Top of the Rio’ BTA Dealer Member Appreciation Reception to Take Place at ITEX 2014 National Conference and Expo
Jan. 23, 2014 – The Business Technology Association along with sponsors ECi Software Solutions, Katun, OKI Data Americas, and Square 9 will host a reception for BTA member dealers at the ITEX 2014 National Conference and Expo. The “Top of the Rio” BTA Dealer Member Appreciation Reception will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, March 12, at the VooDoo Rooftop Nightclub at the Rio Las Vegas Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, Nev. BTA members may pick up an invitation during exhibit hours (10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.) at BTA booth #242 on March 12. Members who use the code B300D to register for ITEX will receive $100 off of an All Access or Main Conference Pass. Register at www.itexshow.com. Visit www.bta.org/ITEXReception.
Konica Minolta Receives “A3 MFP Line of the Year” Award for Fourth Straight Year
Jan. 24, 2014 – Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. (Konica Minolta) has announced that Buyers Laboratory LLC (BLI) has named Konica Minolta 2014 “Line of the Year” award winner in the A3/Ledger MFP segment. Winning BLI’s most coveted award for an unprecedented fourth consecutive year, Konica Minolta’s bizhub® Color and Monochrome MFPs also earned individual recognition in the A3 MFP category, monochrome printer category, and Energy Efficiency category.
Awarded annually to the OEM whose product line is determined to be the best overall in its category, the “Line of the Year” Award is based on the cumulative test results of all models tested in BLI’s rigorous two-month laboratory evaluation. By assessing reliability, image quality, ease of use, productivity and a range of other criteria, the tests reveal the products that deliver customers the best value and most trouble-free performance.
The following Konica Minolta bizhub MFPs also earned 2014 “Pick” awards:
- Konica Minolta bizhub C364e – Outstanding 31- to 40-ppm A3 Color MFP
- Konica Minolta bizhub C454e – Outstanding 41- to 50-ppm A3 Color MFP
- Konica Minolta bizhub 554e – Outstanding 51- to 60-ppm A3 Monochrome MFP
- Konica Minolta bizhub 4700P – Outstanding A4 Monochrome Printer for Mid-Size Workgroups
- Konica Minolta bizhub C284e – Outstanding Achievement in Energy Efficiency
MWA Intelligence Launches New Corporate Website
Jan. 23, 2014 – MWA Intelligence (MWAi), a SAP Gold Partner and leader in enterprise-class Machine-to-Machine (M2M) and Machine-to-People (M2P) solutions has unveiled its upgraded Website www.mwaintel.com. The new Website offers MWAi’s partners and customers from around the world a modern, innovative design for easily and quickly finding the information they need to manage their businesses and improve their experience with MWAi. The Website was developed to better serve the company’s traditional customers and users while enriching and educating interactions with MWAi’s new FORZA product, according to a MWAi press release.
BTA’s Newly Revamped FIX: Cost Management for Service 2.0 Scheduled for Feb. 13
Jan. 22, 2014 — On Feb. 13 in Orlando, Fla., the Business Technology Association (BTA) will present FIX: Cost Management for Service 2.0 as a front-runner to the Winter Break district event (www.bta.org/BTASoutheastEvent), hosted by BTA Southeast. Attendees to the workshop will receive free registration to Winter Break.
Workshop instructors Ronelle Ingram and Rock Janecek will cover first-call completion and proven management and customer service programs to improve morale within the service department. Those struggling with MPS and IT issues can learn new management skills to help transition their staffs to the realities of solution-based servicing. This is a highly interactive, energetic classroom experience.
Attendees will learn:
- How to determine the actual costs of a service hour; items to consider with costing MPS, CPC, document management, etc.; and vehicle operations
- The importance of first-call completion
- How to generate 50-percent-plus service department profitability
- How to establish profitable “markup-method” pricing for prepaid field service, solution-based servicing and overtime
- How to compute cost-per-click for equipment usage
- How to implement new service compensation programs
- How to manage staff operations with profit-making opportunities, improved teamwork and a proven customer-relations program
- How to maintain a winning service team by learning how to deal with high gas prices and how to create competitive compensation plans
Attendees will take home: Excel software that will enable them to calculate their own cost of the service hour (service burden rate); a workshop manual for reference; sample prepaid service agreements; service department worksheets and action plan templates; and cost/price spreadsheet templates (Excel) with formulas.
BTA member tuition for the FIX: Cost Management for Service workshop is $495. Non-member tuition is $925 and includes a one-year BTA dealer membership.
For more information or to register for the workshop, visit www.bta.org/FIX or call (800) 843-5059.
Ricoh to Acquire mindSHIFT Technologies, a Managed Services Provider for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses
Jan. 21, 2014 – Ricoh has announced that the company has reached an agreement to buy mindSHIFT Technologies Inc., a provider of managed IT, cloud, data center and professional services to small and mid-sized organizations, from Best Buy Co., Inc. The acquisition is the latest strategic investment by Ricoh to expand and deepen its services portfolio.
mindSHIFT, a Managed Services provider in the U.S. for small and mid-sized businesses, works with more than 6,900 clients in major markets throughout the country. The company’s IT Services capabilities and comprehensive Managed Services offerings will help Ricoh continue to drive value to existing customers through expanded services offerings as well as support Ricoh’s growth as a provider of IT Services.
The addition of mindSHIFT’s nationwide expertise and customer service professionals will bring a wide array of benefits to the customers Ricoh is currently serving through its proven services organization of more than 8,000 specialists.
mindSHIFT brings their experience in the general business market, in addition to legal, healthcare, financial services, associations and non-profits, and education markets, areas complementary to Ricoh’s proven expertise and experience.
mindSHIFT will continue to operate under its current name, management team and capabilities, which currently include 650 employees at offices in Boston, Chicago, Long Island, N.Y., Minneapolis, Morrisville, N.C., New York City, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and Austin, Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas, TX.
The acquisition is expected to close in February 2014 at which time mindSHIFT will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Ricoh.
