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REPORTS
Education is a key market for print
and IT resellers, as Ingram Micro
pointed out in last issue’s cover story.
Its potential is confirmed by the results
of the second annual
KYOCERA Document
Solutions UK Ltd Education Technology
Report
, which show that schools are
continuing to invest in technology
to control print and are open to new
technologies, such as 3D printing.
Of the 500+ teachers, department heads
and school heads surveyed, 59% said that
they were taking steps to reduce the amount
of printing done in their organisation.
This has caused overall print volumes
to fall since last year’s survey. In 2013, over
half of teachers questioned said their school
printed more than 3,000 sheets of paper
each term. Last year, the number fell to 24%.
While this suggests that schools are
eliminating unnecessary printing and/or
paper use, there is evidence that they could
do more to control printing and associated
costs. For example, less than half of
respondents (48%) knew whether printing
costs were being accurately allocated in
their school.
This was higher than the 2013 figure
of 35%, but according to Moya Kelleher,
N-able by Solarwinds is encouraging print
resellers to look beyond print for future sales
growth by developing a managed IT services
capability. To help them do this, it provides
a complete solutions suite, available on a
subscription model with no up-front costs.
N-able’s core technology, N-central 9.5, gives MFP
resellers everything they need to monitor and manage
networks, servers, desktops and devices remotely,
automatically and pro-actively. It notifies technicians of
problems and inefficiencies before system failure and
creates reports enabling resellers to engage more fully
with their customer base.
The system is modular and can be expanded at
any time with plug-ins for back-up, anti-virus/spam,
patching, mobile integration etc.. It can also be
integrated with third party applications, enabling users
to monitor an organisation’s networks and associated
applications via ‘a single pane of glass’.
In addition to its product suite, N-able by
Solarwinds provides partners with everything they
need to build a managed services capability, from
sales training and marketing support to the provision
of optional helpdesk and Network Operations Centre
(NOC) services.
To encourage more print resellers to diversify
into managed IT services, it has produced a series of
detailed white-papers explaining the business case
for becoming an MSP. The third of these,
The 7 Keys
to MSP Success
, has just been published and can
be downloaded from
-
able/7Keys.
In addition to its hardware devices, KYOCERA offers a number
of apps suitable for schools and colleges. These include Teaching
Assistant, which speeds up the creation and marking of multiple
choice tests so that teachers can spend less time marking and
more time with their pupils. KYOCERA estimates that Teaching
Assistant can save a typical primary school teacher 30-60
minutes per test, whilst also eliminating marking errors and
making it easier to assess the performance and progress of
individual pupils and an entire class. The app automates three key
processes and, because it is embedded on an MFP, everything can
be done at the device itself: the creation and printing of multiple
choice tests; the scanning and automated marking of tests; and
the production of individual and class reports.
Education Business Manager of KYOCERA
Document Solutions UK Ltd, it does
indicate that many schools are still not
taking advantage of the print management
tools available to them.
She said: “Schools, colleges and
universities are under constant pressure
to scrutinise and reconsider their costs in
line with current Government policy. One
of the areas in which efficiencies can be
particularly useful is around processes
such as technology and printing, and it is
surprising to see the opportunities that are
still being missed.”
Depending on your viewpoint, another
way schools (or their MPS provider) could cut
costs is through the use of remanufactured
or compatible toner supplies. According to
KYOCERA's survey, 61% of schools still buy
genuine toner for their printers.
Print management solutions are not the
only way for resellers to compensate for
declining print volumes. The willingness of
schools to embrace new technologies means
that there is also the opportunity to diversify
into other areas, such as cloud technology –
identified by 51% of those surveyed as the
improvement they would most like to see in
their organisation's technology over the next
Schools are gaining control of print, but could still do better,
new survey shows
Room for
improvement
Reseller opportunity
year – and 3D printing.
When asked whether they saw potential
for 3D printing in their school, college or
university, just 23% of respondents said
they couldn't. Of those who saw potential,
more than half (53%) felt 3D printing
could help to create teaching aids across
all subjects, whilst 55% said they would
consider it for specific subjects, such as
design and technology.
by
How the world’s most successful and profitable MSPs deliver
consistent, repeatable,scalable services with optimal efficiency
– and dominate their market.
THE 7
KEYS
TO MSP
SUCCESS
