MPS Monitor launches UK operation

Managed print player MPS Monitor has launched a UK operation and added an industry veteran to its board as it gets serious about increasing its European growth.

MPS Monitor UK will be owned and managed by the Italy-based headquarters, with CEO Nicola De Blasi bringing his experience to bear on the efforts to expand operations. To add more insight into the market, print industry veteran Ian McRae has been added to the board.

The UK operation will also be used to reach out to Ireland and the Nordics, which have also been identified as locations that could deliver results for MPS Monitor.

The task is to work with the channel to encourage more partners to get involved with managed print services (MPS) and work with their customers to move away from legacy systems.

“Print is evolving and needs modern monitoring solutions that deliver a fresh and new perspective to effectively address the ongoing challenges of security, print transparency and cost control. Businesses in the UK, Ireland and the Nordics are receptive to embracing print management solutions that deliver against their changing requirements,” said De Blasi.

“This makes the UK a terrific place to invest to respond to growing demand from businesses located in these countries. Furthermore, these countries have some of the most mature print ecosystems, and they are a hotbed for print innovation and innovative service and support. We are confident that we can rapidly bring the tangible benefits and award-winning value of MPS Monitor to customers based in these territories,” he added.

McRae, who has a CV that stretches back years in the printing world, becomes MPS Monitor UK’s general manager.

“This is an extremely exciting time, as hybrid print models and cloud-based print monitoring become the template for modern organisations globally,” he said.

McRae added that the MSP Monitor offering should interest UK channel partners: “It will deliver enhanced security, deeper data insights and a highly productive user experience, resulting in more value than they have seen before. It presents a compelling proposition for new and existing channel partners.”

The growth of interest in managed print services has been a recent theme in the industry. Last month, Epson restructured its management team to put more focus on the area. The print player has seen increased demand for its heat-free inkjet solutions, under a managed print service, and responded to that with some changes.

Richard Wells, previously responsible for sales across Epson’s whole business portfolio, will now head a division dedicated to managed print services for business inkjet. The team is also able to tap into the efforts of channel manager Nick Taylor, who runs a team of partner-focused account managers working directly with the channel, and business manager Mark Rosindell, who is responsible for a team of product management and framework specialists dedicated to managed print services and public sector sales for business inkjet.

“Having met with businesses and partners in Glasgow during COP26, the appetite for a more sustainable solution is clearly on the rise, and turning down the heat with a heat-free printer is just another simple choice we can make to reduce our environmental impacts,” he said.