MPSA News and Announcements

The Managed Print Services Association (MPSA) announced the winners of its 2020 MPSA Leadership Awards. Six winners were recognized in seven categories in this year’s awards. The ceremony will be held virtually in July.

The MPSA Awards were established in 2010 to honor those companies that have excelled in various areas related to the managed print field. Winners serve as shining examples to the community regarding their commitment to and expertise in MPS. The last awards ceremony was held in 2019 at the BTA Gateway to Success event in Austin, Texas.

A judging panel of industry leaders, chosen from the MPSA membership and led by members of the MPSA Executive Committee to ensure impartiality and adherence to guidelines, vetted and scored awards submissions. The company scoring highest in each category was deemed winner of the respective award.

“This year’s winners are outstanding representatives of the high-quality providers within the MPS community,” said MPSA President West McDonald. “We are pleased to be able to recognize their efforts, and though we are unfortunately not able to honor them in person for the first time in a decade, their accomplishments are no less significant. We’re looking forward to bringing the community together virtually this summer and celebrating their achievements as we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the MPSA.”

The 2020 MPSA Leadership Awards winners are:

Best MPS Software Provider: Tigerpaw Software – This award recognizes an organization that develops software for the managed print services sector, whether sales management, device management, user management, service management, or billing.

Why they won: Tigerpaw Software has won this award three years running! In an industry that can often be a little slow to accept change, Tigerpaw continues to provide world leading actionable solutions and strategies that help people even if they are not Tigerpaw customers. Their submission was filled with innovative ideas and new features that will help drive device and user-level managed print into more businesses than ever.

Best Independent MPS Provider: ImageNet Consulting – This award recognizes an Organization selling managed print services, but not owned by a manufacturer. The Organization may also be offering additional solutions around document management, document workflow, and/or business document processes.  

Why they won: ImageNet developed their own Service Dispatch Application, “NXB,” that manages the service process from call creation through close. Additionally, ImageNet provides a cloud based platform that allows their customers to easily create, manage, schedule and syndicate content to cloud connected displays and is sold on a subscription basis. They also have solutions that have allowed them to incorporate a digital signage strategy, allowing for branding, corporate communications and employee engagement.

Best MPS Professional Services Provider: GreatAmerica – This award recognizes an organization with more than one full-time employee providing training, research, financing or consultancy.

Why they won: GreatAmerica won this category because of a revolutionary approach that makes professional services integrations easier and faster. They accomplished this via their own API (Application Programming Interface) which is unique to the financial services sector.

Best MPS Innovation Award: GreatAmerica - Each year we see new developments and initiatives in MPS that have the potential to redefine the way we view the industry. This award is intended to spotlight the individual, the company, the product or process that can genuinely be hailed an innovation for the industry.

Why they won: GreatAmerica created an app called “SnappShot”, the industry’s first mobile solution to reduce manual entry, save valuable time and money, increase efficiency and dramatically reduce potential errors for dealers as they move through the financing approval process.

Best MPS Infrastructure Provider: Supplies Network – This award recognizes an organization that has no reseller agreement with end users, but provides necessary combination of components to create a successful program; e.g., distribution, parts, supplies, break/fix services, etc.

Why they won: Supplies Network’s solution stands apart because of the flexibility of their service options. They allow resellers to choose just the services they need to build a program tailored to their needs, enhance their existing program, streamline operations, or they can choose an all-inclusive CPI service. In addition, those service options can be deployed either broadly at the account level or down to the device level, offering unparalleled flexibility and scalability.

Best MPS Industry Collaboration: JustTech & PrintAnyWay – Each year we see various companies in the industry work together to make advancements by developing new products, training or programs that further the advancement of managed print services. This award is intended to recognize the best collaborative effort by multiple organizations.

Why they won: The uniqueness of the JustTech & PrintAnyWay collaboration combines the strengths of both the U.S. and Portuguese companies together even though they are oceans apart. This multi-country collaboration will open new markets for both providers and benefit MPS customers in new and creative ways.

Best MPS Support by an OEM: Xerox – This award recognizes an OEM that supports their dealer channel that sells managed print services. The organization may also offer support through pricing, programs or additional solutions around document management, document workflow, and/or business document processes.

