Business Info - issue 139

PRINT 01732 759725 magazine 11 numerous contract wins, demonstrating their value to end user businesses. “One example concerns a law firm that used to rotate contracts between Xerox and Konica Minolta. If a device needed service or supplies, paralegals would have to walk around with a notebook, write down the device location, write down the serial number, write down the fault code, go back to their desk, place the service call, and relay all that information. Now, with our Support Connect app, they just walk over to the device, press a button and all the service or supplies information is sent directly to the help desk. The firm sees such tremendous value in that efficiency that their last four contracts have not gone out to bid, but have come straight to us,” he said. As awareness of the Xerox app platform grows, Boyt expects more customers to ask about app-based solutions. “We are not yet getting customers asking about theWorkflow Mapping Tool and asking us to come in and optimise their processes – that’s one of the things we are looking to promote – but they are asking for apps. Everyone is used to putting apps onto their phone, which has become like their personal assistant, so the idea that your MFP can be your workplace assistant is resonating with customers,” he said. Complementary apps One process that comes up a lot is the submission of receipts into specific expenses management systems, which Xerox is addressing with the Xerox Connect App for QuickBooks Online and Xerox Connect App for Concur, both of which streamline expenses reimbursement by extracting relevant data from receipts scanned on an MFP. These apps clearly address a customer pain point, but wouldn’t it be more efficient and easier to use a smartphone app instead? Yes and no, says Boyt. “Not long ago, I asked a very large customer why his people didn’t just use their smartphone to capture expenses receipts and he pointed out that the biggest issue he has to deal with is that not everyone works the same way. He said: ‘Some absolutely swear by capturing it on the phone, but there’s another group of people that don’t. I can’t say you have to go this way and not that way. I have to enable both and let people work the way they want.’ So, these apps are complementary to, not in competition with, smartphone apps,” he said. Boyt adds that in time Xerox’s ‘find it, map it, app it’ approach could lead to the development of solutions that have no link to MFPs whatsoever as Xerox and its partners evolve into broad-based app and solutions developers. “The truth is that today the biggest reason for building apps and solutions is to have a differentiator that helps to sell the box, the clicks, the annuity. Even so, logic dictates that apps and solutions are going to grow to become of material value. Printer volumes are declining, so the second benefit of these apps is that they provide a route to additional or alternative revenue streams,” he said. “While the apps that make most sense to people initially are the ones closest to the box, once you start finding problems and building apps to resolve them, you might find that a smartphone app is the right way to go. So, having the mindset of ‘find it, map it, app it’ will help us move from a focus on building apps for MFPs to selling software and solutions whether they are connected to the box or not.” New Xerox ConnectKey apps Over the last few months, Xerox has been expanding the capabilities of its ConnectKey-enabled VersaLink and AltaLink devices, with the launch of new apps in three main categories, device integration, workplace assistance and sector-specific solutions. In the first category are apps that integrate printers and MFPs with popular business platforms, such as: n Xerox Connect App for Salesforce , which enables users to scan documents directly into client folders within the Salesforce CRM system; n Xerox Connect App for QuickBooks Online , which streamlines expenses management with multiple receipt scanning, automatic extraction of relevant data and the creation of digital expenses reports, which it routes to reviewers for approval; and n Xerox Connect App for Concur , which provides Concur users with similar receipt management functionality. The second category includes standalone apps that convert Xerox devices into productive workplace assistants, such as: n Xerox Forms Manager App , which simplifies the management of multiple forms and reduces paper-based filing risks, for example by using embedded QR codes to ensure scanned forms are automatically sent to the correct email address; n Xerox Quick Link App , which offers a quick and easy way to connect to an MFP for the first time, by sending an email containing links to drivers and configuration settings directly from the device to a PC or laptop; and n Xerox Audio Documents App , which converts hardcopy documents into audio files that users can listen to while travelling or multi-tasking. The third category of industry-specific vertical solutions includes new apps for the education sector, such as: n Xerox Connect App for Blackboard , which integrates with the Blackboard learning management system so that MFP users can digitise documents and store them in their Blackboard Learn account without having to move from the device; and n Xerox Proofreader Service , which checks scanned documents for spelling, grammar, style and plagiarism. www.xerox.com Xerox VersaLink and AltaLink devices can be enhanced with Xerox ConnectKey® apps offering one-touch access to cloud services such as Dropbox, Google Drive and Box