Founded in 1995, Digital Gateway is a Utah-based provider of business management software for copier and printer dealers. The company's flagship product, e-automate, is an all-in-one management solution that helps companies get a handle on their accounting, inventory, purchasing, sales, service dispatch, contract processing, and more. With over 1000 dealers already using e-automate, Digital Gateway has established itself over the last decade as an industry leader with a clear vision for the future. And that future, Digital Gateway believes, is now.

Of an estimated 4.3 trillion clicks that occur each year, only three percent are currently under managed print contracts, making managed print the obvious next step for any dealer hoping to do more business with its existing customers and acquire new customers. The window of opportunity is wide open, but it may not stay open much longer. According to Digital Gateway COO/CFO Daron Jones, 2009 is going to be a make-it-or-break-it year for copier dealers. "If dealerships don't start getting success around their managed print strategy," he says, "they risk becoming irrelevant to their customers."

With new MPS operation software completed, strategic partnerships with leaders in the MPS arena, and a new program (the e-automate Managed Print Success Program) designed to help dealers make a smooth transition to managed print, Digital Gateway is making every effort to ensure that its customers have the tools and support they need to be successful.

"What makes us different from the competition is that we're doing more than just telling dealers they need to get into managed print," says Jones. "They've been hearing that for years. Now Digital Gateway is actually showing them how to do it."

The company's dedication to its dealers has paid off. In 2008, over 160 dealers adopted
e-automate, and Digital Gateway expects 2009 to be another record breaking year. The growing popularity of the product, however, poses a significant challenge to copier industry employers—namely, hiring enough qualified e-automate users and managed print specialists to meet demand.

"There aren't many people out there who have done managed print well," says Jim Phillips, CEO of Digital Gateway. "That's why it's the new gold rush."

In addition to recruiting qualified employees, dealers must also be willing to change their approach toward the selling process. "The culture that exists in the copier dealerships today creates an attitude among salespeople of kill it, skin it, and move on," Phillips says. “But you can't make the transition to managed print without finding people who are patient enough to tolerate a 90-to-120 day sales cycle and skilled enough to talk to the IT people in their own language."

Phillips and Jones agree that managed print presents a great opportunity for the industry as well as a significant challenge to individual dealerships. Like all transitional periods, this one has been characterized by wariness, false starts, and uncertainty about where we need to go and how on earth we're going to get there. One thing, however, is for sure: the dealers who have developed the staff, the technology, and the knowledge to meet the growing demand for managed print are already reaping rewards, and they will be poised for growth, longevity, and sustained success in the years to come.

For more information about Digital Gateway's products and services, call 801-492-3576 or visit www.digitalgateway.com.

1. Recessions force businesses to be thrifty. As Megan Chang writes for The Industry Standard (www.thestandard.com), “Having limited capital leads to creative thinking, healthy deliberation about expenditures, and the need for founders to pay very close attention to cash flow, budgets, and balance sheets.”.
    
2. Recessions attract dedicated employees. Even when the economy is in great shape, it takes guts to leave a secure job to join a start-up. When the economy is recessionary, the people who will risk their financial health to get your business off the ground will be either truly crazy or truly dedicated, both of which have their value and their charm. 
    
3. Recessions make entrepreneurs develop solid business plans. When start-up capital is easy to come by, the learning curve for new businesses is less punishing—they have more time and money available to cushion the blow of early mistakes. During recessions, new business owners don't often have the luxury of ample credit, so they need to make sure from the get-go that they have a solid plan for success..
    
4. Recessions can help keep startup costs low. When other companies go out of business, there will always be plenty of second-hand and fire sale furniture and equipment available for new companies to pick up on the cheap.
    
5. Good ideas can't always wait. “A good idea doesn't wait for the perfect time to emerge,” says Jason Sheller, who resigned as Google's manager of new business development in 2007 to launch his own internet start-up. “Being an entrepreneur is all about risk and innovation, not timing the market.”
    
6. Recessions toughen companies up. Businesses that can survive a recession should be able to thrive in better times. Richard Denny, a business development advisor, says, “If you can start in a tough market, your chances of success and real growth when things ease off are phenomenal.”
    
7. Recessions teach entrepreneurs to create their own job security. The days of lifelong job security and retirement pensions are long gone. The sooner all of us can face the fact that we're responsible for creating our own job security, the better off we'll be.