Why they won: Xerox continues to raise the bar by offering more tailored contract options for their dealers and end-user customers so that more of them can benefit from preferred pricing. They demonstrated more affordable options for more types of customers, such as non-profits, religious organizations and government agencies, to name just a few.

About the Managed Print Services Association

The Managed Print Services Association (MPSA) is an independent, not-for-profit organization that serves the MPS industry. Its focus is on the development of standards, education, and industry guidelines that unite the different segments of the industry and bring value to all those participating. For more information about benefits and memberships, visit contact us at info@yourmpsa.org.

Georgetown, United States of America, May 12, 2020 - Ringdale, the provider of FollowMe, the leading print management solution for enterprise and government organizations, highlights how it is helping bridge the print security and compliance gaps for remote workers when printing outside the corporate office.

Due to current global events and trends, remote working is becoming more viable for a wider set of roles and it is predicted that more staff will shift to remote working on a more permanent basis in the future.  In addition, according to a recent IDC study*, 48.5% of companies in Western Europe expect to provide home workers with a print/MFP device in the next 6 months. Corporate IT departments will be required to consider updating existing or developing new processes to support staff working remotely, including home office printing.

Remote workers need to be able to print seamlessly both at the home office and in corporate locations, while being aligned with organizational security and compliance policies.  Frequently employees unknowingly bypass existing policies when they are unable to perform tasks easily when working from home, including home office printing.  Most organizations expose themselves to these unnecessary security and regulatory risks without the correct control measures in place.

Enterprise and government organizations can immediately take advantage of the FollowMe platform for a consistent and manageable approach to security and compliance when printing from corporate locations and home offices.

"Printing in the home office is made easy with FollowMe and organizations can benefit from the security and compliance controls already in place for corporate office printing," said Eric Crump, Director of Strategic Alliances at Ringdale. "Our vendor neutral platform is ready to support our customers working with a broad range of printer brands found normally in WFH environments."

Availability

The solution is immediately available through Ringdale authorized resellers worldwide.

Newport News, Va. — Canon Virginia, Inc. (CVI) is partnering with the New College Institute (NCI) in Martinsville, Virginia, to manufacture face shields needed by first responders and by healthcare workers treating COVID-19 patients. In reliance on the United States Food and Drug Administration's Enforcement Policy for Face Masks and Respirators During the Coronavirus Disease Public Health Emergency dated April 2020, the Product Development, Advanced Manufacturing Technology, Product Engineering, Business Development Engineering and Print Media departments at CVI produced 400 plastic face shields through a laser-cutting process and produced 200 headbands utilizing 3D printing. The products were shipped to NCI, which will produce another 200 headbands for a total of 400 complete face shields to be donated to first responders and healthcare providers in rural Virginia battling COVID-19.

“New College Institute is pleased to have the opportunity to partner with Canon Virginia to provide face shields to rural first responders and healthcare workers during this public health emergency,” said Karen Jackson, interim executive director at NCI. “Because of Canon's generosity, we are able to help those on the front lines in our rural areas have the equipment they need.”

CVI is also producing face shields to be distributed to first responders and healthcare workers in the Hampton Roads area during the COVID-19 public health emergency; these are anticipated to be shipped within the next two weeks.

CVI is currently in discussion with the Commonwealth of Virginia, the federal government and other business partners to determine how it can help support the growing need for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for first responders and healthcare workers throughout the country during the COVID-19 pandemic.

(CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA) April 21, 2020 — The Managed Print Services Association (MPSA), a not-for-profit, volunteer-led association to help further Managed Print, is proud to announce the launch of the COVID-19 Resource Hub.  The Resource Hub is available to everyone via the organization’s website at http://yourmpsa.org/covid19-resources; MPSA membership is not required.

The MPSA COVID-19 taskforce designed the Resource Hub to be a collaborative and comprehensive set of resources to make it easier for dealers around the world to access information that will help them most during these difficult times. The Hub contains the following sections:

• Monetary & legal resources: Federal and state level links to COVID-19 specific business funding and legal information/assistance.
• Partner organization resource access: A gathering of great resources provided by the BTA (Business Technology Association), GreatAmerica Financial Services, CompTIA, and others.
• Remote work tips & tools: Resources designed to help those new to remote work make the transition to remote work as seamless as possible.  Links for personal well-being and mental health are also provided.
• Companies giving back: A list of companies in our industry who have stepped up to make a difference in the lives of those suffering during the pandemic.
• Dealer surveys: Includes links to survey work done by the MPSA and other leading industry organizations.
• International resources: A section dedicated to resources for dealers outside of the USA.  The section currently has resource links for Australia and Canada with more countries to come online soon.

