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HP Continues It’s Comeback Office Enterprise Inkjet Series Outshines Lasers

Printer sales have been declining each year prior to 2014 due to decreasing use of paper in offices becoming more dependent upon cloud servers to store and communicate messages and files. With an uncertain future for printing, big manufacturers were reluctant to maintain large research and development budgets and introduce new, innovative printers.

Early in 2014, some manufacturers realized that, instead of increasing, the printing declines were becoming smaller and sales projections actually were showing increases for some printer categories. These manufacturers started making the better and faster printers that were languishing on their drawing boards and people started buying them.

HP was the first to bring out a full line of new printers and has reaped the most benefits. Now, HP has just introduced its latest innovation: ink jet printers that work like a laser but arestill priced as an inkjet.

Following up on the highly successful 2013 introduction of its evolutionary page wide business inkjet printers, HP is now offering the Office jet Enterprise Series. The numbers are impressive: 70 pages per minute and a black ink cartridge rated for an eye popping 10,000 pages per cartridge. The centerpiece of the product line is the Color Flow X585X, which offers advanced document scanning and distribution, a full sized retractable keyboard and duplex scanning via a 100 sheet automatic document feeder which can be sent to the cloud. There are at least six other Office Enterprise Series models already available.

Despite all these benefits, these inkjet printers and MFPs are most notable for having many of the same benefits as the HP LaserJet Enterprise printers. This includes more robust scanning, solution support and an 8 inch touch control panel. With operating costs that are competitive with workgroup laser printers, HP’s new printers should continue inkjet’s impressive resurgence.

One problem facing HP is how much product and promotional support it is able to give it’s new printers. Historically, HP has maintained its position as the industry leader by offering the most innovative and technically superior products and giving them extremely strong marketing support. During its recent “dark years,” HP became a financial based company rather than research and development based. Their latest products indicate they may be back to their roots. It would be in HP’s and their customers’ best interests if marketing is once again made a priority to give support to its exciting new products.

Until Next Time, Richard Blumberg, The Print Maven Richard Blumberg has over 30 years experience as a distributor of Imaging equipment and supplies. He was an owner of Richard Young Products and American Ribbon and Toner and is currently an officer of American Toner and Ink Corporation

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More Proof that the Printer Industry is Alive and Well. Samsung Mates Android and Multi Function Printers

What do you get when you combine an Android tablet with a Multi Function Printer (MFP)? You’ll soon have the opportunity to find out. Samsung has introduced ten Android based MFPs in Europe and has announced that two of the four new MFPs slated for a 2015 introduction into the U.S. market will be Android based.

According to industry analysts, the screen on these new MFPs resembles an Android tablet in terms of touch screen size, responsiveness and access to a full marketplace of consumer and business apps. What makes this possible is the integration of the an Android operating system into Samsung’s new MFPs. This provides an excellent value proposition by capitalizing on an experience that users are already familiar with. Unlike other vendors who offer a narrow selection of apps and cloud connectors through their own app marketplaces, Samsung’s new devices give customers a marketplace full of thousands of apps.

Positioning their MFPs at the heart of the office’s workflow allows the MFP to enhance it’s relevance in today’s digital world. If the new Samsung print devices prove to be as productive in the workplace as they are in the design room, look for other Original Equipment Manufacturers to quick introduce their own Android based MFPs. For now, Samsung has the field pretty much all to itself.

*Some of the material for this Blog first appeared in the December, 2014 issue of ENX Magazine.

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Dispelling The Myth: All Papers Are Not the Same. Increase Printer Quality And Performance With Certified Papers

A recent study on laser printing performance and reliability has given re-sellers and consumers a reason to think about the paper they buy for their printers. The study emphatically showed that all paper is most definitely not alike and using the paper could cost you a lot.

The study found that printers using higher quality “certified” paper operated nine times longer while printers using non-certified brands of paper had 400% more faults than certified paper. In addition, while recognizing that other things besides paper can cause printer problems, the study concluded that inconsistent and low quality paper must be considered are a likely cause and should be closely looked at before moving on to hardware or parts problems. Asian papers, in particular, generally have higher filler content and lower quality than papers produced in North America and Western Europe. Calcium carbonate, one of the most common paper filler materials is not only responsible for reduced paper quality but can be damaging to printer fusers, toner cartridges and paper path components.

