MPS Providers Expand Their Sights

Even as managed print services grow, providers of MPS are starting to branch out in order to have a role with customers that goes beyond traditional print. "They're now extending that value to the IT environment, to provide a type of service offering that will enable the end user to better manage its entire IT landscape," Kmetz said. "Just doing print solutions is significant, but if you're helping a customer manage its IT environment, you're now critically important to a customer." One example of the trend is Konica Minolta's acquisition in 2011 of All Covered, an IT service provider focused on areas including cybersecurity and cloud.