The COVID-19 Resource Hub will be continually updated by members of the MPSA taskforce.  As the situation continues to evolve, so will the Hub, to ensure dealers have one place to access as much information as possible to strengthen and protect their businesses.

“Never in the history of the office equipment channel has it been more important to do what we can to help our colleagues, partners, friends and competitors.  The COVID-19 Resource Hub is our way of doing what we can to make it easier to get the most up to date information to help businesses and people to survive the effects of the global pandemic,” said MPSA President, West McDonald, VP of Business Development at Tigerpaw Software and owner of West McDonald Co.

The MPSA continues to provide its members with the ability to learn, network, and market themselves and their companies to a broad audience. The MPSA believes that certain resources should be made available to the entire channel whether they are members are not and the COVID-19 taskforce and the Resource Hub is our way of doing that.  Special thanks are given to the Business Technology Association (BTA) for providing the MPSA with COVID-19 resources and encouraging other organizations to do the same.  If you have resources that you would like to contribute to the Resource Hub, contact the MPSA at info@yourmpsa.org .

Brno, Czech Republic, Dallas, TX –April 21, 2020 – Y Soft Corporation, the leading enterprise workflow solutions provider, today announced premium 3D lessons in YSoft be3D Academy and a new 3D/2D EDU bundle designed to save schools money by combining their regular 2D print management needs with Y Soft 3D printers. 

Y Soft worked with educators to develop YSoft be3D Academy. The online library of 3D curriculum features comprehensive lesson plans, guides, videos, models, and presentations. It provides everything needed to conduct a STEAM subject lesson using 3D printing. A model database provides additional models that teachers can use to build their own lessons

While standard be3D Academy 3D lessons are available for anyone to use for free, Y Soft now provides premium 3D lesson plans exclusively for all eDee customers, including those that purchase the new EDU bundle. Premium lessons have the same rich resources as standard content, but only eDee customers can access them. Premium lessons are available today, and more will be added quarterly.

“These premium lessons, and the ones that follow, demonstrate our resolve to provide educators with easy to use and easy to follow lesson plans that help keep students engaged whether in a classroom or even at home,” commented Elke Heiss, Chief Marketing Officer, Y Soft. She added, “We’ve learned from schools that these lessons have helped teachers quickly ramp up their home learning classes during the current work/study at home situation caused by COVID-19.”

EDU Bundle

Y Soft also announced a new affordable education-focused EDU bundle that includes everything a school needs to start leveraging 3D printing in their classrooms. With scarce resources, educators need to be efficient in their print services offerings while finding new ways to engage students in learning. The EDU bundle combines print management for a school’s 2D printers and 3D printers, accomplished through YSoft SafeQ, the company’s print management and document capture software. Combining their print management options and leveraging available grant monies allows schools to justify the investment into 3D printing.

The EDU bundle includes: 

·       YSoft be3D eDee printer, a desktop 3D printer with an enclosed chassis for safety 

·       Three years of free access to premium 3D lessons in YSoft be3D Academy

·       DeeControl layering software, easy-to-use PC/Mac application for 3D print preparation 

·       Intelligent software including:

o   YSoft SafeQ for secure access, the ability to print at any 2D or eDee printer and usage reports 

o   Notifications and pictures during print progress, job completion alerts 

·       Beginner’s Accessory Kit

·       Student/faculty ID Card Reader 

·       Filaments: 3000 grams each of black, white and orange 

Ms. Heiss stated, “This bundle helps schools create an opportunity for students to excel in STEAM subjects and ready them for their future careers at an affordable cost. When a school chooses the be3D eDee solution, they get YSoft SafeQ to manage their 2D and 3D print needs, a unique value only Y Soft can offer.”

The education bundle also includes 3D print training, multi-year support, and installation. Full details can be found at https://be3dacademy.ysoft.com/en/3d-print-solution.