A symptom of using bad paper is a build up of excessive while dust. Periodic inspection of the printer around the paper output and paper path areas will tell you if your paper is introducing white dust particles. An excess will lead to reduced printer reliability and damage to toners and paper path components. The study found drop-out image defects, dull, grainy prints and reduced toner adhesion with non-certified brands of paper but not with the certified brands. Printers using certified paper experienced significantly fewer paper jams and other performance errors. Testing for certification is very rigorous involving running over one million sheets through dozens of different copiers and printers.

Poor quality paper can also lead to unnecessary and costly service calls performed by service technicians who frequently are not trained to check paper quality as a possible cause of the problem. It pays to pay the small increase in price for certified papers. They are sold under various brand names and can be identified by the BLI or Colorlok seal on cartons and reams of papers. Even if you don’t notice the difference in print quality, you should notice an increase in performance and a reduction in downtime for your printers.

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HP Hoping To Halt Slide With New Security Services and Solutions

Hewlett Packard has just introduced some new printers. That’s not big news. They also announced new security services and solutions designed to help customers deploy and monitor printers and MFPs securely while protecting confidential information on these devices. For good measure, HP’s new secure printer portfolio also included solutions for mobile printing and printer management tools designed to streamline business practices, reduce costs and enhance employee productivity, while protecting against security breaches. Now that’s Big news!

HP executives contend that while companies continue to increase their budgets for computer network protection, they do little to protect their printers. I’m sure most of you would ask the same question I did: Protect my printers from what? Older and cheaper printers do not have the capability to store much data so the security risks associated with them are minimal. But today’s networking printers have significant computer power along with the capacity to store lots of data. This means they are vulnerable to hackers since printers are easier to breach than computers.

HP maintains that the average data breach costs the company $5.4 million. It would only cost my company a fraction of that amount and I would guess your cost would be a lot closer to mine than $5.4 million. And, that is one of the problems HP is facing. As good as I’m sure the five new HP JetAdvantage solutions and services are, their market may be small. HP is counting on good widespread acceptance of the new JetAdvantage solutions to help drive new hardware sales.

HP CEO Meg Whitman conceded recently that shipments of LaserJets have been falling and the company’s installed base is eroding. She said the declines resulted from HP’s focus on placing more units in higher print volume accounts. However, with fewer LaserJet machines in the field, toner cartridge sales are dropping and this is something HP can not afford.

Thus far the industry’s initial response to the JetAdvantage products has been tepid. But these are the early days for JetAdvantage. HP has always been a good marketer and they can certainly drive sales. We’ll have to wait awhile before calling HP JetAdvantage a success or a failure. Regardless of the outcome, it’s good to see HP back in it’s accustomed position in the print industry: providing innovative products and services.

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The Internet of Things (IoT)

A Glimpse Into The Future

I recently became aware of the Internet of Things and was shocked to find that something this potentially big had been able to remain relatively unknown for as long as it had. Now that it is being written about in the trade publications, I’m sure it will soon be all over the media. It took me a while to understand it but the implications and effect on our lives, if it is able to be completed as speculated, will be staggering. Here, now, is a glimpse of the Internet of things (IoT), as it exists and where it is going.

The End Goal: To equip all objects and all living things (including people) with a unique identier and have the ability to automatically transfer data over a network without requiring human-to-human or human-to-computer interactions.

Why do it? If all of a business’ tangible items were tagged with identifiers, we would no longer run out of stock of anything or waste products. Restocking alerts would bring in replacement materials at exactly the right time and be exactly the products needed. Some of the things already on the IoT include a heart monitor implant, a microchip responder imbedded in a dog and a devise that instantaneously advises a driver that his radiator is a few degrees too hot.

The Future. By 2020, there could be between 25 and 50 billion devices on the IoT. This will include roads, supermarket goods and thermostats and parking meters. With the most recent generation of Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6), the IoT could easily encode 50-100 trillion objects. Today, humans in an urban area encounter an estimated 1,000-5,000 tractable objects each day.