Global Imaging Announces Agreement to Acquire COMDOC.   Global imaging announced a definitive agreement to acquire ComDoc, Inc. This acquisition will expand Global Imaging's coverage into four states offering them access to more than 14,000 new customers. One of the larger independent dealers in the U.S., ComDoc, sells products from various suppliers, none of which today include Xerox. In addition to its existing offerings, ComDoc will start selling Xerox document management products following the close of the acquisition. Comdoc, founded and headquartered in Akron, Ohio in 1955, has offices in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton and Youngstown, Ohio; Pittsburgh, Pa.; Albany, Buffalo and Syracuse, N.Y.; and Fairmont, W. Va. This acquisition will continue Global Imaging's expansion of a national network of office technology suppliers to serve its growing base of small and mid-size businesses.

CompTIA Releases New Network+ Exam.   The updated exam places greater emphasis on security, wireless networking skills, and other issues that networking professionals encounter. The exam tests for the ability to maintain, troubleshoot, and install a network; describe networking technologies; understand basic network design principles; adhere to wiring standards; and use the proper testing tools. More than 235,000 IT professionals worldwide are CompTIA Network+ certified.

Survey Finds That Most Office Workers Consider Color Printing A Luxury. The survey, conducted by Zogby and commissioned by Xerox, found that 53% of respondents think printing in color is a luxury. More than one-third of respondents stated "expense" as the main reason they don't print more often in color, and 82% said they would be somewhat or very likely to print in color if it cost the same as printing in black and white. Nearly 40% of respondents did not recognize the ROI of printing in color.

Ricoh and IBM Form Global Strategic Alliance. The alliance will provide customers with comprehensive document solutions combining Ricoh and IBM's capabilities. As part of the alliance, the companies will first launch a new Ricoh offering, Document Security and Management Services (DSMS) in the United States. This solution builds upon Ricoh's experience in helping customers improve their document workflow, security, and compliance. “Enterprises are requiring more integrated technologies to create rapid return on investment,” said Hede Nonaka, General Manager of Ricoh's Document Solutions and Services Division. “This Global Strategic Alliance allows Ricoh and IBM to provide innovative solutions that meet these demands.”

Ikon To Deliver Comprehensive Enterprise Management Solution for Fried Frank. Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP is a leading international law firm with more than 650 attorneys in offices in London, Paris, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Shanghai, New York, and Washinton, DC. Ikon, a Ricoh company, will manage Fried Frank's copy center in the Washington, DC office and its fax services, mail center, porter/housekeeping services, and supplies management in the Washington, DC and New York offices.

BEI Pros Announces New “Advanced Service Management-Operational Excellence and Profitability Improvement” Training Program. The training program was designed to provide the skill set that service managers need to improve their organization's operational performance, profitability, and service. For more details about the program, contact Jerry Newberry at jerry.newberry@beipros.com or Jeff Kelly at jeff.kelly@beipros.com.

Last month, we asked whether you thought 2009 would be better than 2008. The response was overwhelmingly positive, with nearly three-quarters (74.6%) agreeing that this year will be better than last year. The comments we received tell a less optimistic story, however. Rather than indicating a genuine sense of optimism and renewal, our poll revealed that many readers believe things will get better only because they can't possibly get any worse. Here's what you told us:

Reader comments included: "Having a specialist in our presentations allows my sales reps to become a single-source solution for customers or prospects. Additionally, we ask that the customer's IT manager be present in the meeting so we can...move the sale along faster."

"Since I just got laid off from the best job I had after fifteen years in the business, I can't possibly imagine this year being better. After looking at your poll results, I would say that people are drinking their corporate Kool-Aid without looking at the economic situation."

"Service contracts have to be honored, but I don't see a lot of new business on the horizon."

"There's no place to go but up!"

"Mounting job losses, falling corporate profits, and decreases in corporate and personal spending will make it a tough year for employees and corporations. Employees and businesses won't have the disposable income they had in the past, causing another dismal year at best."

"Everyone is tightening their belts. This recession is not over by any means. This will make it harder to sell product. We as an industry need to sell solutions, not just boxes. Document management is where it's at. Color, print fleet management, and document software are the sales that are going to keep the industry going strong. And service will keep them happy!"

"The only thing techs can be thankful for is that customers tend not to replace machinery in bad times, which gives more service opportunities."

"The real question is, will 2009 be better than 1932?"

Is your business or employer properly equipped to offer managed print services?

- Yes.
- No, but we need make the transition to offering managed print.
- No, and we don't need to offer managed print services.