Business Of Work

We’re all aware of the seemingly ubiquitous banter regarding the industrialized world’s shift to a mobile workforce. But is what we hear media hype, or truly an indicator that a dramatic evolution is underway?

In this incredibly informative Forbes.com article, the author makes a strong case in support of worker mobility, and discusses the many benefits in terms of new-found efficiencies and increased productivity.

To quote from the piece: “For workers and employers alike, the mobile revolution represents a sea change in productivity and the very nature of work itself. Work can be performed from anywhere, freeing workers from the tethers of a commute or finding day care for their children. Employers benefit from lower overhead, greater productivity, and heightened morale from a labor force that no longer sees work as a mere place to go, but as an integral part of a life lived on their terms.”

In my mind that statement perfectly encapsulates the many reasons why workplace mobility is not simply a fad, but rather a major shift in how many of us should expect our workplace environments to evolve.

As reported by ZDNet, Verizon’s Data Breach Investigations Report shows that, “Authentication-based attacks factored into about four of every five breaches involving hacking in 2012.”

The report states that password-protected systems were hacked using such methods as guessing, cracking, or reusing valid credentials. Of those methods, it’s obvious that the reuse of valid credentials is the most troubling in terms of everyday users unwittingly contributing to the overall data-breach threat.

“The easiest and least-detectable way to gain unauthorized access is to leverage someone’s (or something’s) authorized access,” the report stated.

But the report is more an indictment of password-based authentication in general than of user complicity (either unknowing or through carelessness) in password-based attacks.

From the report: “If we could collectively accept a suitable replacement (for passwords), it would’ve forced about 80% of these attacks to adapt or die. We’ve talked about the shortcomings of passwords for years now, and if it were an easy problem (or the pain caused by password problems was greater), it’d be fixed by now.”

Today one of my Xerox colleagues shared a fantastic article written by guest blogger Lisa Rawa, President of Marketing for Printing Industries of America.

Ms. Rawa discusses the value of print, and it’s importance in light of all the recent false claims made by industry giants such as Google and Toshiba, stating that print is not socially responsible or environmentally friendly (Google’s ‘Go Paperless in 2013’ and Toshiba’s ‘National No Print Day’). Printing Industries of America created the ‘Value of Print’ campaign as a response to false claims about print’s negative impact on the environment and the loss of its effectiveness.

Interesting facts from the campaign:

• Printing is the only medium with a one-time carbon footprint, as all other media require energy every time they are viewed
• 67% of online searches are driven by offline messages, with 39% of shoppers making a purchase
• 76% of small businesses state that their ideal marketing mix is a combination of print and digital communications

(Today we announced an exciting new rewards program for buyers of Xerox Genuine Supplies. The press release follows.)

ROCHESTER, N.Y., April 8, 2013 – Buying supplies just got a lot more fun with Xerox’s new loyalty program which lets customers redeem points for gift cards, downloadable music, movies, books, Xerox equipment and more.

Genuine Xerox Rewards, with more than three million items to choose from, is the first of its kind for this industry. Beyond the opportunity to enjoy the program’s unique rewards package, using genuine Xerox supplies is a smart business decision, as it protects the equipment and ensures years of reliable operation and quality output. The program also validates the authenticity of the products, letting customers know they are purchasing genuine supplies, not counterfeit items.

The program rewards customers using authentic Xerox solid ink and toner products for their desktop single and multifunction printers. Customers immediately earn 1,000 points for enrolling in the program, one point for every dollar spent on Xerox supplies and an additional 100 points for each eligible device registered.

Recognizing the different supply needs and purchasing requirements of customers, Genuine Xerox Rewards offers the following:

• Points can be accumulated no matter where supplies are purchased, including Xerox partners, resellers, retail stores or eCommerce websites.
• Incentives can be redeemed with even small point balances.
• Rewards can be directed as gifts to family and friends or as charitable donations.
• Extra points can be garnered when customers participate in other activities on the rewards website.
• Points do not expire as long as users remain active in the program.

For more information on Genuine Xerox Rewards, visit www.xerox.com/rewards.

Creative agency Martino Flynn, which developed our “Day in the Life” series of videos in support of our recent ConnectKey launch, shares some insight into what made the project fun and rewarding for all involved.

Visit the Xerox ConnectKey site to learn more about the ways in which our groundbreaking technology delivers unparalleled advantages for any business looking for true simplicity.

It stands for Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool, a product registration that helps consumers identify “greener” electronics.

Initially intended for PCs and displays, the EPEAT rating system was created more than six years ago and today is used by eight national governments, including the U.S. While some describe EPEAT as a rating tool, it is most similar to an ecolabel. A trademark green check denotes a product that has achieved EPEAT Product Registration.