Right now, ambient intelligence and autonomous control are not part of the IoT. But, researchers are working on including them. The path to Utopia, however, has some hurdles. The US National Intelligence Council is concerned that the IoT, if applied to people, would be incompatible with our Fourth Amendment guarantees against unreasonable search. And, according to the American Civil Liberties Union, “big data and the IoT will make it hard for Americans to control their own lives due to a growing transparency to corporation and government institutions, who are being more opaque in their use of the data they obtain.” Some researchers are unconcerned by the potential loss of privacy and control. They are excited to think of the day that all things are combined with people for the purpose of improving the way we make decisions. I am not one of these people. Companies like Google, Amazon and Facebook already have far too much involvement in our lives and the government has reached “Big Brother” status. In my opinion, the Internet of Things could be, at the same time, the most beneficial and most restrictive innovation ever.

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All That Glitters Is Not Gold!

Stampede To Digital Marketing Not Meeting Expectations

The floodgates are open. Everyone is moving their marketing dollar to digital advertising and marketing, hoping to get a few million likes, a few thousand clicks and a few new customers. Tried and proven media like newspapers and magazines, direct mail, radio and even television are being replaced by speculative and unproven email blasts, banners, webinars, websites, apps and blogs, like this one, and, most importantly, social media.

Ask yourself a simple question: Who do you personally know that received a high rate of return from a digital advertising program?

Millions of businesses are spending billions of dollars on digital, guided by companies that did not exist five years ago. These companies guarantee nothing but promote high expectations and make you feel that if you don’t get involved now, your chances of success will diminish exponentially. But will it?

A recent Gallop survey found that more than 60% of respondents said that social media has “no influence at all” on their purchasing decision. Rather, consumers are more likely to participate with a brand’s social media community after they already had personal experience with that brand. People active on social media are very protective of their personal space and did not want to receive sales pitches they did not request.

So how do you effectively market on social media? It used to be through keywords but just when people started to figure out keyword strategy, keywords were out and content was in. Technology is moving so fast that anything connected to it may be obsolete overnight.

In my opinion, digital marketing in general and social media in particular, are unproven and there are too many companies doing the same things in the same places. Until there is a track record of success that can be understood and followed, I recommend concentrating your marketing budget around direct mail, the most successful form of advertising as measured by return on investment. I would put some money into SEO, web-site upgrades and email. I would not spend on social media now.

Digital Marketing and Social Media are not passing fads. They are here to stay. Fortunes are being made and will continue to be made. But, most people who try to tap into LinkedIn or Facebook’s huge audiences and almost unlimited growth potential will have little, if anything, to show for it.

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Hi Tech Counterfeiting: Coming To A Store Near You

Canon Study Sheds Light On A Growing Problem

Canon has released the results of a 2013 study it sponsored on consumer attitudes, perceptions and understanding of counterfeit consumer electronics and supplies in the U.S. The study concluded that while counterfeit consumer electronics are a substantial concern to most U.S. consumers, they are unaware of the full impact and risks incurred in purchasing and using counterfeit electronics.Government officials estimate that as much as $148 million worth of counterfeit electronics entered the United States in 2013. Most of the consumers interviewed were over- confident in their ability to spot a fake product and the majority of these consumers were unaware of the risks associated with counterfeit devices. Counterfeit equipment performed substantially worse than the items they replaced. Quality was worse and components did not last as long as the original products. Replacement parts were difficult to find. Supplies, such as toner, were also different in quality and performance and frequently broke, often causing damage to the printer.Other Results From The Study Included:

In 2013, 12% of U.S. consumers surveyed knowingly bought counterfeit consumer electronics, while 18% bought them unknowingly.

40% of U.S. consumers surveyed were unaware that counterfeit products could harm their equipment.

Millennial were five times more likely the Baby Boomers to purchase counterfeit goods. Three quarters of millennials believed they could identify a counterfeit product.