About Y Soft 

Y Soft develops intelligent Digital Transformation office solutions for enterprise, SMB, and Education that empower employees to be more productive and creative. Our YSoft SafeQ® workflow solutions platform enables businesses to manage, optimize and secure their print and digital processes and workflows. Our 3D print solutions are focused in the Education sector where they provide unique ease of use and safety benefits, while utilizing YSoft SafeQ software for seamless 3D print management.  

Founded in 2000, the company is headquartered in Brno, Czech Republic, with offices in North and Latin America, Europe and Middle East/Africa (EMEA) and the Asia Pacific region (APAC). For more information, please visit www.ysoft.com. 

Brno, Czech Republic, and Dallas, USA – November 5, 2019 – After releasing record fiscal year results, Y Soft Corporation today announced that it is adding two industry veterans to help continue its strong global sales growth.

Document and Imaging management industry veteran Barry Löwer has been tapped as the new Chief Sales Officer (CSO).  In this position, Löwer will be responsible for planning and coordinating Y Soft’s sales and business development activities across the entire Y Soft product portfolio, as well as helping lead Y Soft’s growth trajectory. 

Before joining Y Soft, Löwer spent two years running international customer success and advocacy for Nuance Communications’ Imaging Division, later Kofax, which acquired the division in 2018. In the seven years before Nuance Communications, Löwer overlooked EMEA sales for its Imaging Division. Before that, Löwer spent time at Equitrac Corporation, where he established its presence in the EMEA region and led its revenue-generating activities and expansion.

“I am delighted to be leading Y Soft’s global sales team and am looking forward to working with the team to support and develop Y Soft’s global partner network. There is fantastic potential and opportunity for Y Soft and partners to realize in the digital office solutions market. By bringing together innovative technology and outstanding pre- and post-sales support, Y Soft and partners can deliver significant benefits to customers,” Löwer commented. 

Y Soft recently announced that its IOTA Hardware division, which produces card readers, 3D printers, external terminals, and edge devices, had increased its percentage of overall sales to 21%. Due to this growth, Ondřej Župka was hired for the newly created role of Vice President of Manufacturing to lead Y Soft’s growing manufacturing operations and strategy. 

Župka brings 18 years of large-scale manufacturing experience with companies such as TE Connectivity, Honeywell, Celestica, and Flextronics. He is tasked with scaling Y Soft manufacturing for future growth by increasing automation, standardizing quality management, optimizing production planning, and further developing the manufacturing for startups from the Y Soft Ventures portfolio.

“Y Soft has a strong manufacturing business here in the Czech Republic,” Župka stated. “I am very proud and humbled to lead the team that is producing the hardware for YSoft SafeQ, YSoft Labs, and Y Soft Venture's portfolio companies.” 

 “I believe that Barry and Ondřej bring the necessary on the ground experience that will help us execute on anticipated growth and to capitalize on the opportunities ahead of us,” said Václav Muchna, CEO and co-founder, Y Soft. “Both positions help us meet the needs of partners and customers and prime us for our growth strategy.” 

With the appointment of Barry Löwer into the position of CSO, Lukáš Maňásek will move to the position of Chief of Staff, Global Sales, and will leverage his strong relationships and strong internal knowledge to support Y Soft’s regional sales teams, their partners and customers. 

About Y Soft
Y Soft develops intelligent Digital Transformation office solutions for enterprise, SMB and Education that empower employees to be more productive and creative. OurYSoft SafeQ workflow solutions platform enables businesses to manage, optimize and secure their print and digital processes and workflows. Our 3D print solutions are focused in the Education sector where they provide unique ease of use and safety benefits, while utilizing YSoft SafeQ software for seamless 3D print management. 

Founded in 2000, the company is headquartered in Brno, Czech Republic, with offices in North and Latin America, Europe and Middle East/Africa (EMEA) and the Asia Pacific region (APAC). For more information, please visit www.ysoft.com.

(CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA) October 25, 2019 — The Managed Print Services Association (MPSA), a not-for-profit, volunteer-led association to help further Managed Print, is pleased to announce its newly elected Executive Committee and Board of Directors. Elections were held in September and October, with two-year terms beginning later this month.

