Partner Article
Affordable printing for academies – without getting your fingers burnt
Oki Systems UK Ltd will be at the Academies Show, NEC Birmingham, 27th November 2013 (stand 274) to reassure academies that there is a way to purchase printers and supplies without major capital investment or grossly inflated rolling contracts.
“Many educational establishments are still wary after a BBC Panorama programme last year showed that some schools had got involved with unscrupulous leasing companies and were paying up to 15 times the going rate for equipment. More than a hundred schools were found to be wasting thousands and, in some cases, hundreds of thousands of pounds, through falling foul of this practice,” explains Graham Lowes, marketing director of Oki Systems UK.
Managed Document Services has all the advantages of leasing, without the hefty profit-laden price tag. In fact, it sets out to help organisations save costs by consolidating their printer stock rather than persuading them that they need more devices. It is a way of buying printers, supplies, maintenance and support in one all-inclusive contract, “However, there is much more to Managed Document Services than this and the long-term benefits for schools could be extensive,” says Lowes.
“Our evidence suggests that the average organisation could cut overall printing costs by between ten and 30 per cent, by adopting a managed approach. For academies managing their own budget this could make a significant difference – as long as they choose an established provider and avoid the rogue trader.”
Typically the service starts with an audit to establish printing volumes on existing devices so that printer numbers can be rationalised and, where appropriate, replaced with energy-efficient multifunctional devices. Schools using such a service can typically reduce costs through having a greater visibility into the printing process, allowing IT managers to monitor and review the overall number of prints and the departmental split, showing where volumes are high.
The service also helps achieve further gains by setting up printers appropriately. Simple steps such as setting devices to print in mono as standard, so colour is only used when specifically required can make a big difference. Printers can also be set up to print double-sided as the default option, so cutting paper costs by up to 50 per cent.
“These days, while most schools are scrutinising overheads, there is still one area which often goes unchecked – the cost of printing,” continues Lowes. “Managed Document Services offers an effective way to keep these costs under control while ensuring the right printers are working as efficiently as possible and are available to the right people when needed.”
For further information visit www.oki.co.uk or www.cleverprinters.co.uk.
About OKI
Oki Systems UK is part of OKI Europe, a division of OKI Data Corporation, a global business-to-business organisation dedicated to creating professional in-house printed communications products, applications and services designed to increase the efficiency of today’s and tomorrow’s businesses. OKI Europe’s annual group turnover accounts for over 50% of OKI Data Corporation’s group turnover. The company is well-established as one of the UK’s leading printer brands, in terms of value and units shipped. Oki Systems UK’s award winning, product portfolio comprises seven distinct segments: managed print services, colour and mono printers, multifunctional devices, which combine printing, copying, scanning and faxing functionalities, as well as serial dot matrix printers, faxes and specialty printers for point-of-sales and manufacturing. Its expanding product range has recently won a series of high-profile awards including the Print.IT Editor’s Choice Award, the 2012 Go Green award, and the PCPro Laser Printer award.
OKI Data Corporation is a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Oki Electric Industry Co. Ltd., established in 1881 and Japan’s first telecommunications manufacturer.
This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by OKI .