Remote Manage And Save Time

We are all used to remote management of our PC’s so why not our printers? You can easily and quickly see the front panel status of a printer in another building  or even town to help with supports. Or with a click of your mouse you can update all your devices at once such as a Gateway address, think how long that would take on 20 devices!

Get Proactive

How many times have you been caught short of toner or an OPC drum that you didn’t know you had to order? Let the MFD tell tell you when it’s  jammed or get pre-warned that the device is low on toner giving you enough time order a replacement. This is all done through email and can even be integrated in to helpdesk systems automatically.

Help Utilise Your Fleet though Reporting

Which device is being over used? What device is being under used? Which device is unreliable and why is it unreliable? Having factual data will give you a true picture of your fleet to help make informed decisions that can help reduce costs or keep your fleet optimised to help support your business.

To read the full Covalence press release and the complete report, please visit the Covalence website.

This model offers the chance to reduce the cost of producing colour documents – in essence by not having to pay a standard colour charge when little solid ink colour toner is being laid down.  A good example of this is where an e-mail is printed that has a small colour logo at the bottom and which is charged at a full colour rate.  The concept is very powerful – in essence to only be paying based against the level of toner laid on the page.

There are many customers who know specifically what type of document they print and how much toner is laid down – this makes the cost comparison / return for the installation of a ColourQube relatively easy.  That said we are seeing that the majority of customers love the concept of the product, but are struggling to grasp how they can quantify what it will mean for them and what it will actually deliver.  The crux of this rests with how to understand if the current documents being produced are low, mid or high coverage?  Furthermore they are asking how having only one large A3 product with this billing model available can actually allow them to build a consistent enterprise wide strategy.

Xeretec Office Systems Ltd are Xerox’s largest reseller in the UK and we have worked with them closely surrounding addressing both of the above challenges.  To this end included within our consulting toolset is now a specific software suite that is able to exactly analyse our clients current documents.  This identifies how many are low, medium and high coverage along with the associated cost of each type of document.  Understanding the exact current state supports our approach of always working from real facts and not industry standards.  This allows us to then factually present a business case around what the ColourQube will deliver.  A unique and different approach that helps the client understand if this is the right product for them. We are pleased to offer this consulting as a free of charge service to all customers and would be happy to discuss this further with those that are interested in this service.

With regards to this billing method only being available on the ColourQube product we are pleased to notify that in the US the 8860 has been built with the same billing meters.  This product is an A4 colour / mono printer that offers the same environmental benefits and solid ink as ColourQube.  As yet it has not been announced whether this will be launched in the UK or not, but we would assume that it will be given time. 

We would advise our clients to get ahead of the curve and start the process of understanding the type of documents being produced along with their coverage trends as soon as possible.  This will identify quickly if it is worth pursuing an enterprise wide strategy based around these new disruptive technology platforms.

It always surprises me that the focus of these projects always appear to be geared at the office user, the desktop print environment and the floor located copier and scanner devices within the main office infrastructure. We come across many customers who are interested in reducing costs, gaining control, improving productivity and improving compliance aspects such as security and environmental aspects, but yet are only looking at their office based equipment / processes.

This creates a massive untapped opportunity relating to the improvements that can be delivered from the corporate print room and the work that is outsourced from the customer.  When you consider that typically 50% of all document volume goes through or is outsourced from a corporate print room – yet remains un-investigated, you can see the opportunity that customers are potentially missing.

At Xeretec we think slightly differently and review the whole document production / print arena.  This includes both the office environment, and the print room / outsource areas – after all, how can you have a print / document strategy that does not encompass 50% of the documents being produced?

Our experience has shown that significant savings and improvements can be delivered via:

1. The introduction of new technology and cost effective business models.
2. The introduction of new software that both promotes and simplifies the submission of documents – whether produced locally or from various sites across the company.
3. The complex analysis of outsourced work to ensure that documents are produced in the most cost effective / high quality manner within the targeted timescales.
4. The introduction of tools and processes that provide improved control, productivity, where appropriate cross charging and ultimately effectiveness.

To add to the above we have been developed a solution that can deliver up to 45% running cost reduction on a clients existing print room equipment.  The benefit of this is that a client can potentially benefit from lower running costs immediately without significant change. 

