ARC 2010: Workgroup Color Printers
In a relatively close race, Xerox scored an overall 75.2, while runner-up HP scored 73.6. Oki Data Americas was right behind at 72.4, while Konica Minolta finished fourth with 64.5.
/**/ /**/HP gave Xerox a run for its money in Product Innovation, edging Xerox by just 1.7 points and scoring 8.9 points higher in the criteria of Compatibility and Ease Of Integration. However, Xerox ranked highest in four out of five Support category criteria, achieving a 7.8-point advantage over HP in Post-Sales Support. Xerox also captured four of seven Partnership criteria to roll to the overall win.
Rick Kreiser, president of Carney's Business Technology Center, a Bakersfield, Calif.-based solution provider and Xerox partner, wasn't surprised to see the company's support ranked so highly in the Annual Report Card survey.
"Xerox really has some of the best tech support in the industry, if you're a good partner for them. If you enroll in programs and take the training, they will reciprocate by supporting you very well," Kreiser said. "That's what we need to keep our techs as productive as possible."
Partner support is more than just a matter of convenience--its associated cost savings can quickly add up, said Kreiser. "When you're trying to manage as many calls as you can on the technical side, solving field issues with as few truck rolls as possible is important," he said.
Much of Xerox's success these days comes from PagePack, its managed print services suite, said Gary Gillam, vice president of channel operations, Xerox North America Reseller Sales.
"Our approach has been pretty consistent: It's about adding services to the products that help partners generate revenue," Gillam said. "We're helping partners really develop relationships where they're helping customers take out cost and drive productivity. That's something which really resonates in this market."