MPSA Completes ‘MPS Business Models & Components’ White Paper for MPS Providers

The Managed Print Services Association (MPSA) announced the completion of its Standards & Best Practices Committee’s first white paper of 2013, “MPS Business Models & Components.” This white paper identifies four managed print business models MPS providers can use to go to market, details the pros and cons associated with each and provides charts outlining additional components related to the delivery of managed print services.

“Ron (Alpin, MPSA Standards Committee chair), his committee members – indeed, all who contributed to this initiative – have brought to light a sound, easy-to-understand description of foundational managed print services models and components,“ said MPSA President Greg Walters. “We are very proud to provide this document to our membership. Look for more in the near future.” The MPSA Standards & Best Practices Committee was chartered to help define industry areas that, once clarified, would result in a better understanding of MPS and an increased rate of adoption.

One such area identified by the committee as a major source of confusion faced by its membership base centers around MPS business models. “We have members that are end users. We have members that are resellers. We have members that are software providers. There are all types. The MPSA did a very good job of defining what managed print services is, but there needed to be further explanation of how each type of member that delivers MPS services could go to market with that,” said MPSA Standards Committee Chair Ron Alphin.

Subsequently, the committee created a white paper around the topic that will prove invaluable to anyone interested in providing MPS. “Any new members to the MPSA or MPS industry could use this document to define what business models they would reasonably be able to go to market with,” Alphin said. “Right now, people have to go to different websites, look at different statements by other people, or ask others what they’re doing. This document, on the other hand, outlines the MPS business models available to them in one place, so people can start using it as a standard benchmark to determine what kind of delivery model they can take to the market and explain to end users exactly what will be provided to them.”

The MPSA Standards and Best Practices Committee’s white paper is now available to all MPSA members, who can access it by logging in to the MPSA website (www.yourmpsa.org) and clicking on the White Papers link under the Members-Only Content category in the navigation bar. Members can also register there for a webinar scheduled to take place on March 19, 2013, that will provide them with additional details and insight on this white paper. “This was a great initiative to work with all the committee members on and get consensus on from the various perspectives,” Alphin said. “I am excited this is getting released to the general membership.”