Managed.IT - issue 51

MANAGED.IT 21 Q&A With the acquisition in 2016 of Midshire Communications Ltd (MCL) and Annodata, KYOCERA Document Solutions UK (KDUK) gained not only a direct sales business but also expertise in selling solutions beyond print, including ICT services and unified communications. Last month, following on from these changes, the company announced a new executive leadership line-up; the setting up of a Content Services team to focus on solutions; and a new relationship with enterprise content management specialist Hyland (see box). To discuss these and other topics, Managed IT caught up with Rod Barthet, CEO of KDUK and Annodata. We started by asking him about developments in the printer industry and what they mean for KYOCERA and its customers. Rod Barthet (RB): “The print-only market in the UK is one which is seeing massive consolidation in the reseller/vendor channel. We saw Apogee, the largest independent, acquired by Hewlett-Packard recently. A lot of that is being driven by the fact that the traditional print market is becoming more stressed for partners that only provide a single offering i.e. just print. “KYOCERA itself is performing well in the market. It is a challenger brand that has taken significant market share over the last few years and has grown rapidly at the expense of other manufacturers. KYOCERA recognised that in order to remain relevant to end user customers and resellers, vendors need to be able to provide the additional services end user customers are increasingly demanding. So, back in 2016 it acquired Annodata to leapfrog straight into the provision of ICT hosted communications and genuine managed services. “That’s proved to be enormously successful. We are already seeing business being written in the partner channel where effectively KYOCERA is now able to provide those services to partners. It’s embryonic but growing rapidly and throughout 2019 we will see major launches of services, available to the dealer channel, that encompass not just print, but also IT infrastructure services, communication services and content management services, which are really about the digitisation of workflow through the customer network. All of that is supported by a service delivery model that includes set service levels and 24/7 monitoring. Our whole strategy is about broadening the services our partners take from us.” Managed IT (MIT): Will this involve further acquisitions? RB: “Not immediately. KDUK effectively doubled in size when it acquired the Annodata organisation and is now very clearly defined, with half the business being done on a direct basis and half through the dealer channel and the distribution and SI channels. We don’t see the need for further acquisitions, as there is significant opportunity for our partners to grow through the provision of additional print and wider ICT services that they can acquire from KYOCERA. So, there isn’t an acquisition drive on the radar right now. But that’s not to say that won’t change over time.” Q&A Our whole strategy is about broadening the services our partners take from us With Rod Barthet, CEO of KDUK and Annodata Continued... www.managedITmag.co.uk One million pound investment in content services KYOCERA Document Solutions UK (KDUK) has extended a global relationship with enterprise information management specialist Hyland and set up a new Content Services division focused on the digitisation of manual processes and workflows by UK businesses. Representing an investment of more than £1 million, the team includes analysts, developers, engineers and pre-sales and sales staff. It will be led by Cameron Smith, a 20-year veteran of the software solutions market who joins from IT and services provider ProcessFlows. Content Services will complement KYOCERA’s existing ICT infrastructure and support capabilities by offering solutions for the capture, management, storage and distribution of content. In addition to tools and technologies for turning unstructured documents and forms into structured data, Content Services will provide managed services and consultancy to help customers analyse, improve and automate key business processes, and in doing so improve efficiency, security and compliance. The establishment of the new division coincides with the extension to the UK of KYOCERA’s existing partnership with enterprise information management specialist Hyland. KYOCERA is already Hyland’s largest global partner with more than 600 OnBase customers and 100 dedicated OnBase support staff In the United States and Japan. www.kyoceradocumentsolutions.co.uk