The Benefits of MPS are Many

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Managed Print Services (MPS) is a cost-effective, time-saving solution for all aspects of your printing environment. MPS is all about optimizing and streamlining your devices to meet the specific needs of your business. MPS brings a load benefits to your entire printing fleet, including printers, copiers, scanners, and fax machines.

Print fleet analysis
An MPS program will provide a full analysis of your current print set up. This detailed analysis will lay out a plan to manage your printer fleet. It may call for upgrades to certain devices, removal of redundant or unnecessary machines, or changes in print device locations. In the end, the result of this analysis will lead to an increase in efficiency in your office space.

Reduced print volumes
MPS will provide you with ways to cut back on unnecessary printing and wasted supplies, lowering your overall printing costs. Utilizing rules-based printing, you can route print jobs to the printer best suited for the job type, set printers to default to black-and-white printing, prohibit printing of emails and web pages, and default to duplex printing to automatically print on both sides of paper.

Security upgrades
We all know the importance of security when it comes to our data. MPS will ensure that your devices have built-in user authentication and activity tracking. An MPS program will also encrypt device data and add comprehensive permissions to make sure only authorized personal have access to sensitive information.

Increased efficiency and reduced equipment downtime
Increasing efficiency is at the core of every MPS program; it’s all about doing more with less. For example, remote printing allows your employees to print from off-site locations. For businesses with remote employees and road warriors, this is a great option to improve the efficiency of your workflows. You can also eliminate equipment downtime through automatic supply restocking when the machine starts to run low on ink or toner. This allows your workflows to keep moving without bottlenecks occurring due to lack of supplies.

If your printing fleet could use some fine tuning, an MPS program is the way to go. A print fleet analysis with Infomax Office Systems will help optimize your printer fleet to streamline workflows around your office. Contact us today to learn more about an MPS program for your business.

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Boost ROI with Managed IT Services

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The goal of just about every business is to boost their return on investment (ROI). Businesses can improve their ROI by earning more or saving more. While you may be focused on earning more, you should consider the savings that comes from spending smarter with Managed IT Services. Here is some information about how Managed IT can boost your ROI significantly.

Increased Efficiency

One way Managed IT Services can boost your company’s ROI is by freeing up your IT department for more value-adding tasks. Chances are, your IT department currently spends a substantial amount of time on troubleshooting issues that are beyond their scope. However, with Managed IT, your IT department won’t have to deal with these issues anymore. Instead, your IT department can focus on more important matters that are within their skillset.

In fact, when it comes to Managed IT, your IT team is not only the department that will benefit. Non-technical employees will also be able to focus on their respective tasks without having to worry about trying to diagnose issues on their own. Productivity will soar when your employees are able to focus on the tasks that they do best.

Cost Savings

Managed IT Services have been shown to lead to major cost savings for businesses. If you hire a single network manager, you will need to pay for their expertise, including salary, overhead, and benefits. Consider that you will also need to purchase all of the infrastructure like software, hardware, and networks, as well as pay for continuing education to ensure your employees are up-to-date on the latest tech security and trends. On the other hand, if you outsource the management of your IT network to a Managed IT Services provider, you won’t have to worry about all of these costs. The costs will be spread across all of your provider’s clients, creating a much more affordable option for your business.

Streamlined Systems

Not only is sharing your infrastructure more cost effective, it is also much more efficient. Many businesses have transitioned to shared infrastructure, creating a more sustainable and efficient setup. If you’ve been thinking about switching to shared infrastructure, a Managed IT partner will be able to help you every step of the way. Your Managed IT partner will ensure the maximum efficiency of your power, servers, storage space, drivers, and more.

Security

Recently, many large companies have been on the news for experiencing data breaches. Fortunately, a Managed IT provider can keep your data secure and regularly backed up, so even your network crashes due to human error, you can be back up and running in no time. Having a Managed IT provider in your corner to protect you from hackers and ensure your systems are available gives businesses peace of mind to focus on their core efforts instead of focusing their time and efforts solely on IT.

For more information about how you can boost ROI with Managed IT, contact Infomax today.

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Why Faxing Remains Relevant as Office Equipment

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We have email, which is fast and powerful. We have old fashioned snail mail, which remains reliable and tangible. But what about faxing? This venerable office technology is a classic that remains beneficial to businesses for good reason: it’s fast, easy, direct, secure, legal, and tangible. Read on for a few reasons why faxing is still a critical piece of office equipment for many small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs)

The Original Push Notification
There you are, going about your day, when a document appears that needs attention. That’s right, faxes are the original push notification. When a fax is received and a physical document is printed, that document serves as notice and reminder to the recipient—this is an item to be dealt with. Don’t have the time to stop and check your emails all day? Let the faxes come to you.

