Remember a simpler time before when office technology dealers sold copiers, fax machines, and typewriters? Those were the days before industry analysts and OEMs were hyping diversification. Wouldn’t it be great to make selling office technology simple again? I’m talking about no managed IT services, no managed print services, no cybersecurity, no unified communications, no workflow software—just boxes.
But seriously, as much as some readers might want to make selling office technology simple again, there’s no going back. Time marches on, technology evolves, and acknowledging the world has changed is inevitable. One way the office technology world has changed is through diversification. To remain relevant with most customers means offering more than legacy imaging technology. That’s where services such as managed IT, managed print, unified communications, and cybersecurity come into play. And that’s where ECM/document management, print management, and workflow solutions add value.
To make smart diversification decisions, you must continue learning about the latest technology, services, and solutions offerings and make the necessary investments to give customers more reasons to do business with you. I’m probably not telling you anything you haven’t heard a million times before at industry events and dealer peer group meetings. But there’s a reason everyone keeps harping on diversification: it’s smart business, even if it isn’t always simple.
In this issue, we get down to the basics of diversification, highlighting products, solutions, and services that offer a relatively easy diversification path. However, we also venture into complex diversification territory with an article on managed IT services because that’s one big diversification opportunity that’s impossible to ignore.
Whatever route you take, best of luck on your diversification journey, which, in a world of evolving technology, should be never-ending.
