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As one of the world’s fastest growing printing solution brands, Samsung Printing Solutions has quickly expanded its presence in the industry in the past few years. Its product line-up alone has gone from 10% completion with only A4 entry-level devices to 98% completion, including a variety of A3 offerings.
Samsung now serves businesses of all sizes and industries with award-winning products. In consequence, the industry’s perception of the brand has changed. If Samsung was once a late entrant in the print industry, now it is a major player.
At this year’s National Dealer Meeting, Samsung showed its U.S. partners its vision and strategy for the future. In response to the detailed presentations and product demos, the partner dealers gave their feedback.
Samsung completes its line-up of A4 and A3 printers
Samsung’s dealers are taking full advantage of the recently completed product line-up. For instance, Arizona Business Systems, a Phoenix-based document solution provider, claims that Samsung has doubled their growth in the last three years, since the brand started offering A3 products.
Specifically, Samsung’s flagship A3 product—the MultiXpress 7—is bringing in considerable revenue. Brian Gertler, Senior Vice President of LDI Color Toolbox, a New York digital document solutions provider, remarks on the benefits of the flagship series from a dealer’s perspective: “Our account reps are very excited about the new MX series because they have expanded range of clients that will be able to use this particular device. So it means more revenue to them, more commissions, and growth for the company.”
The Smart UX Center as a tool for collaboration and customization
Samsung’s MultiXpress 4 and 7 series come with the Smart UX Center, the world’s first Android user interface for printers. The Smart UX Center is a new printing ecosystem comprising a tablet interface, printing apps and widgets, and development support. With this ecosystem, the user can customize their printer’s interface and use a variety of apps to optimize their document workflow.
From a dealer’s point of view, the Smart UX Center is a true selling point, both in terms of introducing a user-friendly printer and providing clients with customized solutions.
“As a dealer we find that having a device that customers are already familiar with because of the Android interface is a tremendous benefit,” says Gertler. “The fact that we can build professional development and professional services this time is an added benefit, a revenue producer, and will allow us to grow in an entire new area in a dealership.”
Smart UX Center apps are developed with Android, making it easy for developers and dealers to create customized printing apps. Samsung’s Software Developer Kit is a package of Android APIs and a multifunction printer simulator, tools with which developers can easily make Smart UX apps.
According to Roland Vaughn, Chief Information Officer an Oklahoma solutions provider ImageNet Consulting, uses the Software Developer Kit to develop apps optimized for clients’ workflows. “Using the Samsung device, we were able to develop an application to meet a need that we had internally that was costing us money,” says Vaughn. “Customers always have difficulty entering service calls, or putting up meter readings, or requesting toner. That was always a process that required intervention on their part, and a lot of labor on our part. Working with Samsung we were able to develop an application in less than 30 days to automate that process.”
Technical support for partners
Because Samsung conducts its business through partnership with dealers, it works endlessly to expand its support system for its partners. Samsung’s support tools and platforms for its partners reflect its ongoing commitment to drive mutual growth.
Michael Sferra, Director of Mid-Market Strategic Sales at Chicago-based ImageTec remarks on the support he receives from Samsung. “Samsung has assisted us through the process from the launch to the different programs that they have for marketing to our client base, and really have made a tremendous effort in terms of training our service force, our sales force,” says Sferra.
Among many other examples of support, John Mack, Vice President of Arizona Business Systems, picked well-trained technicians and high-quality service overall as key benefits. “Especially now with any A3 product, you definitely need your technicians trained and your factories trained, from the east coast, to the west coast,” says Mack.
Samsung ensures that their service engineers are well-informed and supported through the Smart Printer Diagnostic System (SPDS), a mobile app with image and video guides for troubleshooting Samsung printers. For additional support, engineers can log on to Samsung’s Technical Support Portal, where difficult-to-resolve errors are discussed.
Vaughn at ImageNet Consulting shares similar feelings of appreciation for Samsung’s support: “They’ve always provided the support that we’ve needed, and they are very responsive,” says Vaughn. “While we’ve been servicing their machines, or multifunction devices, whenever we needed an update for firmware or a new feature, they have been completely willing to, if needed, fly in an engineer from Korea to fix it. We relish that partnership and that kind of partner service.”
Sferra at ImageTec cites a famous Wayne Gretzky quote that illustrates why they partnered up with Samsung: “You don’t skate to where the puck is…You skate to where the puck is going to be.” He says he wanted a partner with the depth and the resources that can bring his business to the next level, and that was Samsung.
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