The majority of consumers surveyed said they overwhelmingly value product performance, quality and safety as the most important decision keys to purchase an electronic product. This is completely inconsistent with the test results on the branded products and their counterfeit alternatives, which broke more frequently, were difficult to repair and whose supplies damaged the equipment. Although the counterfeit products, like their branded counterparts, came with a warranty, not surprisingly, the warranty was never supported.Based on the study results, Canon has committed to develop and implement a consumer education program that shows the potential performance and safety risks buyer are exposed to when they buy counterfeit products. Sometimes it’s difficult to tell a legitimate product from a counterfeit, but, it’s worth doing the research to find out what you are buying. It could save you a great deal of time, aggravation and money. In my experience, some counterfeit products perform just as well as the original. But, most don’t. Let the buyer beware.Until Next Time, Richard Blumberg, The Print MavenRichard Blumberg has over 30 years experience as a distributor of Imaging equipment and supplies. He was an owner of Richard Young Products and American Ribbon and Toner and is currently an officer of American Toner and Ink Corporation

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U.S. Supreme Court Legitimized Compatible Toners!

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The U.S. Supreme Court turned the Toner and Ink business upside down when it ruled, in an unanimous decision, that Static Control could sue Lexmark for false advertising. Lexmark sued Static Control, a large and innovative manufacturer of compatible toners, for patent infringement in 2012 and Static Control counter-sued for false advertising. Static Control based its counterclaim on Lexmark telling compatible manufacturers that producing compatible versions of certain Lexmark toner cartridges was illegal.

Static Control won the lawsuit but the trial judge threw out the counterclaim. An appeals court reinstated it and Lexmark, fearing the implications, asked the Supreme Court to strike the counterclaim. Instead, the high court ruled instead that it could find no difference between the Lexmark cartridge and the compatible manufactured by Static Control.

Compatible manufactures and their distributed have known for years that compatibles made by companies like Static Controls are just as good, in performance and quality, as OEM brands like Lexmark, Canon and HP. But, through massive advertising campaigns and threats and coercion, OEM companies have been able to keep consumers purchasing their same but higher priced toners. Compatibles have increased their market share each year but only by a few percentage points. Now, with the endorsement of the U.S. Supreme Court, compatible companies are optimistic that they can capture a much greater share of the toner sales.

The high court ruled instead that it could find no difference between the Lexmark cartridge and the compatible manufactured by Static Control

If you are one of those consumers who have been reluctant to try a compatible cartridge, you should certainly re-consider. Most distributors will let you try a compatible and if you don’t feel it is acceptable, they’ll replace the compatible with an OEM. If you still need a push, remember that the most distinguished judges in the country gave their endorsement to compatibles.

An Advisory: Before you purchase a compatible, check out the company who is selling the product, either the distributor or the manufacturer or both. There are many reputable manufacturers producing excellent compatibles and many honest distributors. But there are also many companies whose compatibles don’t measure up to the quality and performance of OEMs.

Until Next Time, Richard Blumberg, The Print Maven

Richard Blumberg has over 30 years experience as a distributor of Imaging equipment and supplies. He was an owner of Richard Young Products and American Ribbon and Toner and is currently an officer of American Toner and Ink Corporation

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MITS Could Be What MPS Wasn’t:

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In my last blog I profiled how the introduction of Managed Print Services (MPS) was viewed as a life preserver by many print based companies and they started offering programs and promises without fully understanding how MPS worked and what businesses would benefit from Managed Print Services. The result for most businesses that installed MPS was that, if there were savings and efficiencies, they weren’t worth the time and money committed to the service.

Undaunted by the overall failure of MPS, the industry moved onward and upward to Managed IT Services (MITS). Why just make a client’s printing more efficient and effective? Why not control all of the IT components that most companies had or were adding to their operations? The first problem was determining exactly what they wanted to manage. I have yet to find a clear and uniform explanation of what MITS is supposed to do. The consensus is that an MITS supplier will remotely control, monitor and support all of a company’s IT needs. The tools that are used are an initial and periodic evaluation of the clients existing IT infrastructure with recommendations for hardware and software changes and upgrades, a help desk that offers instant remote support whenever it is needed and the dispatch of off-site support when remote is not good enough.

The beauty of this is that it takes place on the cloud, which enables company personnel to access their data anywhere. All data is automatically backed up and security is close to guaranteed. Some MITS vendors also offer App “stores” where customers can find useful apps and solutions for their businesses.

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The consensus is that an MITS supplier will remotely control, monitor and support all of a company’s IT needs

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That’s the overview and it sounds intriguing. But, I haven’t seen specific examples of how this friendly takeover actually takes place and what specific benefits it provides to the customer. One encouraging aspect of MITS is that industry leaders are very enthusiastic about the SMB marketplace, which consists of a reported 1.4 million businesses with between 10 and 100 employees each. Small and mid-sized businesses have not proven to be a good fit for MPS systems.

