Print.ITReseller
eseller
.co.uk
Beta adopts Xerox Supplies Service
BetaDistribution has become the latest distributor to useXerox’s cloud-based
system for themonitoring and replenishment of supplies for all major brands of
network printer andMFP.
The Xerox Supplies Service automatically discovers
networked devices, checks usage of toner and other
consumable items and reports to resellers so that they
can pro-actively order supplies for direct delivery to
their customers.
Orders can be placedwithBeta through the
platform,which gives resellers full visibility of its
supplies catalogue, including the Xerox Replacement
Cartridge range for non-Xerox devices.
BetaDistribution Sales Director JonDuckham said:
“We see this as an innovativeway to approach the
suppliesmarket. Resellers lacking amanaged print
services infrastructure need away to protect and grow
their supplies revenue streams: Xerox Supplies Service
meets that demand.”
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bulletin
In thenews
Brother on tour
Brother UK has become an ‘Official Supplier’ to twoof this year’smost exciting cycling events,
TheTour of Britain,which takes place on September 7-14, and the Friends LifeWomen’sTour
2014,which ran fromMay 7 to 11. Brother is supplyingboth eventswithprinters, consumables
and technical support in return forVIP hospitality andon-course branding.
Phil Jones, Brother UK’sManagingDirector, said:“TheTour of Britain and the Friends LifeWomen’s
Tour are both fantastic eventswhich seemany of theworld’s best competitors come toBritain. Cycling
relies heavily on data and technology for performance analysis so these are eventswithwhichwe feel the
Brother UK brand hasmany synergies.”
Bibby sounds note of caution
over economic growth
More than half (57%) of UK SMEswith up to250
employees plan to invest for business growth
over the next threemonths, according to a survey
of 1,000firms by fundingprovider Bibby Financial
Services.
IT andmachinery is the top area of investment, cited
bymore than a quarter (28%), followed by staff training
(21%) and recruitment (19%).One in ten businesses
(8%) say theywill invest in new premises and 16% plan
to spend on new product development.
This upbeat assessmentmirrors the experience of
many
PrintIT Reseller
readers (see pages 24-28). However,
David Postings, Chief Executive of Bibby Financial Services,
warns that there are still hurdles to overcome.
He said:“It’s positive that somany businesses plan to
invest, but we need to be realistic about the number that
have cash reserves or sources of finance to do so.
“Many businesses still face significant cashflow
issues, such as late payment and customer insolvency,
so it’s important that investment does not use up all
available cash. Businesses using external finance are
likely to be better placed to fund investment without
compromising their working capital positions,which is
critical for sustainable growth.”
When asked how they plan to fund investment, 38%
cited cash deposits or profits; 9% said friends and family;
and 15% said external finance.
Postings also strikes a note of caution over recent
economic growth,which has largely been led by the
housingmarket and consumer spending.
He said:“At theminute, the sun is shining on the
economy, butmuch of the growthwe have seen has
been driven by the housingmarket.When the effects
of the newmortgage lending requirements take hold,
growth is likely to slow.
“Add to this next year’s election and the strong
likelihood of tax riseswhichever part is elected, andwe
would expect the rate of economic growth to reduce
somewhat.”
InfoTrends has announced a new study
on the
EuropeanOfficeVerticalMarket
Opportunity
.According toGroupDirector
JonReardon, themainobjective of the
analysis is todeliver a powerful database
tool that enables clients to segment
markets, perform analysis anddevelop
strategic plans tomaximise go-to-market
effectiveness and sales activities.
The analyst house said that the office
document industry inWestern Europe is
showing an increased focus on paper-intensive
industries.Manymarket leadingOEM suppliers
and channel businesses have aligned their
organisations and go-to-market strategies to
identify and address print aswell as paper-
intensive applications andworkflows.This is a
reflection of themature state of the document
outputmarket.Growth in this industry requires
the capture of market share from competitors
and the ability to fully engage inmanaged print
services. However,maturemarkets also present
the challenge of entrenched competitorswith
long-established distribution partners.As a
result, capturingmarket share demands new
ways of aligning strategywith distribution
channels and exploiting innovativeways to
segmentmarkets and customers.
InfoTrends says vendors and channel
businesseswith a clear understanding of
where page volumes are in decline, status
quo or growing by vertical industry, size of
business and locationwill have both strategic
and operational advantage.Theywill be able
to fine-tune their go-to-market strategy and
target persistent page volume at the local level
through direct sales and/or via channel partners.
Vertical market opportunity
Newmanagement structure at Brother
Brother hasmade four senior employees non-statutory directors
reporting directly tomanaging director Phil Jones.The new senior
leadership team comprises: LouiseMarshall, Infrastructure and
Shared Services Director, responsible for people, shared services,
culture and environment; Dave Peters, Development & Strategy
Director, responsible for innovation, future planning and new
category growth; KeithHowe, Supply Chain& ServiceDirector,
responsible for logistics and customer service; andAndy Forsyth,
Sales andMarketingDirector.
JonDuckham, Sales Director,
BetaDistribution
LouiseMarshall
DavidPostings, Chief Executive, Bibby Financial Services