Xeretec are proven in this arena and always review the complete document / print strategy within our clients.  I am more than happy to personally speak to any customer who is engaged or wanting to explore a project of this nature. We have built a proven reputation and I will enjoy taking you to one of our many existing customer sites to really see the differences that we provide.

Quite rightly many customers felt that this approach was not for them.  Common objections would be that significant change would be required, that ‘all their eggs would be in one basket’, that multifunction devices required people to walk and collect documents, that security levels would not be as good, that the office layout did not support this technology platform etc.  This all compounded the internal challenges within customers surrounding which division (usually IT or facilities) took responsibility for budgets, helpdesk processes, MAC processes and service processes.

The multifunction device has now become a part of most companies printing, copying, scanning and faxing infrastructure although in the majority of cases, not at the expense of the desktop printer.   It is very typical to find clients who have a full fleet of multifunction devices also who have a full fleet of desktop printers.  There are benefits to this infrastructure and people have realised that a correct print strategy has a mix of both types of platforms. 

At Xeretec we have acknowledged for many years that the correct print strategy involves four main elements – the desktop services, the multifunction service, the print room services and the outsourced services.  The strategy that delivers the best results requires a unification and alignment of these four areas.

We have built our business around being able to unify these four areas for our clients.  A good example of this is our ability to provide the cheaper asset costs of a desktop printer with a fixed lower cost per page that is comparable to a multifunction device.  In essence providing the benefits of the multifunction business model to the desktop space.  This allows us to provide a consistent cost per page whether a document is produced on a desktop device, a multifunction device or a print room device.  The customer obtains the benefits of having the correct mix of technology along with the commercial benefits of lower running / support costs. 

Through working with the leading technology suppliers of HP and Xerox we have solutions in all areas – many of which can be applied to existing fleets of equipment.  These services stem right from a basic fixed cost per page on printers through to a full blown managed service agreement.  No longer do customers have to hear the same old lines around consolidating to one multifunction device – this may form a part of the strategy, but is very rarely the strategy. 

We have many reference sites where we can demonstrate this approach.  If this is an area that is of interest, we would love to discuss our unique and different approach with you.

Unfortunately though, our industry is littered with people offering 20 – 40% savings and generally offering the world to grab the attention of the customer, but who then fail to deliver the promised improvements and results. This process typically starts with a print audit.

While print audits can be extremely useful, companies should beware of the partner they choose to conduct it. It is clear that many customers can identify that there are improvements to be made and the ‘free – consulting’ print audit element seems to be the logical progression. Experience shows that typically the salesperson is keen to get this stage completed quickly to progress to a sale. Industry standards and untrained consultants are used, incomplete data compiled, and only clearly visible costs are investigated. The end result can be an implied cost saving that has no substance which cannot be managed against and unfortunately fails to deliver the promised improvements.

At Xeretec we work in a different way. Firstly we keep track of what we deliver for our clients and present this in a format of a saving per employee per year. To put this into context, our most recent projects have delivered an average cost saving of £136 per employee per annum in the area of print / document related costs.

The print audit consulting processes, the people and tools we use provide the most thorough, fact based understanding of the clients current situation. We go beyond the basic visible elements and dig deep to find the true costs of printing – this considers people, process and technology costs. We seek to avoid any ‘industry standards’, we don’t cut corners and we prefer to be more thorough in the consulting process. This allows us to present a factual current state that is used to work with the client to identify the correct end point and a strategy surrounding how to achieve the desired objectives / goals within agreed timescales.

Any approach / solution that is agreed has the implementation thoroughly planned and executed professionally to ensure results are delivered quickly. The fact based approach allows us to provide ongoing management and improvement throughout any agreement life. We view our relationship with our clients as partnership based, long term and have a proven track record of delivery throughout the agreement life.

The opportunity to improve print and document related costs are real and the deliverables can be significant. The selection of partner that will allow you and help you ensure the results are obtained is the critical aspect. At Xeretec, our approach is refreshing, different and delivers factual business results. We invest in partnership with our customers and deliver the results.

I am more than happy to personally speak to any customer who is engaged or wanting to explore a project of this nature. We have built a proven reputation and I will enjoy taking you to one of our many existing customer sites to really see the differences that we provide.

A product report has been made public online and has further information on the two products.  The official Xerox Corporation position on this is currently not clear.  They have neither confirmed nor denied that these products will indeed even make there way across to North America / Europe and suggest that the information contained in this report is – ‘speculative’. 

