PRINTITRESELLER.UK 39 MPS Following feedback from its channel partners, Lexmark is replacing its MPS Core channel offering with a new solution called Lexmark MPS Express. Michelle Ryder spoke to Tony Lomax, North EMEA Product Marketing Manager at Lexmark to find out more Lexmark launches new MPS offering Cloud-based offering Like the MPS Core program, MPS Express streamlines support, supplies and business processes, making it an attractive option for IT resellers that need help with the business capabilities required for MPS. “The main difference is that MPS Express is a cloud-based offering,” Lomax explained. “And as it’s cloud, there is no minimum device requirement, in comparison to the MPS Core onpremise offering which had a minimum fleet size of 20 devices.” This, he added, provides an opportunity for a reseller to open up new conversations around cloud, security and sustainability with their customers. Lexmark first launched its Cloud Print Infrastructure (CPI) as-a-service offering in 2019 and has continued to invest heavily in its cloud offering as well as opening up its cloud platform for channel partners. Lomax said that partners have to enrol onto Lexmark Cloud Fleet Management (CFM) to deploy MPS Express. Built on the Lexmark Cloud Services platform, the latest iteration of Lexmark’s Cloud Fleet Management was According to Lomax, channel partners on the Lexmark MPS Core program have been asking for a managed print services solution that allows them to minimally invest in their MPS infrastructure and still have a competitive offering for their end-user customers. Designed to meet the needs of small- to medium-sized organisations, Lexmark MPS Express provides a turnkey cloudbased solution that frees partners from day-to-day printer management. The partner owns the customer relationship, sells the hardware and bills the customer monthly on a cost-per-page model. Lexmark is responsible for supplies replenishment and sends them direct to the end customer and provides next business day service. The program stops short of a fully customised enterprise MPS solution but brings the rich feature-set and capabilities of Lexmark’s proven approach to managing print. Key features include Lexmark hardware and software that is secure by design; dedicated, expert service support that helps ensure printer uptime; justin-time toner and consumables delivery powered by artificial intelligence; tools and insight without time-consuming setup and expensive customisation; remotely managed status monitoring and firmware and security updates; as well as options including cloud workflow solutions, predictive service, assessment services and more. specially designed for channel partners to deliver better support managing their clients’ business activities in distributed environments, with existing resources and in an integrated cloud environment. “With CFM, partners can enrol and manage Lexmark devices, simplify device set-up with pre-configured applications and automatically deploy pre-configured device bundles and firmware,” Lomax said. In a nutshell, CFM increases partner profitability and allows them to maintain customers’ print infrastructures with greater simplicity and integration. The monitoring capability of the cloud-based software allows partners to replace onsite visits and redundant service calls with remote assistance leveraging insights on current supplies usage for printers and on the physical conditions of the printers, in the case of the sensorequipped machines manufactured by Lexmark. The cloud software also automatically displays daily page counts for billing without having to contact end customers. continued... Tony Lomax
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