Dependability
Fax machines communicate through direct connections over a standard telephone line. Internet service down? No problem. Fax machines make it possible to send documents even if the recipient doesn’t have high-speed Internet. Moreover, with faxing you don’t have to worry about file compatibility issues. All that’s needed to access your faxed document is your recipient’s eyes.

Security
Unlike email, there’s a very low risk of interception when sending faxes, which is why they’re ideal for documents that need to stay safe and private. Fax machines cannot be ‘hacked’ like your email server can, and incoming documents are also secure—not vulnerable to the hidden malware and viruses that can come with email attachments.

Legality
While changes are underway regarding the validity of digital forms of signature, signatures on faxed documents have long been accepted as official signatures—as good as the original. Finance, retail, legal, real estate, medical — all of these industries recognize the validity of a faxed signature. Sending signed official documents by fax is still the standard.

Fast, secure, reliable, tangible. With these benefits, no wonder there’s still an important role for fax technology in today’s small and mid-sized businesses. If you’re looking for attention-getting communications that are secure and legally accepted, fax just might be the tool you need. From dedicated fax machines to integrated multi-function devices, contact Infomax Office Systems today to get all the facts about fax office equipment.

Why Leasing Office Technology Might Be Right for You

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When it comes time to replace or upgrade your office equipment, an important decision must be made for your organization: should you lease or buy? For a great number businesses, leasing is the most popular choice when it comes to acquiring office technology. To learn why, let’s take a look at two of the most common types of leases, capital leases and operating leases. Understanding the ins and outs of these leasing options will help prepare you for when it comes to time to make the final decision.

Capital leases
With a capital lease, your organization experiences all of the benefits and downfalls of owning the equipment. Capital leases are typically used in instances where the lessee plans to buy the device at the end of the lease term for a specific amount. Both the interest and principal being paid for the lease go toward the cost of the equipment, and all assets and liabilities for the device are placed on the lessee’s balance sheet. This type of lease is the least common option used, most often when a business wants to purchase a device without paying for it up front.

Operating leases
An operating lease keeps equipment off of the lessee’s balance sheet. The lender owns the equipment and receives the benefits associated with depreciation. This is a good option if you plan to finance equipment for a short period of time, or if you plan to replace the equipment with upgraded technology at the end of the lease period. This is the more popular lease option among businesses.

Leasing brings benefits
The many benefits of leasing office technology make it very difficult to turn down. Here are just some of the benefits that come along with leasing devices:

– Leases are easy to qualify for, making them a great choice for small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) with limited capital
– Leases can often be secured without a sizable down payment or none at all
– Leasing allows you to move on and upgrade your equipment when you need to, preventing you from owning outdated technology
– Leases come with a low, predictable, monthly cost, one that typically comes with maintenance included as a part of the leasing agreement

Leasing is an extremely popular option among businesses today for these very reasons. It’s likely that one of these benefits will stand out to your organization. For more information on leasing office technology and help deciding whether it’s the right option for your company, contact Infomax Office Systems today.

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Getting the Most Out of SMB Cloud Storage

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As Internet speeds get faster and data storage gets smaller and cheaper, storage in the cloud is opening new doors for small- and mid-sized businesses (SMBs). However, the number of doors available to your SMB depends on how you utilize this technology. It’s clearly more than a trend, so how can your SMB get the most out of cloud storage?

Understand Your Purpose — Having a clear picture of your goals will help guide your cloud strategy.
●    Sync and Share — If your goal is to connect people, the cloud is the perfect setting. File sharing and collaboration is a common offering, enabling users to add comments and edit a document simultaneously. User access is provided through a web portal or mobile application, with selective syncing for designated files and devices.
●    Backup — Turn to the cloud to protect, retain, and eventually restore your data. Note that in a sync-and-share environment, a user could inadvertently delete important files, so a distinct solution is needed for backup—one that preserves files separately from their everyday usage.
●    Archive — Cloud storage can be a good solution when saving documents for regulatory compliance or historical reference. It can also work as a form of content distribution, for example, a library of images, logos, and other media.

Watch Your Costs — Cloud storage has tremendous scalability and low cost per unit of storage. However, be sure to keep an eye out for hidden costs, such as fees for data transfers, metadata functions, and bandwidth.

Look for Administrative Controls — Make sure you have administrative control and visibility of your cloud storage. Controls may include monitoring usage, setting user permissions, controlling file sharing, transferring files, and even remotely wiping devices. Protecting your data is particularly important during employee turnover or when sharing with external partners.

Be BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)-Friendly — For employees to use cloud storage, it has to be convenient and accessible. Usually this is achieved through apps on personal mobile devices or via the web on a laptop. Look for strong security features paired with maximum flexibility for users.

