[Lexmark News Blog] Ten ways to kick-start your office’s sustainability efforts

Todd Hamlin, president of Lexmark Canada, recently bylined an article for The Globe and Mail, Canada’s national newspaper, that discusses how streamlining operations can not only improve productivity, but help businesses be more sustainable.

It goes without saying that technology plays a critical role in helping businesses of all sizes be successful in today’s always-on, constantly evolving operating environment.

One area that is often overlooked, however, is how office technology can not only streamline operations and improve productivity, but can also help businesses be more sustainable in the process. The following are a few key considerations for tapping technology to foster a “greener” environment:

1. Consolidate your devices. Chances are, your office has at least one fax machine, one scanner, one copier and one printer. With the rapid development of technology, these functions can be combined into a single, compact multifunction printer. Rethinking your device management and reducing the amount of devices saves on licensing costs, support costs and energy consumption, all while freeing up office space in the process.

Click here to read the article in its entirety.

[Lexmark News Blog] Perceptive gives back at Oracle OpenWorld

Perceptive Software, a Lexmark company, used its booth at the recentOracle OpenWorld for a unique opportunity: helping impoverished children in the Philippines.

At the booth, Perceptive highlighted how its new customer, World Vision International, is doing amazing things with accounts payable and procure-to-pay automation.

In addition to learning about Perceptive solutions, booth visitors were able to take part in a fun and rewarding service project – assembling school supply kits for World Vision outreach to distribute to children in the Philippines.

The community outreach was a huge hit. During the three-day event, visitors to the Perceptive booth put together 1,000 World Vision school supply kits. Each day, all of the kits allocated for the day were assembled in the first few hours.

“This experience was a great way to serve people in need,” said Alicia Belford, ERP marketing communications manager for Perceptive. “Multiple attendees thanked us for the fun and meaningful experience of building school supply kits, and hoped other companies would begin doing similar outreach activities.”

For more information about Perceptive and World Vision, read the recent news release.

Lexmark reports third quarter results

Lexmark International, Inc. today announced financial results for the third quarter of 2013.

“In the third quarter, Lexmark continued solid execution of our strategy of transforming to an end-to-end solutions provider, and delivered revenue that exceeded our July guidance range, EPS at the top of the range and also strong free cash flow,” said Paul Rooke, Lexmark chairman and chief executive officer.

“Perceptive Software’s profitability increased significantly compared to last year and once again both managed print services and Perceptive Software revenue grew at a double-digit rate, reflecting the imaging and software synergies we’re creating.

“Lexmark’s value proposition is unique and squarely focused on helping our customers solve their unstructured information challenges, enabling us to lead in this large and expanding market,” Rooke said.

“Lexmark is continuing to increase shareholder value through acquisitions and organic investments that are accelerating our transition to a higher value solutions portfolio, and through the ongoing capital return of more than 50 percent of free cash flow,” added Rooke.

Click here to read the full press release.

[Lexmark News Blog] Records and Information Management: Not just for destruction and defense anymore

Stephanie Eaton. senior solution manager for information governance at Perceptive Software, a Lexmark company, recently wrote an article on Perceptive’s InContext blog about records and information management (RIM) that discusses what happens as companies broaden their understanding of what RIM actually means as electronic information grows.

While organizations are far from getting rid of all their paper, many are making a conscious effort to do more electronically, which means they are producing even more data than ever before. An analyst report titled “IDC Predictions 2013: Competing on the 3rd Platform” estimates that “The ‘digital universe’ —the total of all digital data created (and replicated)—will reach 4ZB in 2013, almost 50 percent more than 2012 volumes, and nearly a quadrupling of 2010 volumes.”

Click here to read the rest of the article on InContext.

[Lexmark News Blog] What is the ideal life span for your devices?

We’re sharing some of our most popular blog posts from the past year. “What is the ideal life span for your devices?” was originally published in February of 2013.

Historically, businesses have purchased printers and used them until they expire, which can take 10 years or more in some cases (we know some of you still have Optra S devices from 1997 out there!). Yet, these same businesses are leasing other output devices, such as copiers and fax machines, and replacing them every three years. Why is there such a big difference in life-cycle strategy for such similar technologies?

Is it because copiers are thought to be inherently less reliable and require replacement much more frequently?  Traditional copiers may have been less reliable, but the migration to digital printing engines brings them into a class that is much closer to printers, simply with added scanning mechanics on top. For example, Lexmark’s multifunction printers (MFPs), which can be used as digital copiers, are built upon the same reliable engines as our award-winning printers. So, the reliability of the mechanics in the MFP is similar to the printers, which may be used for many years. With that in mind, the recommended life span should be similar between MFPs and printers.

Several years ago, Lexmark engaged in a study with a large corporation to determine how often it should replace its printers. As a high volume user, we looked at its increasing device failure rates due to heavy use and wearing mechanics, as compared to the expected increased reliability of new devices, enabled by both new parts and more reliable designs.  We also looked at the soft costs of user interactions created by device failures, and the impact of lower consumables costs from new, higher yield cartridges.

What we found was that the financial tipping point, when it made sense to replace the company’s  printers and MFPs, was around 48 months. If it had been running lower volumes, the life-cycle recommendation would have been closer to 60 months. In short, the study showed that it made sense to replace the printers more often than what’s typical in the market, but less often than what is typical in the market for MFPs.

