Digital printing technologies and business intelligence services provider Konica Minolta Business Solutions announced the launch of a managed IT and managed print services program for its dealer community. Under the new Managed IT and Print Services program, dealers will be able to offer customers desktop management, email security, server and network monitoring and 24/7 client help desk support from All Covered, a division of Konica Minolta focused on delivering managed IT services to small to medium‐size businesses (SMBs).
As part of the program, dealers will also be able to offer comprehensive managed print service (MPS) capabilities that now extend to enterprise accounts as part of Konica Minolta’s Enterprise Optimized Print Services (OPS) program. The new technology platform for Enterprise OPS is a result of a collaborative development agreement with Pharos Systems International, a provider of enterprise print management solutions and Konica Minolta.
“This news demonstrates the next steps in Konica Minolta’s growth strategy by expanding our leading technology and print services to our dealers,” said Sam Errigo, senior vice president, business intelligence services, Konica Minolta Business Solutions. “With services provided by All Covered and backed by Konica Minolta, dealers and customers can count on a consistent level of service and capabilities nationwide from a company they trust. Konica Minolta dealers will be able to gain a competitive advantage in a crowded marketplace with new service portfolios designed to provide cost-effective management of IT and print environments.”
Later this year, dealers participating in the program will be able to offer Konica Minolta’s Optimized Print Services (OPS) on a national level for enterprise accounts. Leveraging technology from Pharos, OPS is designed to deliver enterprise-level managed print services for environments ranging from the office to central reprographics departments (CRD) and commercial printers. The new functionality provides visual updates on a worldwide basis for monitored networked MFPs, printers, servers and routers that can be accessed from an iPad, tablet PC or any Web browser. Other features include management reporting, applications reporting, user printing patterns and drag-and-drop floor planning tools.
“Konica Minolta has established a long-term strategy to serve their customers’ printing needs worldwide–whether in the distributed fleet, the print/copy center, or with externally sourced print,” said Kevin Pickhardt, CEO of Pharos Systems. “They have found in Pharos a partner with a shared vision, the technology and the subject matter expertise to execute their strategy. Konica Minolta respects Pharos’ independent perspective associated with multi-vendor solutions in the MPS space.”
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