With the recent announcement that Lexmark has furthered its relationship with Nuance Communications, Chris Strammiello, Worldwide Marketing and Global Alliances Director for Nuance’s Document Imaging Division, explains how channel resellers are set to benefit from the evolving print ecosystem
To the advantage of the channel, print has been enjoying a renaissance of late. As the requirement to turn paper into digital documents for the booming digital economy has increased, the web-enabled, networked multifunction printer has found a new role within many organisations. With document capture, electronic distribution and storage now underpinning essential digital workflows, the MFP is a fundamental part of a company’s technology backbone, and the way it conducts business nationally and internationally.
Evolution of the print ecosystem
However, the MFP’s centre-stage role presented organisations with new challenges, ranging from device security concerns, a lack of visibility into increasing print expenditure, right through to how best to control and manage print volumes. What we have seen in response to these challenges, is an evolution of the early print ecosystem comprising device manufacturers, document imaging software providers and systems integrators and with it, has come an increasing opportunity for print resellers.
It’s my belief that everyone in print – including resellers – needs to be part of this ecosystem as all parties are, to some extent, interdependent on each other if it is to deliver on its promise of helping customers reduce their print volumes and prints costs, while bolstering document security.
Collaboration benefits the channel
For resellers, this growing ecosystem should make it easier for them to address whatever their customers print pain points may be, via a combined hardware, software and services solution sell. In fact, helping the channel to address customers’ needs more effectively is one of the reasons Nuance recently announced a new strategic partnership for Lexmark, to provide Nuance document imaging solutions worldwide.
Specifically, the relationship includes rights for Lexmark resellers to sell and distribute Nuance AutoStore, Equitrac Office/Express and SafeCom. In addition, Nuance will provide service and support to qualifying customers. For Lexmark, partnering with Nuance reinforces its commitment to providing world-class enterprise-ready workflow solutions that enable organisations to increase productivity and enhance document security.
The Nuance’s solutions that will soon be available to Lexmark’s global dealer network – and other manufacturers’ – include AutoStore, which is best suited for those capture workflows where participants submit documents and data into a predefined workflow. It has been designed to provide a responsive and intuitive interface for speed in capturing critical document information with as little interaction as possible, using real-time connections to business systems for rapid and error free processing.
For resellers talking to customers that need an intelligent way to print, Nuance offers Equitrac Office. It helps reduce costs, while making printing secure and increasing user satisfaction. With Hybrid Print Control, Equitrac Office delivers organisational versatility and control, and reduces IT complexities by removing dependencies on print servers, print drivers and complex print fleets – all while managing every printed page in an organisation.
Of course, over time, user requirements for print changes and IT infrastructure evolves, so Equitrac Office lets users easily adapt to these changes with a choice of how to deploy printing – using print servers, direct IP printing or a hybrid model that includes both. This allows resellers to work with customers to tailor their print environment according to the specific needs of their business both in the short and the long term.
With security an ongoing concern for all private and public sector organisations, with uance SafeCom resellers have a solution that helps customers boost security, cut costs, increase efficiency, reduce waste and protect the environment. Nuance SafeCom Smart Printing solutions work with nearly all types of printers, copiers and multifunction devices, making this an attractive option irrespective of the brand of print device a reseller specialises in.
Emerging print opportunities
For the channel, this strategic partnership is an example of how the print ecosystem continues to evolve to their benefit, bringing with it more opportunities to present customers with a unified solution. It’s also a chance to extend the type of conversation dealers could have with new and existing customers; a line of enquiry that starts on the subject of document capture, could evolve into a discussion about intelligent print management, new devices and what solutions are available to ensure secure document release.
Not only is this is a sure fire way to add value to the conversation but, maybe more importantly, as the discussion will touch on business critical matters – ranging from security to lowering costs – there’s the potential for a reseller’s position to be elevated and find itself called upon to act in an advisory capacity to a company’s senior management, rather than solely negotiating deals with the business’ IT or procurement teams.
In the meantime, I am encouraged by the evolution of this ecosystem as it brings multiple benefits to the print industry, the print channel and the customers it serves. That’s one reason why Nuance will actively work to support it, by continuing to form alliances with other solution providers to ensure print and document capture continues to deliver on its promise – an important requirement, given the key role digital document workflows play in business today.
