During the past two-plus years, much attention has been diverted to the remote working needs of end-users for obvious reasons. But the most successful dealer reps are those who have the ability to listen closely to their clients and identify opportunities to expand existing relationships. High margins and recurring revenue solutions provide extra gusto when reps ring the sales bell, but lurking beneath the surface of MFPs and managed services lies a world of ancillary offerings that can expand the conversation deeper with clients and prospects.
A rep who’s fully versed with an OEM partner’s complete product line and constantly seeks an extra log to toss on the sales fire can readily solve pain points that tumble from the mouth of a client. We ask you: How well do you know your manufacturer’s product and service portfolio? Are there less-heralded offerings that could open even more doors to profitability for your dealership?
As part of this month’s State of the Industry report on hidden gems, we asked the major manufacturers to provide a snapshot overview of a product or service that may fly under the radar but nonetheless offers resellers another tool to bolster profitability.
Brother
MFC-J5955DW Business Color Inkjet All-in-One Printer
As customers adapt to a hybrid work environment and the decentralization of technology continues to become the new norm, offering a hybrid printing solution makes sense. To ensure business profitability, this means providing the perfect mix of laser printers and all-in-ones as well as inkjet all-in-one printers to meet customers’ unique needs. Built for the new demands of document management, the Brother MFC-J5955DW Business Color Inkjet All-in-One Printer features 11×17” printing and is an ideal solution for corporate home offices and distributed work environments.
The MFC-J5955DW is the first Brother Workhorse Series color inkjet created for and exclusively sold through Brother Gold Authorized partners, and offers powerful business functionality and efficient performance. Powered by MAXIDRIVE printing technology, it has increased durability plus the fastest inkjet speeds ever from Brother at up to 30ppm.1 For customers to operate productively in a hybrid work environment, decentralized printing devices should offer similar features, functionality and capabilities as the equipment in their corporate offices. This printer includes dual paper trays, high-quality output, advanced security features, dual-band wireless connectivity and two-sided scanning to a wide variety of destinations including cloud services.2 It’s an ideal complement to an existing lineup of laser devices for meeting the needs of how your customers now work.
1 ISO print speed based on ISO/IEC 24734 (after first set of ISO test pages). For more details, please visit www.brother-usa.com/printspeed.
2 Requires an Internet connection and an account with the desired service.
Canon U.S.A.
Whiz
Whiz, the commercial robot vacuum sweeper, elevates indoor health and safety across multiple environments while also helping ease the burdens of ongoing labor shortages. Whiz is part of a strategic collaboration between Canon and SoftBank Robotics America (SBRA), a worldwide leader in robotics solutions, with a goal of delivering higher quality cleaning through predictable and verifiable processes. It marks Canon’s continued exploration of robotics and automation services, areas that are becoming increasingly more prevalent.
Designed with the workplace health space in mind, Whiz is powered by BrainOS, the advanced commercial operating system from robotics industry leader Brain Corp. Whiz applies an AI-driven, automation platform to deliver a dynamic, high-quality, and efficient clean—and real-time proof of its superior performance.
The introduction of Whiz initiates a new focus for Canon and its partners on commercial robotics and integrated automation. It can supplement repetitive job functions such as vacuuming so the cleaning staff can take care of more high-value disinfecting. Whiz also has the ability to run an average of three hours on a single charge (approximately 15,000 square feet) and can avoid people and other unexpected obstacles while following human-taught routes. With the Whiz Connect dashboard, users gain near-time visibility into when and where cleaning was performed. These usage metrics and other data analytics can improve cleaning efficiency over time and confirm clean for all building occupants.
Epson
Spare-In-The-Air program
In an effort to provide customers with the best service, Epson’s Spare-In-The-Air program for point-of-sale products offers an affordable service solution for customers to minimize downtime. This quick, next-business-day replacement program bridges the gap between the turnaround time of depot repair and the higher cost of on-site service. The customer then returns the damaged unit to Epson, and Epson covers the shipping both ways.
Due to the program’s popularity, Epson is extending the offering to its ColorWorks on-demand color label printers. As demand for on-site label printing increases, Spare-In-The Air provides peace-of-mind for adding on-site color label printing to customers’ in-house capabilities.
Epson dealers also have the ability to lengthen coverage with Epson Preferred Plus Extended Service Plans, which offer a variety of flexible options to best fit needs and budget—helping customers maximize uptime and protect their investment. These plans offer peace of mind beyond the device’s limited warranty and include repair with genuine Epson parts, service with Epson-certified technicians, expert Epson service and toll-free technical support.
Konica Minolta
Cloud-based video management systems
Cloud-based video management systems (VMS) unlock numerous benefits that enable a system to work for its users’ needs. By developing a comprehensive video security strategy that incorporates network devices, specialized sensors, rule-based analytics and a cloud platform, Konica Minolta can design and deploy next-generation measures that address specific areas of concern and improve peace of mind.
Internet protocol (IP) video cameras differ in many ways from traditional CCTV systems, offering a decentralized architecture with little to no server. That means a video security system can operate without costly rack-based hardware. IP cameras provide unparalleled accessibility; images and recordings are stored securely, remotely and are instantly available from practically anywhere.
A cloud VMS is agile enough to collect other types of data such as audio, temperature readings, quality abnormalities, point-of-sale transaction information and more. And if there are multiple locations separated by hundreds of miles, IP cameras on a cloud VMS can create one video security platform for optimal oversight of a business’s facilities and operations.
The convenient and expedient delivery of information enables businesses to take action faster. With operations accelerating and greater pressure for higher productivity, decision-makers need to re-examine their aging VMS and understand the significant gains in upgrading to better intelligence and proactive event reporting.