The newly elected MPSA Executive Committee is comprised of:  

• President: West McDonald – Tigerpaw
• Vice President: Gregory Brisco – Genesis Technologies
• Treasurer: Mark Hart – ACDI
• Secretary: Tawnya Stone – GreatAmerica Financial Services Corp.

The newly elected MPSA Board of Directors consists of 12 members: 

• Ron Alphin – ABM Federal
• Eric Crump – Ringdale
• Mitchell Filby -- First Rock Consulting Pty Ltd
• Paul Giorgi – ECi Software Solutions
• Jon Greene – CEO Juice
• Sarah Henderson – Clover Imaging Group
• John Hewitt – Upland Software
• Charles Lamb – FunnelMaker/MPSandit
• Stephen McKim – RJ Young
• Paul Pedersen – Guy Brown
• Tanya Ross – ISG
• Brian Stevenson – footPRINT Managed Services

The new officers will be welcomed to their new positions at the October 2019 board meeting.

If you are not currently a member of the MPSA, this is a great time to get involved and help shape the dialog.  Join an international group of professionals from every aspect of the imaging industry: http://www.yourmpsa.org/join

About the Managed Print Services Association

The Managed Print Services Association (MPSA) is an independent, not-for-profit organization that serves the MPS industry. Its focus is on the development of standards, education, and industry guidelines that unite the different segments of the industry and bring value to all those participating. For more information about benefits and memberships, visit http://yourmpsa.org/Membership or contact us at info@yourmpsa.org.

Brno, Czech Republic and Dallas, USA – October 14, 2019 – Y Soft® Corporation, today announced the latest card reader in its family of convenient authentication solutions used on multifunction devices, the YSoft USB Card Reader 3 MFX. The MFX card reader is unique because it can simultaneously read numerous RFID technologies. Partner sales to customers are now much more simplified, and partners can stock a single card reader in inventory saving on logistical costs.

Companies use ID cards (badges) to authenticate employees for access to buildings. Using the same badge for corporate assets, such as multifunction devices (MFDs), is convenient for businesses. However, there are numerous different RFID card technologies used in modern badges. 

A Universal Card Reader

The MFX card reader uses a patent-pending method to simultaneously identify over one hundred different RFID card technologies in both high and low frequencies, without requiring any special configuration. With one card reader capable of reading numerous technologies, partners no longer need to worry about which technology their customer uses and can reduce their costs associated with stocking multiple part numbers. Equally important, partners do not have to spend time configuring, deploying and supporting multiple card readers. The MFX card reader simply plugs in and works. 

“We have tested the new MFX card reader from Y Soft with the various card technologies we have in our internal lab. The MFX card reader was able to read every one of them, so this new reader looks very promising for us”, said Marek Krynicki, Head of Implementation Department, Konica Minolta, Poland.

Enhanced Signal Strength and Quality

With an additional patent-pending innovation, the MFX card reader inherently enhances the strength and quality of the signal the RFID badge emits. By reading a signal that is stronger and of greater quality, the card reader can read badges from a greater distance with accuracy. This means users don’t have to place their badge precisely on the reader and can still be recognized and accurately authenticated. 

“With the new YSoft USB Card Reader 3 MFX, our partners can source one universal card reader that is not only the most accurate and reliable on the market but is also plug and play, reducing the time needed to deploy by their technical staff,” said Matěj Štefaník, VP Product Management, Y Soft.

Because Y Soft card readers, including the new MFX, are fully designed, tested, manufactured and supported by Y Soft, they can be offered at a low, competitive price. Partners also have the peace of mind knowing they have one source for both print management and card readers that work well together and can be supported by one vendor. 

About the USB Card Reader 3 MFX 

The MFX card reader simultaneously reads RFID cards that are both high and low frequency and uses HID technology commonly used in the U.S. and Mifare technology common in Europe and supports advanced security requirements. 

The MFX reader is certified for sale in the U.S. and Europe; additional certifications will be obtained matching other Y Soft card readers which are certified in over 100 countries. If needed, contactless configurations are supported through easy-to-use, programmable configuration cards. 

About YSoft USB Card Readers

YSoft USB Card Readers are highly customizable. Y Soft partners can add value specific to a customer’s need. Customers can use custom data reading and transformations for enhanced security. Y Soft’s family of card readers are also open to support or integrate with 3rd party technologies, such as NFC smartphone apps, enabling the use of NFC-capable smartphones instead of ID badges.