It has been speculated that both of these devices will indeed come to the UK, and may possibly make their debut at IPEX this year. (May 18 -25)

Why the buzz?  Well, from the information circulating, the key aspects of the new system include:

• A new full-colour tandem engine with a large diameter seamless intermediate transfer belt to allow rated speed output for all paper weights.
• Substrate support from 55-350gsm.
• A new ‘Longer-life overcoat photoreceptor’ with a special surface coating
• A3 format (330 x 488,, or 13” x 19.2”)
• 2400 x 2400 DPI (resolution)

No pricing is available as of yet but more information is sure to follow soon.  Keep checking our blog and news articles for more information as it is available.

Hurry!  Until 30th April 2010, Xerox has dramatically increased the trade-in value to £100 for any printer traded-in when buying a qualifying Phaser 8560.  The £100 can be donated to plant 150 trees.  The same printer could be traded-in for a staggering £300 (or 150 trees) when buying a Phaser 8560MFP.

ColorQube iphone app

A ‘push’ service is also included, which notifies users the moment new material becomes available.
To download the application (English language inititially) visit the Apple iPhone app store and search
under ‘ColorQube’.

It was only a matter of time before the iPhone made it’s way into the print industry. With over 21 million iPhones sold and over 100,000 apps available, its no surprise that we can finally say, “There’s an app for that!”.

http://www.appstorehq.com/colorqube-iphone-74655/app

- Xeretec IT Team

Q: Why does printing from Acrobat take much longer and the Quality is decreased?

A: ‘Print As Image’ may be ticked in the Acrobat Print dialog. In Acrobat, click ‘File’, ‘Print’ and click the [Advanced] button. In the menu that appears, ensure the ‘Print as image’ is un-ticked.

Q: Why do I receive a font related print error when printing a multipage PDF job to my Xerox device?

A: Ensure [Send by Range] is switched on in Acrobat. In Acrobat, click ‘File’, ‘Print’ and click the [Advanced] button. In the menu that appears, ensure the ‘Font and Resource Policy’ is set to [Send by Range].

Q: Why are the colours not automatically detected when printing from Acrobat to my ColorQube?

A: Ensure ‘Let printer determine colors’ is selected in Acrobat. In Acrobat, click ‘File’, ‘Print’ and click the [Advanced] button. In the menu that appears, ensure the ‘Let printer determine colors’ option is ticked.

Q: How can I submit my Xerox Meter Reads automatically to Xerox?

A: Go to the AMR page on our website www.xeretec.co.uk/amr where more information is available to help you set this up.

Q: I have a Fiery based print server (RIP) connected to my Xerox. How do I download the latest Command WorkStation software?

A: Command WorkStation 5 is now available, direct from EFI and is supported on all Fiery products from System 6. Please visit www.efi.com/cws5 for brochures, training and download links for more information.

For further support on your Xerox device:
Navigate to www.xerox.co.uk/support and type the model number of your device in and hit search. Click the relevant link (Support, Drivers & Downloads or Documentation) that corresponds to your device. Tip: ensure you’re on the UK site as noted at the top right of the web page.

- Xeretec IT Team

Q: I don’t want my staff to have a colour printer driver for the Xerox printer.

A: To disable the colour option in the driver. Select Properties>Options>+Predefined Configurations>Black and White Only> Select ‘Enabled’.  This action can be performed on the Printer Server to globally apply the settings to all users. The colour option will be greyed out in the users’ Printer Preferences.

Q: I cannot find an email address book button in my ColorQube, or how to create one on the tools tab?

A: It cannot be created in tools but only using a web browser. Type in the IP address for the ColorQube, select the address book tab, enter the user and email address. (User ‘admin’ Password ‘1111′).

Once names and addresses are entered the button will appear in the email display. If you export and add users in a CSV file, delete ‘all users’ before importing as it will duplicate existing names.  We recommend the use of LDAP to tie in with the address book on your network.

Q: My network printer can take ages to print some jobs.

A: If you are using TCP/IP printing check the driver properties, the port settings should be LPR Queue Name lp (lower case) this will be found in the Configure Port, radio button LPR, (therefore deselect Raw) and giving a Queue Name of ‘lp’

Q: When I print, I get a banner page appear on the printer before each of my print jobs?