Kyocera
Kyocera Fleet Services
While device and fleet management may sometimes not be a top-of-mind service, Kyocera Fleet Services (KFS) makes every aspect of remote device management simple for Kyocera partners. KFS can automate day-to-day device management, from custom notifications that are sent based on supply level or page counts in every device for automatic supplies dispatch, to the collection of the meters and their validation with the client.
KFS also allows partners to monitor devices remotely from a single platform so they can schedule device and firmware updates, helping reduce vulnerabilities and increase the security of the printing environment. Additionally, service providers can remotely diagnose and resolve common issues or take the correct parts to a customer location when service is required.
Thanks to these capabilities, dealers are better equipped to support customers with timely service, improved first-call fix rates and an optimal customer experience for every device and user. Finally, KFS makes it possible to constantly evaluate the adequate use of sub- and over-used equipment, allowing customers and dealers to make better decisions about device placement whenever a customer environment changes.
Lexmark
Lexmark Cloud Services
Lexmark has an impressive track record of providing products and solutions that make partners successful, and is now consolidating its solutions and migrating that capacity into the cloud. The result is Lexmark Cloud Services (LCS), which offers a growing array of modular capabilities that extend to any customer with a Lexmark device and internet connection.
Customers are seeking out-of-the-box, cloud-enabled capabilities that can be deployed automatically without high professional service costs or on-premise infrastructure. They’re reducing their toolsets and costs as they expand their footprint of cloud-enabled Lexmark devices.
LCS extends enterprise-class capabilities, including 100 percent remote device management and firmware updates through its Cloud Fleet Management offering. Cloud Print Management, its first premium cloud offering, enables secure, direct cloud printing from various clients via the Lexmark cloud to any print device on the network—all without on-premise infrastructure. While not required for cloud printing, users can integrate their MS Universal Print environment into the Lexmark cloud, leveraging their existing authentication with the back-end reporting and security of cloud print.
By combining the functionality of these two offerings, users have a single cloud-enabled tool that manages both the device and user aspect of the cloud environment, enabling organizations to offload physical print infrastructure, reduce demands on the internal IT department and provide a stable, flexible print environment.
Sharp
Dynabook laptops
Beyond the MFP, Sharp offers its dealer network an integral piece of the smart office puzzle—laptops. Dynabook, formerly Toshiba PC Company, is an innovative line of education and business-class models that deliver quality, reliability and performance.
Dynabook laptops feature the latest technologies from Intel and Microsoft and are engineered with a proprietary BIOS, making them secure and customizable. They’re also lightweight and portable for work-from-home and hybrid work environments as well as students and teachers. The laptops can be customized to specific customer needs and hold an industry-leading warranty.
Dynabook laptops can also help dealers expand their businesses by solving computer needs for existing customers. In turn, this presents the opportunity to help with customers’ IT requirements to ensure laptops and other devices are connected to a secure network. Help desk and cybersecurity services are often needed at small- to medium-sized businesses that don’t have the personnel for an IT department. By including laptops in its portfolio, Sharp has been able to give dealers a solution with powerful cross-selling potential within existing copy/print customers.
Toshiba
BV400D direct thermal transfer printers
Stylish and compact, Toshiba’s BV400D series of direct thermal transfer printers blend elite performance elements in a sleek, durable design for tackling logistics, health care and retail labeling applications.
The printer quintet delivers fast, crisp labeling for producing shipping, shelving and asset tags as well as patient wristbands at speeds up to seven inches per second with clarity up to 300 dots per inch. Combining functionality with convenience, Toshiba’s compact label makers feature recessed ports and the option to integrate AC adapters. These features also accommodate varied space requirements while helping maintain cable connectivity and USB memory protection.
Toshiba’s intuitive four-inch label printers are easy to set up and maintain. The inclusion of replaceable print heads and sensors—notifying users when to refill media and close the cover—underscore the products’ simplicity of use. Select BV400D models also feature a visual indicator for up-to-the-second print status. IT personnel will also appreciate the label makers’ remote monitoring capability using available networking tools.
Single-step, top-loading media capability within Toshiba’s label printers further optimizes operability with cutter and peel-off module options that enhance user efficiency and ease of use.
Connectivity to any work environment is simple via a standard USB 2.0 and Ethernet or WLAN and Bluetooth connectivity options. Interoperability with other OEM printers is also easy via Toshiba’s systems’ range of advanced emulations.
Xerox
Workflow Central
The way we work has changed. Businesses need to adapt and support employees working from home, in the office or on the go. A distributed workforce demands a better, connected experience and organizations want ways to securely manage the information flow from any device—anytime, anywhere.
Xerox Workflow Central is a unique cloud-based software platform that’s home to a collection of workflow automation and digitization tools that overcome today’s document-centric challenges. The platform delivers several print market advantages, enabling dealers to win more business and establish new recurring revenue streams.
Workflow Central is subscription-based and allows dealers to capture and monetize new digital clicks alongside the traditional printed click, offering greater recurring revenue streams. It supports Xerox multifunction printers (MFPs), PCs, tablets and mobile phones and is platform agnostic. It opens opportunities beyond the traditional MFP, allowing dealers to build a new customer base. Much of the usage to date is digital, so it’s completely incremental revenue.
Core features include the ability to:
- Turn handwriting into legible, editable and shareable text.
- Translate to and from over 40 different languages.
- Convert PDF or image files into MS Office formats such as Word.
- Automatically redact chosen and/or sensitive information.
- Convert documents into audio files
- Merge and combine files or insert one document into another.
- Summarize main points of a lengthy report with an abridged version.
These productivity tools can be used on their own or combined, and they’re part of a growing set of workflows that allow users to simplify or automate time-consuming tasks.
