But I couldn’t resist putting together this post’s headline after reading this article, courtesy of eWeek. 

It shares some insights gleaned from this week’s CITE (Consumerization of IT in the Enterprise) Conference and Expo in San
Francisco.

Of particular interest to me, and the text from which I plucked the above acronyms, is this quote from the conference’s keynote speaker, Gary Hamel of the London Business School:

“Employees want the power to make their own decisions, set their own schedules, work from wherever they can be comfortable, and BYOD [bring-your-own-device] helps free them to do that.

“As amazing as it sounds, companies can get along without a hierarchical group of managers if the employees are self-motivated enough to do their work on their own volition. What we’ll be seeing next are concepts such as SYOG (set-your-own-goals), DYOJ (design-your-own-job) and AYOE (approve-your-own-expenses). It’s not that far-fetched.”

And then this, which relates directly to an Office Solutions blog article I posted recently:

“Remember when Tom Peters wrote the mega-bestseller In Search of Excellence in the mid-1980s?” Hamel said. “He focused much of the book on a great, creative company called HP. You know, ‘The HP Way,’ creating new $50 million businesses, the story of the garage, classic Silicon Valley. And HP was an innovator in those days. But then [CEO from 2005 to 2010] Mike Hurd, Mark Hurd—what’s his name?—basically drove all the innovation mojo out of them.”

Also, according to the article, Hamel reflected on the day Steve Jobs introduced the iPad.

“About three or four times during his presentation, he stopped and said: ‘It’s just so beautiful to hold!’ Can you imagine Mark Hurd standing up on stage with an HP product and saying: ‘It’s just so beautiful to hold!’  Not a chance. Companies have to keep reinventing themselves and their products.”

Based on those two key themes—workplace evolution and innovation—it will be interesting to see what other takeaways emerge from the CITE conference.

Because of that experience, plus the fact that I work for a printer technology company, I know color management is critical to those who rely on accurate prints as part of their professional lives.

And I also know how challenging it can be to print truly accurate color, i.e., the colors one sees on the screen of their workstation.

Xerox has for years been a top choice for graphic arts professionals, and the introduction of our Phaser 7800 Color Printer has bolstered our reputation in that regard.

But still, even the pros from time to time can use a little help. To that end, I found this article, courtesy of Adobe, to be quite informative.

It’s a thorough tutorial on color management best practices for those who use Photoshop Elements, which I believe covers most professional graphic designers.

I hope you find it useful.

Today my colleague, Cheryl Otstott, posted a new article on the At Your Service blog. The post, “Xerox ConnectKey™ –
Mobile and Connected to the Cloud,” discusses many of the exciting advantages provided by our new lineup of ConnectKey-enabled printers and MFPs.

With today’s increasing emphasis on BYOD and Cloud connectivity, ConnectKey technology offers the most complete set of tools for businesses of any size that want to stay in stride with rapidly evolving workplace practices.

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.

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.”

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

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.

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.

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?

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.