PRINT
IT
RESELLER.UK
27
SAMSUNG PRINT BUSINESS BRIEFING
PITR
:
Do you develop apps to
generate revenue or at the moment
are they more of a deal clincher?
Smyth:
I would say that at the moment
they are a deal clincher – a differentiator, a
USP against the competition. Long-term, I
expect there to be recurring revenues and
annuity from some apps, especially if they
are cloud-based or seat-based.
The market is still developing; in
that respect, it’s a bit like 3D printing.
However, as time goes by, people will
start to realise what apps let you do. For
example, Samsung has one that lets you
scan a document or pull it down from
cloud storage, view it on the control panel
and edit, redact and amend it, subject to
permissions.
The next two to three years are going
to be very interesting. More and more
schools and educational establishments
are adopting biometrics for authentication;
law firms are more open to innovation; and
commercial organisations are more willing
than ever to accept cloud applications,
whereas two to three years ago they
wouldn’t look at hosting off-site.
Going forward, you will see more app
development to help organisations use
cloud-based technology to collaborate
more effectively and drive efficiency.
We are already seeing an increase in
remote working to cut down on travel,
to use time more efficiently and to make
employees and employers more productive.
The acceptance of cloud-based working,
which MFP apps support, is only going to
accelerate.
PITR
:
Samsung is not only developing
apps for end users. It has also
developed servicing apps that can
reduce costs for the channel. This
We have a
much higher
success rate
for remote
resolution
and fix on
Samsung
products
must be a great attraction in the
current climate.
Smyth:
Margins are continuously being
squeezed – even more so with the recent
decision to leave the EU and with the
weaker pound, which has caused our
costs to rise by 8%, 10%, and 15%
in some cases. As we try to keep price
increases for customers to a minimum,
we are continually focused on operational
efficiency. Samsung apps that give field
service technicians instant access to device
fault logs, error codes, service replaceable
unit lifecycles etc. let us maintain devices
and resolve errors and faults far quicker.
Often there is no need even to send
out an engineer, delivering a better client
experience and saving us time and money.
We have a much higher success rate for
remote resolution and fix on Samsung
products. Other manufacturers have
recently released tools that give them the
capability to remote fix, but our success
rate is still much higher with Samsung.
PITR
:
One of the reasons HP gave
for wanting to buy Samsung’s
printer business is the simplicity
of its MFP design compared to
traditional copiers. Has this been
your experience?
Smyth:
There’s little doubt that the
Samsung print engine is very efficient. As
far as I can see, what HP intends to do is
to combine its own fairly robust security
platform with Samsung’s print engine
technology and some of its user interface
and create a market-leading product. We
see the convergence of HP and Samsung’s
print business as very exciting.
PITR
:
Samsung is a leader in so many
different technologies. How has your
relationship with Samsung helped
you to diversify your business and
develop new sales opportunities?
Smyth:
Vision has been a Samsung
partner for seven years and earlier this year
was made one of only six Samsung Global
Partners, giving us special bid support for
large tenders and even faster access to all
Samsung technology.
Already, we provide other Samsung
solutions alongside a managed print
service. Right now, for example, we
are providing large education clients
with Samsung tablets and smartboards.
Offering IT services is a big part of Vision’s
growth strategy and our relationship with
Samsung is useful in developing this part
of the business. We also provide customers
with mobile and telephony services though
our telecoms division.
I went out to Korea two years ago, to
Samsung’s Digital City. There you really
understand the size, the scale, the depth,
the R&D and the history of Samsung. It’s
an incredible story.
To find out how Samsung can help you win
more business and operate more efficiently,
please visit:
/
business-products/printers-
multifunction/
Vision is one of
just six Samsung
Global Partners