Additionally, Y Soft uniquely uses RQA (robotic quality assurance) to test its card readers, which allows for deeper and more comprehensive testing. In Y Soft’s robotic tests against competitor card readers,

Y Soft card readers, including the new MFX model, have the lowest MTBF (mean time before failure) and are the only readers tested with a 0% error rate, placing Y Soft as a leader in USB card reader reliability. For example, an end to end robotic test of 200,000 card swipes on an MF type reader resulted in 100% card reading accuracy, taking an average of 1 second to accurate read the card. Inaccurate readings can result in unintentional ID spoofing where a card holder is able to access documents belonging to others.

BELLEVUE, Neb. — Tigerpaw Software, creator of the technology industry’s first and most complete end-to-end business automation platform, has launched version 18 R3 of its award-winning software.

The latest release of its all-in-one software features several customer-requested enhancements, which sets Tigerpaw apart from other solution providers on the market.

“My team asks for and receives customer feedback all year long so that we can improve the Tigerpaw user experience going forward and incorporate feature requests into our product releases,” says Chris Owen, director of development at Tigerpaw Software. “Whether a long-time Tigerpaw customer or a newer user, 18 R3 has something that will simplify your work day.”

Highlights in version 18 R3 include:

•      Enhanced User Interface — As a follow up to the 18 R2 complete redesign of the Tigerpaw user interface, the software now ships with a new default color scheme that exceeds industry guidelines for color-blind UX design. In addition, toolbar icons now have labels, making the user experience more seamless. Users still have the ability to customize the look of Tigerpaw to fit their company or individual preferences.

•      QuickBooks Integration — The Tigerpaw integration with QuickBooks has been updated to support QuickBooks 2019.

•      Tigerpaw Mobile — More than 20 updates have been made in the Tigerpaw Mobile application, including an increased size limit for uploaded photos, new accessibility to account documents and stronger overall connectivity.

“Tigerpaw Mobile is already an amazing tool for our users, but we knew we could make it even better,” Owen says. “We invested the time on delivering many updates in one release in order to make a huge impact for users who are always on-the-go. And we’re not done yet.”

All of the 18 R3 updates and every other feature are included within the versatile business automation software Tigerpaw One that offers all of the best functions of a CRM, PSA, ERP and BPM. The only converged services-ready platform on the market, Tigerpaw One recently was named the top MPS Software Provider for the second consecutive year by the Managed Print Services Association.

Dallas Texas and Brno, Czech Republic – June 24, 2019 – Y Soft® Corporation, a leading enterprise office solution provider, todayannounced that Stephanie B. Kennard has joined
Y Soft as Executive Vice President of Sales, North America as of June 1, 2019. Ms. Kennard brings nearly twenty years of industry experience to lead channel sales teams and provide strategic engagements with channel partners.

Previously, Ms. Kennard held sales positions within the print and document capture industry with companies including Equitrac and X-Solutions before being acquired by Nuance Communications, and OpenText. Most recently, Ms. Kennard was VP of Sales for EveryonePrint.

Ms. Kennard will lead Y Soft’s U.S. based channel sales team, work with OEM partners, and develop new channel sales relationships for the YSoft SafeQ workflow solutions platform. The workflow platform offers solutions for print management, document capture and 3D print management.

“Our growth plans for North America require an experienced leader with strategic channel relationships. Stephanie brings that and much more to this new role and we are pleased to welcome her as the latest YSofter in the U.S.,” said Lukáš Maňásek, Chief Sales Officer, Y Soft.

Worldwide, IDC reported that Y Soft was the fastest growing print management supplier by revenue in 2018. The North American market, in addition to China and Western Europe, is a strategic growth region for the company.

“The opportunity in North America for Y Soft is significant. Y Soft’s existing products and services, the innovations coming from YSoft Labs and the culture of customer-first makes it a very exciting time to join this growing organization,” said Stephanie Kennard, Executive Vice President of Sales, Y Soft North America.

Ms. Kennard is based in Y Soft’s Grapevine, Texas office. She will work closely with Y Soft’s existing North America sales team, Y Soft North America’s Managing Director, Ondřej Krajiček, and the global sales leadership.