Last month, it was expanded to include printers, copiers and other imaging equipment.

In addition to providing consumers with a tool, it was also intended to provide marketplace rewards for innovation by clearly recognizing products that reduce environmental and health impacts.

To achieve EPEAT Registration, a device must meet at least 33 environmental performance criteria. A product can achieve a higher rating by meeting up to 26 additional criteria. Rating points include the use of recycled and recyclable materials, design for recycling, energy efficiency, packaging and corporate performance.

When EPEAT was expanded to include printers, copiers and multifunction devices last month, Xerox showcased 19 products that achieved EPEAT Registration.  The company is committed to seeking EPEAT for its other products.

Another value of EPEAT is that it creates a culture of judging the environmental superiority of a product on the impacts across its entire life cycle and not just one phase, such as the product use, which has traditionally been the focus.

Will you look for the EPEAT check when you’re shopping for a printer?

An interesting study conducted by SourceFire, “25 Years of Vulnerabilities,” concludes that among the major smartphone operating systems, Apple’s iOS contains more software vulnerabilities than Android, Windows and Blackberry combined.

However, as explained in this ZDNet report, there are several key factors at play that make iOS appear more vulnerable than the other operating systems.

Regardless, as enterprise businesses continue to embrace the BYOD (bring your own device) trend and implement their own workplace policies regarding employees’ usage of personal smartphones and tablets for business purposes, extra emphasis needs to be placed on ensuring that proper safeguards are in place to protect mission-critical data from outside exploitation.

An interesting story courtesy of Infoworld.com, “Researcher hijacks insecure embedded devices en masse for Internet census,” provides yet one more piece of powerful evidence in support of network printer and MFP security.

From the piece: “Even though this particular botnet doesn’t appear to have been used for malicious purposes, it highlights the potential for abuse of poorly configured embedded devices by cyber criminals…”

I believe it’s still widely unrecognized by the business world that any printer or MFP connected to the Internet is a potential point-of-entry for hackers with malicious intentions. And, as the Infoworld article shows, the threats are real, as are the vulnerabilities.

With the recent launch of our ConnectKey devices, we’ve introduced the right technology at the right time to help businesses safeguard their critical data from web-based intruders.

Check out this quick video that discusses a few of the powerful technologies built into ConnectKey devices.

It’s a safe bet that most of this blog’s readers are familiar with the book Moneyball and/or the movie of the same name, or at

Photo courtesy ZDNet.

least know the premise behind the story.

It’s a story of how big-data analytics was employed in Major League Baseball (specifically, the Oakland A’s) to predict the positive contributions made by players based on career statistics, and then how those predictions were compared to players’ salaries to help a team decide who would make the best roster additions from a true-value standpoint.

That data used for such analysis went way beyond the headline-friendly statistics popular among casual fans such as a player’s batting average, stolen bases and runs batted in.

At the time, the Oakland A’s general manager, Billy Bean, was loudly decried for such tactics, with fans and media calling for his head as the team struggled early in the 2002 season. But when the team turned its season around and won an American League-record 20 games in a row with one of the lowest payrolls in the major leagues, and then made the playoffs, his methods became validated and widely adopted throughout baseball.

While analytics is relatively new to professional sports, it’s been a critical part business strategy for quite some time. And the ability to capture, distill and analyze Big Data, as it’s known today, is an ever-increasing component of running a successful business.

Although this article from ZDNet.com focuses on the ways in which Big Data plays a major role in today’s sports world, it’s easy to draw a correlation between the importance of analyzing sports data and the critical need for businesses to approach statistical analysis in similar fashion.

Today, in our fifth and final installment of the Xerox ConnectKey video series, we’re highlighting the unparalleled workflow efficiencies unlocked by the groundbreaking lineup of ConnectKey MFPs.

“Xerox ConnectKey: Something for Everyone,” is a humorous dramatization of several real-world office scenarios in which staff members’ tasks are dramatically simplified by a host of innovative features and capabilities.

The brightly illuminated color touch screen provides easy access to a wealth of workflow-optimizing capabilities. Onboard scanning solutions come standard, and require no extra software or middleware: Single Touch Scan; on-box Optical Character Recognition with searchable PDF creation; secure PDF; print from and scan to USB device; Scan to Email, Mailbox, and Network.

The business world is complex enough – your business processes don’t have to be. We give you the tools and technologies that make it possible to automate common office workflows, to turn challenges into routine tasks, and to greatly simplify the ways in which you share business-critical information.

I encourage you to watch the video and then visit our Xerox ConnectKey site to learn more.