Cloud storage is an exciting and cost-effective opportunity for businesses to become more agile, improve collaboration, and manage large volumes of data. To get the most out of your cloud storage, know your goals, watch your costs, demand robust administrative controls, and be device-agnostic. For help developing your cloud storage strategy, contact Infomax Office Systems today.

It’s Time for New Office Technology

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Are your employees spending too much time on routine tasks? Is your office equipment constantly breaking down, resulting in bottlenecks in your workflows? If you answered “yes” to either of these questions, it’s time to consider some technology upgrades within your office space. There is no shortage of revolutionary new office technology features out there that can help improve the efficiency of your daily workflows.

Here are some of the benefits you’ll realize by upgrading your office equipment and taking advantage of the advancements made in office technology in recent years.

Save time and money – New technology is designed with productivity and budgets in mind to save businesses both time and money. Everyday office tasks can be completed quicker than ever, giving your employees the chance to excel in areas that directly affect your core business rather than wasting time on mundane, manual tasks. For example, today’s copiers can do much more than make copies. They can e-mail, scan, fax, image archive, and much more. They also require significantly less upkeep than older devices, minimizing downtime and cutting back on maintenance costs.

Collaborate easier than ever – In order for businesses to succeed, it takes a team effort. Fortunately, today’s office technology makes it simple to collaborate regardless of location. Employees can work remotely, connecting to a central network from anywhere in the world via an Internet connection. Mobile integration technology allows employees to utilize smartphones, laptops, and tablets to email, video chat, conduct sales transactions, and much more.

Say goodbye to learning curves – New technology is designed to be user friendly. If your devices are too complicated for the average employee to operate, that’s a problem. Today’s software is simple, and much of it is customizable to your particular business. For example, you can set up monthly invoice requests to be sent out automatically to all of your regular customers. A small change like this limits data entry work, allowing your employees to get work done in other areas.

Today’s latest technology is designed to make your work life easier. Contact Infomax Office Systems to learn more about some of the exciting new office technology advancements that will positively impact your business.

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Choosing the Best Multifunction Office Printer

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Multifunction office printers, or MFPs, are devices that consolidate the functions of printers, copiers, scanners, and/or fax machines all into one tidy machine. For many budget-oriented companies, multifunction printers are the obvious choice when the goal is to consolidate assets, reduce printing costs, and improve work efficiency.

If you are interested in looking for a multifunction office printer for your small- to medium-sized business, be sure you are making an informed decision with these considerations from Infomax Office Systems:

Understand your office requirements

Before you embark on finding a multifunction office printer, understand what your office requires from the printer. Beyond printing and copying, how can a multifunction printer help manage documents, reduce paper usage, optimize workflows, or manage documents? How often do you need to scan, copy, print, or fax? How many of your employees will be utilizing the office printer? There are many requirements you need to consider before your start your search.

Bottom line cost

When evaluating a multifunction printer, you will need to think beyond the initial cost of just the hardware. There are a number of other expenditures to consider, including supplies and maintenance. Multifunction printers that are initially perceived as being low-cost do not factor in the cost of ink, other consumables, or service costs, and often have a much higher total cost of ownership.

Multifunction printers are useful assets for managing and controlling print and imaging costs. They can add new capabilities to your business if you do your research. The right MFP for your business can improve management of resources for your company, which improves business efficiency.

Connection to existing networks

Another factor to take into consideration when purchasing a multifunction office printer is the integration of the MFP with your existing network. Consider all the components required to deploy your business printer, such as start-up training, software installation, troubleshooting, or upgrading.

Easy usage

Choose a multifunction printer that’s user-friendly to prevent backup and costly employee downtime. Look for MFPs with user-friendly interfaces, minimal training requirements, and easy access to online support. If your MFP does need servicing, find a Managed Print Services company to keep your office printer up and running and stocked with printer supplies.

Document security

Does the multifunction office printer provide the appropriate amount of document security your company requires? If necessary, is the MFP scalable to provide more security if your company needs change?

 

Infomax Office Systems provides businesses with print management services. If your company operates with a multifunction printer and you’re interested in our Managed Print Services, contact us today for more information!

Setting Up Your Office Recycling Program

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The development of a recycling program in the workplace is a great way for your organization to play a part in the improvement of our environment. To help ensure its effectiveness, before you put your program in place, there are a few preparations and assessments that need to take place around the office. Read on for some tips to help you make the most of your organization’s recycling program.

Find a leader – Every project needs a leader, and a recycling program should be no different than any other office project. Find someone who is passionate about the environment to spearhead the program. This person will be a cheerleader to help spread the word, and their enthusiasm will go a long way when it comes to the execution of your recycling program.