Approximately two thirds of requests for proposals with MFPs are only for a 36-month term. If not for reasons of reliability, why would these more expensive devices need to be replaced this often?  In an economic environment where businesses are squeezing more and more costs out of their operations, it would seem that extending contractual life cycles to 48 or 60 months would make financial sense, as it would spread the cost of the device over a longer period of time.

Extending leases over longer terms could have multiple benefits, including:

• Reducing monthly depreciation expenses
• Expanding the functional life of the devices
• Reducing transition management costs (soliciting, evaluating, purchasing, installing, training and old device disposal) and general business disruption with users
• Lessening environmental impact through extension of the functional life of equipment
• Lessening  “churn” for associated technologies, such as workflow systems, which leverage the imaging capabilities of MFP devices

It’s understood that shorter-term leases might receive different financial treatment than longer-term leases- as an operation lease versus a capital lease. However, it’s still interesting that similar device types based upon the same technologies are acquired in different ways –  purchased printers versus leased copiers. Why not lease printers as well… or purchase the copiers like printers, now that distributed MFPs are available and affordable?  These are questions that should be asked as part of building a comprehensive output management strategy.

So how long does your business expect to keep your output devices? Why? Furthermore, given the convergence of technologies, are your acquisition methods for printers versus MFPs also converging as well (are you looking to more printer leases, or more MFP purchases)? 

Please engage the conversation share your thoughts below.

This article was submitted by Scott Hill, Operations Consultant, Lexmark Global Services and member of the LexmarkNews Blog Editorial Board.

[Lexmark News Blog] Print security: how it can help your business

Channel Pro UK recently posted a great opinion piece on print security and how it can help your business that we wanted to share.

The piece discusses why companies should be looking beyond protecting hard copy documents and focus on securing their network.

“It’s time to address the growing need for security and control in the workplace. The stakes are high – if a business chooses to ignore risks associated with accessible information, the impact can be more than just a short-term loss in profits. In the long-term, businesses can harm their market competitiveness and brand credibility, and erode customer loyalty.”

Read the full article here.

[Lexmark News Blog] Perceptive Software Positioned in Leaders Quadrant of Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Content Management

Lexmark’s Perceptive Softwareannounced yesterday that it has been positioned byGartner, Inc. in the Leaders Quadrant for enterprise content management (ECM) solutions, 2013. Gartner evaluated 23 vendors in their most recent iteration of the annual Magic Quadrant for ECM.

Perceptive Software continues to show double-digit market growth, both organically and via acquisitions. Perceptive Software’s technology platform spans content management, process management, intelligent capture and enterprise search that, both separately and together, bridge the gap between enterprise applications and the processes and information those systems don’t manage.

“We are very pleased to be recognized by Gartner as a leader in the ECM market and appreciate the confidence our customers have placed in us over the years,” said Henry Worcester, director of analyst relations for Perceptive Software. “The consistent value our customers have achieved with our enterprise content management solutions makes our success possible.”

“Bridging the gap between our customers’ enterprise applications and the processes and information those systems don’t manage provides tremendous value in terms of visibility and control, enabling customers to improve financial performance, reduce risk and ensure future flexibility,” said Scott Coons, President and CEO, Perceptive Software.

To learn more about what makes Perceptive Software an ECM leader, download the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Content Management, Mark Gilbert et al., September 23, 2013.

Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

Maurices accesses employees’ vital stats securely using Perceptive Content

Maurices retail stores offer casual and career apparel and accessories for woman, with more than 4,000 employees and 832 stores in 46 U.S. states and Canada.

In the following case study, learn how Maurices ensures authorized personnel in HR, loss prevention and payroll can access vital information immediately and accurately by using Perceptive Software’sPerceptive Content.

“Users can access information right when they’re talking to a store manager or other requestor,” said Robin Murphy, human resources systems administrator for Maurice’s. “We don’t have to call them back anymore.”

Click here to read the case study and to find out how Perceptive can help your business.

Lexmark acquires PACSGEAR

Lexmark International, Inc. today announced the acquisition of PACSGEAR, a leading provider of connectivity solutions for healthcare providers to capture, manage and share medical images and related documents and integrate them with existing picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) and electronic medical records (EMR) systems. Lexmark paid a cash purchase price of approximately $54 million.

“As the healthcare industry continues to digitize its differing forms of content, from X-rays and MRIs to insurance forms, providers are struggling to deploy solutions that will help manage their unstructured information challenge,” said Paul Rooke, Lexmark’s chairman and chief executive officer. “The acquisition of PACSGEAR further differentiates Lexmark’s solutions by better enabling healthcare organizations to capture and process digital content, and then ensure it is connected with the applications and people that need it most so they can deliver the best patient care possible.”

“PACSGEAR and Lexmark share a vision to make all content available when and where it’s needed, throughout the healthcare enterprise,” said Brian J. Cavanaugh, president, PACSGEAR. “We look forward to bringing PACSGEAR technology to the broad range of Lexmark healthcare solutions.”

PACSGEAR will report into Perceptive Software. With this acquisition, Perceptive Software will be uniquely positioned to offer a vendor-neutral, standards-based clinical content platform for capturing, managing, accessing and sharing patient imaging information and related documents within healthcare facilities through an EMR and between facilities via PACSGEAR technology.

PACSGEAR’s industry-leading healthcare technology solutions capture, manage and integrate documents, film and video, visible light and other images from any department with any PACS or EMR. Healthcare personnel in specialties such as radiology, cardiology or orthopedics can connect to, view and share patient medical images and analyze results to enhance patient care and enable better health information exchange.

Click here to read the full press release.