Managed IT Service providers seem better prepared than their MPS counterparts and they are not embracing the technology with the wild enthusiasm that characterized the MPS introduction to businesses. I’m not sold on MITS, perhaps because I haven’t seen enough to base an opinion. I do feel MITS may prove to be a valuable and cost reducing service that will benefit many businesses, particularly those in the SMB category. You may want to check it out for your business.

Until Next Time, Richard Blumberg, The Print Maven

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The Rise and Fall fo MPS (Managed Print Services)

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Managed Print Services (MPS), when introduced to the business community less than five years ago, seemed like the perfect solution to what was becoming a big problem for many businesses: controlling the cost and confusion from print devices. Most businesses had too many printers for their needs and some when overused, others underutilized.

The printers and MFPs used different supplies with different yields and quality and had different maintenance requirements. Costs per page were steadily rising and too much time was being spent managing office printing.

MPS – a good concept for certain business segments, attempted to be implemented to all businesses without a proper understanding of how to provide the promised savings and efficiencies

Who better to take over the print management function but the company that sold the printers or the supplies? They could set-up the printers for maximum utilization, reduce the cost and monitor the productively and service requirements. Good for the customer. Good for the MPS provider. Simple.

As it turned out, not so simple. If a business did not have at least 7 or 8 printers (preferably 10), the savings did not justify the cost of setting up an efficient print system with new and more expensive machines and the increased cost of supplies to yield savings over time. Then, there was the cost of monthly monitoring and responding to problems. The bigger the business, the more economically feasible MPS was. It didn’t work as well for small and mid-sized businesses. This was compounded by the lack of proper training and understanding by the people setting up the MPS program and managing it. It was not at all simple. On the contrary, it took a great deal of time to learn how to do it right and in their zeal to be among the first to provide MPS services (and thereby capture a large market share), few companies were willing to spend the time to understand what they were selling.

This has proven to be the fatal flaw with MPS – a good concept for certain business segments, attempted to be implemented to all businesses without a proper understanding of how to provide the promised savings and efficiencies.

While most MPS providers are still trying to figure out how to do MPS profitably for themselves and their clients, a new, more advanced concept has emerged from the ashes of MPS: Managed IT Services (MITS).

I’ll take a closer look at MITS in my next blog.

Until Next Time, Richard Blumberg, The Print Maven

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Paper is cheap

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Sales of copy paper declined less than 3% in both 2011 and 2012. Normally, sales declines of any size are not good news for the business or industry reporting it. But for paper manufacturers and distributors, it is good news since 3% is substantially less than was expected. Projections were based on an expected widespread increased use and storage of emails and word documents in electronic files instead of paper. Another factor working against paper use is the emphasis on sustainable paper use by utilizing 2-sided printing and reducing unnecessary copies. Neither of these two trends have lived up to expectations and as a the result, there was only a slight year to year decline in paper sales.

The next time you see a case of paper for under $30, buy some. Nothing lasts forever

Most distributors are not convinced that the less than expected decline in paper sales means prices should go back up. They are maintaining loss leader price points on cases of paper, at least through the first half of 2014, in an attempt to keep people coming into their stores or going on to their websites to buy paper. Like milk in a supermarket, paper is an “A-item.” A -items are products that customers purchase regularly but which are available from many sources and have little product differentiation. Retailers make little or no profit on these items but they get people into the store. Using good marketing and product location practices, they get a large number of paper purchasers to also buy the more profitable B and C items. And, the strategy has been working for paper sellers.

However, unlike a bottle of milk, a case of paper is bulky and heavy. It takes up a lot of space and shipping costs are high. I don’t foresee loss leader pricing on paper continuing deep into 2014. Retailers will find other A-items to use as loss leaders. So, don’t wait too long to stock up. The next time you see a case of paper for under $30, buy some. Nothing lasts forever.