Analyze your trash – This may sound a bit strange, but it’s important to pay attention to the type of trash that flows through your office space. Understanding the type of materials that are most often used in your office will help you with further planning. For example, maybe plastic is the most common type of trash material at your workplace. In that case, you will want to include more bins for plastic objects, and maybe even at a larger size than for other materials.

Place recycle bins around the office – Make it as easy as possible for employees to recycle at any location within your office. Always make sure there is a recycling bin anywhere you have a trash can. The kitchen/lunch room, common areas, and reception areas should all have recycling bins. There should also be recycling bins at each desk. It should be extremely difficult for employees to find an excuse not to recycle.

It’s also important to make sure all bins are clearly labeled in large font. Using facility-specific waste images on your bins will also significantly help with the accuracy of recycled materials.

Educate and train – Most employees want to do the right thing and recycle; they just need the proper knowledge to do so. Create a set of recycling guidelines and post them in common areas around the office. These guidelines should include what should and should not be recycled, and where the bins are located. It’s also vital to inform your janitorial staff of your recycling guidelines to ensure that all materials are properly disposed.

Establishing an effective recycling program is a valuable green initiative for businesses of any type or size. Contact Infomax Office Systems today to learn more on how to set up a recycling program at your office.

What to Look for in An Office Printer Before You Buy

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It’s uncanny how an office printer can become a valuable part of your team. The right office printer can make a world of difference.

 

Technological advancements have made it easier and more efficient to run day to day operations digitally, however, the need for print production and office printers has not completely gone by the way side. Whether you have a small, medium or large company, it is imperative to choose the best office printer for your needs. What initially may seem like a minor investment, could turn into costing your company more in the long run. The right printer saves time but, with all the options that are available, can make it difficult to decide which is the right printer for you.

No two offices have the same requirements for printers. In order to ensure you select the best office printer, Infomax believes these are a few important questions to ask first.

How many of your employees require access to the office printer?

The first step is to determine how many employees in your office require access to the office printer on a daily basis. Some smaller businesses do not require high-volume, multifunction printers that are being utilized by numerous employees, on a daily basis. On the contrary, a desktop printer may not meet the demand of large operation companies.

What primary functions does the office printer require?

Multifunction office printers that combine printing, copying, faxing and scanning are a great addition to most offices and can cut down on maintenance and supply costs. However, if your company never faxes or hardly scans documents, you will not need to invest in a multifunction printer and can operate sufficiently with a single-function printer.

Would your company benefit from mobile printing capabilities?

Th advancements in mobile technology not only allows your employees to access documents, on mobile devices, from anywhere they are but also the ability to send projects to your office printers from those devices as well. If your operations require this form of functionality, you will need to select a printer that is equipped with a reliable, easy to use interface.

Do you need an office printer that tracks usage?

A selection of office printers come equipped with software programs that monitor and track usage, helping companies save money. If your company needs to track supplies, usage, order history, and service history, you will need to select an office printer that is capable of interacting with analytic software.

If your company is in need of office printers, contact Infomax today and our specialists will ensure you select the right office printer for your company.

Spot These 4 Prepress Issues & Prevent Them Before It’s Too Late

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Everything you need to know to avoid print press issues.

There are many prepress issues that can arise along the way in the printing process. However, innovations in prepress print solutions, such as improved software and automated checks, have made the printing process more accurate. Despite advancements in printing, there are still some errors that could ruin your print job. The top list of complaints Infomax receives include:

  • Color quality
  • Resolution and compression quality
  • Page area bleed
  • Font selections

Color Quality. Color is one of the most complex and talked about issues when it comes to print production. There are many variables that can affect the color quality when it comes to printing your final product. To get the quality of color you envision, you will need to make sure the CMYK is always in the correct format and not set to RGB. While RGB looks great online, it does not translate well in print.

Resolution and Compression Quality. This is a consistent issue prepress operators face when handling images. In the prepress process, you need to ensure that your image is set to 300 dpi (dots per inch) before sending your project to the printer. The lesser 72 dpi will have your print project coming out pixelated and blurry at completion.

Page Area Bleed. The bleed area is excess image area that will be excluded from your final product. Since pages tend to shift during the printing process, leaving excess image area is vital. One main issue is that the bleed area does not have the correct dimensions, and the printer will need to reprint the image a few times to ensure accuracy. One of the things a computer cannot catch is a lack of bleed, so always be aware of how much bleed your image requires.

Font Selections. Avoid overly complicated fonts, as they can be an issue. Even though this is tempting, do not choose complicated fonts when creating a document to send to print. When the printer receives your file and prints it, their software may not support the font that you have chosen. Your fancy font will be replaced by their default font, producing and end-result that you didn’t expect.