How Secure is You Corporate Culture?

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This week, consolidation continues, as folks wait for the next OEM shoe to drop.  Before the scare of Covid, the talk of the town was Xerox buying HP – well at least that was the talk of the street.

Things have changed.  We look at the latest merger and believe it or not, it involves international intrigue and managed print services.  

That’s right.  

A Canadian concern just purchased MPS Monitor.  Don’t let the name deceive you, MPS Monitor is about more than automatic supplies delivery.  I spoke with Nicolas over the summer and found his corporate vision expansive if not hungry.  If the technology to read printers and copiers is realigned to see other connected assets, companies around the globe will line up to buy the solution.

 Is Print Security a Thing?

 Is anyone hacking into your copier to steal your daughter’s Little League roster or grandma’s recipe?

 No.  

But when you have access to your client’s IT assets via data collection agents, probes, remote updates, etc., you impact overall network security.  We look at five issues to remember AFTER your client is attacked.

New Terminology –       

Words mean things.  In the world of office technology, glossaries are needed to translate the latest and greatest mumbo jumbo.  In addition to hundreds of letter-salad acronyms, there are thousands of words used to redescribe what we already know.  

It was simply a matter of time before the work-from-anywhere movement spawned new words and phrases redefining your world.  With the help of the Future Forum team (AKA Slack), we review some relevant and some not-so-relevant terms.

The Work from Anywhere Battle –

Speaking of new phrases, “manager paranoia” is a two-word phrase for, “I think the rest of the world is going to know my job function is redundant and empty…”.  This emotional disorder is on the rise as workers who have experienced the sweet taste of employment freedom, rebel against returning to their supervisor’s embrace.  To prove worthiness, some managers are monitoring remote teams for evidence of an increase, or more importantly unmanaged, productivity. Tsk, tsk.  Axio looked at this phenomenon.

Know the Culture, Make More Sales –

Too many sales are lost when selling professionals ignore or do not understand the prospect’s company culture.  I’ve got eight tried and true recommendations to remember when initiating an enterprise-level opportunity.

This week the Internet Relay Chat includes: Another country bans Google Analytics, AWS continues to edge into the B2B ecosystem, Microsoft doesn’t recommend monitoring employees, and five tips on attracting new sales.

It’s a great week, go sell something!

Multi-national Consolidation: Valsoft

Canadian company purchases Italy-based MPS Monitor s.r.l and Denmark-based Euroform A/S, two leading developers and providers of Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) and Managed Print Services SaaS solutions for the print industry.

“This is an extremely exciting moment in the history of MPS Monitor and Euroform, our customers, and our combined team,” explained De Blasi. “We’re about to embark on a whole new chapter supported by the resources, experience, and global footprint of Valsoft…”Read the rest, here.

Eight Ways to Sell to Corporate Culture in 2022

Corporate culture can kill innovation.  When proposing change, digital transformation, and new processes, the impact on or because of your client’s culture cannot be overestimated.

“How can you cut through the fear of change, when that fear is on the global pandemic level?  Go with the flow.”Here are eight hints for selling within today’s corporate culture.

Securing The Copier – Does it Really Matter?

The days of hacking a print stream, changing the amount and payee on hard checks are long gone but output devices, indeed every connected asset, are a potential entry point into your vital data.

“According to a report by Cisco, 50% of organizations encountered ransomware-related activity in 2021. Are you an MSP or other tech services provider? In July 2021 Kaseya announced that one of their toolsets had been compromised through a ransomware threat and over 50 customers were directly impacted.”Check out some ideas on what to do after you’ve experienced an ‘event’.

The Future of Work glossary

Once you define it, you can control it; whatever it is.

If you’re like me, you loathe acronyms and industry buzzwords – speak plainly or not at all. Unfortunately, human nature dictates we turn the simple into the complex.Check out new phrases and words generated from the new way of work here:

Microsoft – “Paranoia the Destroyer.”

A Microsoft study of 20,000 employees across 11 countries reveals workers feel more productive while their managers, 85% of them, said, “hybrid has made it a challenge to be confident employees are being productive.”

There is a disturbance in the office technology realm. Do large companies pressure employees back to the cube or commit to selling remote collaboration tools?  Can Microsoft do both?  Read more, here.

The Internet Relay Chat – News & Fun to Go

  • “Alas poor Yorick…” the Danes ban Google Analytics.  Watch this, Google is stacking up fees and fines all over the world.  Is it simply a cost of doing business?
  • Don’t Spy on Employees to Ensure They’re Working, Microsoft Says.  Big Brother is alive and well, especially when jobs are on the line.  The need to monitor your employees is a matter of mistrust.
  • Not a flying car but AWS IoT FleetWise makes it easier to use real-time data to improve vehicle quality, safety, and autonomy.  Amazon not only wants to rule THE world, but they also have eyes on ruling YOUR world.  Cars, copiers, firewalls, and helpdesk – all in the AWS cloud.

5 Ways to Be an Object of Interest.  Try selling when you generate NO interest.  I dare you.  Great tips to help you attract.  My favorite hint is “Get Out of Your Echo Chamber”.