A: Turn the banner page off from the ‘Advanced’ tab in the Printer Driver. Tip: This can be defaulted on the print server by your IT department so you don’t need to perform the action every time you print.

Q: When I try to print on a different size paper, the output doesn’t appear as expected?

A: In the Properties of the print job, click on the pull down menu under the paper section and select ‘Other Size’. Here, select both the ‘Output Paper Size’ and ‘Original Document Size’ as the size you require. It depends on what you’re printing but setting them both to A4 or A3 may help you get your desired output.

For further support on your Xerox device:
Navigate to www.xerox.co.uk/support and type the model number of your device in and hit search. Click the relevant link (Support, Drivers & Downloads or Documentation) that corresponds to your device. Tip: ensure you’re on the UK site as noted at the top right of the web page.

Managed Print Services, simply put, is the management of print fleets (printers, scanners, copiers, etc) in a unified fashion.  Typically best suited for medium to large companies, Managed Print Services allow a business to condense and utilise the number of print devices in their overall fleet to reduce print costs.  Another major benefit of Managed Print Services is the ability to keep / utilize print devices from various vendors without switching the hardware to one vendor. 

The main purposes of Managed Print Services can be varied, but typically are designed to meet your company’s individual objectives.  Aimed at optimizing document output, Managed Print Services can ultimately result in driving down costs, improving efficiency and productivity, and reducing your company’s IT support workload.

Managed Print Services is one of many services Xeretec can provide to customers.  Drawing upon our combined years of experience in the print industry and strong alliances with Xerox and HP, we are at the top of the heap for Managed Print Services. 

Because Managed Print Services can be a significant project, with significant results, one of the most important factors is a good relationship with the provider.  We pride ourselves in establishing and maintaining trusted, long term relationships with our clients.  When you are looking to make significant changes in the way your print infrastructure works, you need a ‘trusted pair of hands’ so-to-speak and that’s one of our biggest strengths.  Visit our testimonial page to read what our customers have to say about our relationship skills.

What does this mean to you?  Well, for many years now, our motto at Xeretec has been “Bringing you the best from Xerox” and true to our word, we have always delivered on that promise.  As our company has evolved and began to service more and larger clients, the addition of a new product range appeared inevitable.  That is why in addition to a long standing Xerox Premier Partnership we have joined with HP to become an HP Preferred Partner.  We can now bring our customers the best from both of the top technology providers, making available to them the best products and services in the print industry. 

The Gartner Magic Quadrant report for MFPs and Printers, evaluated a variety of technology providers in the print industry across a multitude of key factors such as products & services, sales execution & pricing, track record, customer experience and operations.   All are areas that greatly impact the overall quality of your print infrastructure and which equate to reliability and reduced print costs for your business.

Please read the customer testimonials and review the independent Gartner report and ask yourself what kind of print technology do you want in your business?  We hope the answer would be ‘the best’, and we are proud to say, we can bring it to you.

Our success in over doubling the size of Xeretec in the past four years has come from being the experts in what we do and in delivering business results for our customers.  We utilise only the best of breed print, copy, scan technologies and services from HP and Xerox.  These technologies and breadth of offerings are combined with our years of experience, our innovative and creative methods and our vibrant team of specialists to deliver solutions that get customers results.

Xeretec is built upon finding ways to help you achieve your goals.  The bedrock of this is understanding what you are trying to achieve and why? Our partnership based, consultative approach and benchmark print audit procedures allow us to understand your goals and become aligned to deliver against them. This applies to whether they relate to a simple technology selection, reducing costs, obtaining control of the document production infrastructure,  meeting compliance requirements, improving productivity or reducing carbon footprint.  The end solutions we have at our disposal are immense and are always selected and tailored to deliver the best results for you.

Our approach, professionalism, friendliness and the proven delivery of impressive business results for our customers, have formed our reputation for being a dependable, safe and ethical pair of hands. Before, during and after designing a solution for your business, we strive to build a trusting relationship with you and focus on continuous improvement throughout the agreement life. Don’t just take my word for it; hear what some of our customers have said on the testimonials page or contact me to arrange a visit to one of our many reference sites.

I hope you find the new website helpful and informative.  We look forward to helping your company benefit from a more efficient print infrastructure.