Most business men and women don’t realize that there is a significance difference in the quality of copy paper. If you have ever experienced annoying paper jams in your printer or MFP and could find nothing wrong, the paper you are using is most likely the cause. Paper quality also affects the clarity of the printing. While these paper problems are not readily apparent to many people, if giving your customers and prospects the strongest possible positive impression of your company whenever you contact them and eliminating the possibility of paper jams is important, ask your supplier for samples of his highest quality paper. You will be surprised at how much better you’re printing looks in comparison to what you have been using.

Until Next Time, Richard Blumberg, The Print Maven

Richard Blumberg has almost 30 years experience as a distributor of Imaging equipment and supplies. He was an owner of Richard Young Products and American Ribbon and Toner and is currently an officer of American Toner and Ink Corporation

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The Long Awaited Year of the Color Printer Could Be 2014

Imaging industry analysts have been predicting a major movement towards color printers in the office for years. But no color printer was capable of overcoming the two obstacles to color acceptance – price and performance. Finally, after more than ten years of research and development, Memjet has created and brought to market a printer with a revolutionary print head that is cost efficient, fast (up to fifteen times faster than the average color printer) and provides enviable print quality.

Memjet? It’s not exactly a household name to most people. That’s because Memjet has built its reputation in Asia, Europe and the Middle East and has only recently begun emphasizing distribution in this country. In addition, the company mainly distributes its products through an “open-brand” strategy. Their brand identity is centered on a “Powered by Memjet” designation on their products (similar to “Intel Inside” except that Memjet manufacturers the entire printer). The name on the printer is usually one of their distribution partners. However, the U.S. distribution of the new color printers for offices will be under the Memjet brand..

These new color printers have impressive attributes. The new print head has 70,400 jets that shoot an astounding million of ink drops per second. It is more energy efficient than any other printer in its class and is very sound mechanically. The new printers have been in limited test market for a year and have only been available to distributors since January.

Memjet is not the only printer manufacturer to foresee increasing sales of its color products. Both Konica – Minolta and Canon expect robust growth in their color office printers and HP is expected to report similar color sales increases when it releases its 2013 fiscal report. Overall, the print business is booming for Japanese companies and improving for U.S. manufacturers. It will most likely still take a few years, before the industry returns to pre-recession sales and profitability levels, but innovations like the Memjet C6010 color printer may speed up the recovery. Whether or not you are planning to buy a new printer, you should check out the Memjet C6010 and C6030. They are game changers

Until Next Time, Richard Blumberg, The Print Maven

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The Case for Compatible Toners and Inks

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I am a champion of compatible toners and inks. Except for compatibles for new machines that have been in the marketplace for less than six months, I think everyone should be buying compatibles for their business and personal use. I don’t like the term win-win because it is rarely true. However, convincing an OEM customer to switch to compatibles is a win-win. The customer get a product that is just as good (maybe better) for considerably less money and the supplies dealer makes more profit on the sale.

OEM companies have never wavered from the position that compatible toners and inks are inferior in page yield and print quality to OEM cartridges. This may have been true years ago, when compatibles were first introduced. Now it is completely false with regard to the compatibles that my company, American Toner and Ink, and other major distributors stock and recommend to our customers.

Like most products, there are different categories of compatible toner and ink cartridges. There are cheap cartridges from China and India with above average failure rates. There are substandard cartridges from the U.S. and Mexico. There are irregular cartridges that don’t meet manufacturer standards. Finally there are “drill and fill” cartridges using all used parts. Neither I nor any other reputable distributor would suggest switching to any of these.

The compatibles I recommend are manufactured with state of the art engineering and manufacturing technology that is every bit as good, and on occasion better, than those utilized by OEMs. All production facilities are 1SO9001 208 certified. Precise automated techniques are used to fill each cartridge to the exact manufacturer specified fill rate and robotically sealed. Then, every cartridge is examined in special testing chambers under a variety of environmental conditions and then inserted and tested in the exact printer for which it was designed. Achieving the precise desired level of quality entails at least an eight step ink cartridge and a ten step laser toner production process. In all cases, there is a one year, no cost replacement guarantee if your compatible cartridge is one of the rare defectives. You should be impressed with all of this testing and evaluation. I know I was.

The bottom line is if you are using OEM cartridges and you want to save significant money without sacrificing performance, you should give compatible’s a try – particularly if you are like me and are watching every dollar you spend. After all, what have you got to lose?

Until Next Time, Richard Blumberg, The Print Maven

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