and highlight the financial impacts of an MPS business model on the attendee’s current business. Attendees will leave the workshop with a personalized business plan outline, a tailored sales compensation plan, and a clear understanding of the assets and competencies needed to be successful.

The workshop instructors are two of the office technology industry’s leading minds in the area of MPS — Doug Johnson, senior vice president of Supplies Network, and Mike Lecak, who serves as director of MPS at Supplies Network. Both Johnson and Lecak will serve as instructors for the sales specialists workshop; Johnson will lead the owners and managers workshop.

For more information on these workshops, visit www.bta.org/MPSClientEngagement and www.bta.org/MPSSurvivalGuide or call (800)843-5059. Attend either of the inaugural MPS workshops in November and receive free, full registration to Capture the Magic.