Q&A with Netaphor’s Brian Anderson
Interview with Brian Anderson, Sales & Marketing Vice President with Netaphor Software Inc.
Founded in 1997 as a peripheral solutions company, Netaphor designs and develops solutions that manage and reduce the costs generated by IT assets. Current customers include 3Com, Canon USA, Konica Minolta, Matsushita (Panasonic), Siemens and Invensys. Netaphor’s mission is to become the leading provider of IT asses management solutions to strategic OEM partners and comapnies of all sizes.
How have you seen the imaging market evolve over the past decade and how have these changes impacted your business?
First, imaging devices have become more sophisticated in terms output features and monitoring capabilities. Second the responsibility for management of these devices has moved from the facilities department to the IT department. IT views imaging devices as assets to manage like desktops and tend to want to outsource their costs, maintenance and service performance.
What does the current market look like for you?
Europe is a strong market because of they have integrated imaging devices as part of their asset management philosophy; this includes a desire for cost control and service performance measurements. The North American MPS providers have shown more interest in a broader set of MPS services beside just click counting and supplies management. Tracking and reporting on Moves, Adds and Changes (iMAC/R) has growing important with mid-market and enterprise customers in NA. Asia is also starting to take off.
How do you expect to see the market evolve? What changes lie ahead?
We expect greater integration with asset management, help desk and back office applications. Customer and MPS providers will want reliable metrics to measure fleet performance and be able to predict events in order to optimize fleet investments.
What trends are you currently seeing in the MPS industry?
Two levels of MPS providers, those that are just beginning to start programs around inventory, counts and consumables (basic MPS) and those that have developed skills and programs around MPS services needed more complete service metrics such as uptime and downtime measures. The basic trend is MPS services are required by customers and some are interested in more complete programs including service measures and inventory tracking iMAC/R.
How are you participating in helping change and grow the market (i.e. sponsoring an event) and why?
We focus on select group of partners and concentrate training and support to make these partners successful. We are evolving an MPS process and positioning our tools to enable a broad set of MPS services. Most of our events are partner specific including integration into their back office systems.
You’re a sponsor at the upcoming MPS Conference in Berlin; what are your expectations for the event?
We expect the event to attract the leading MPS providers in EMEA. In previous MPS conferences we have met and begun partnerships with resellers in South Africa, Spain, Sweden and countries.
What will be the hot topics and trends this year at the MPS Conference in Berlin?
I see 3 topics, the value of integrating MPS tools and processes with IT management; how to sell more sophisticated MPS services such as SLA; and convergence of user tracking and device tracking
Why is it important for the industry to attend these events?
It helps the imaging industry grow beyond selling just boxes. These are solutions that will transform the industry and create opportunities for service growth.
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