With more and more devices being connected to the internet, how much of a threat do you believe they pose to the enterprise, and what do you consider is the most concerning threat to these devices?

Answer those questions with Xerox and McAfee on Thursday, 5/17 at 2 p.m. EST/11 a.m. PST. Xerox will be collaborating with McAfee during their May security tweet chat.

Xerox’s security experts, Larry Kovnat (@lkovnat) and Doug Tallinger (@dtallinger) are looking forward to participating with McAfee this month (@McAfeeBusiness). They’ll offer their point of view and respond to your questions related to embedded device and printer security.

Join the discussion on the 17^th by following the #SecChat hashtag on Twitter, TweetDeck or TweetChat. Here are a few things Xerox is interested in learning from you during this #SecChat:

• What are your policies around securing embedded devices?
• Do you include printers in your embedded device security strategy, or are they treated separately?
• What risk do printers pose relative to other embedded devices? How do you deal with it?

Also, stop by McAfee’s blog to see more details – and be sure to keep an eye out for their recap post following the #SecChat in case you missed anything.

Let us know what you think – looking forward to tweeting with you on Thursday!

Click here to view the embedded video.

“Back in black I hit the sack I’ve been too long I’m glad to be back…Forget the hearse ’cause I’ll never die, I got nine lives, Cat’s eyes, Usin’ every one of them and running wild…”

It seems certain to me that this hit song was written as an ode to monochrome printing! For years now, we keep hearing and reading about the demise of black and white printing. Contrary to popular belief, the trends are actually quite the opposite. If the recent reaction to the Xerox D-series launch at Drupa – the world’s largest printing show – is any indication, black and white printing is here to stay and  to thrive, especially in the 100 – 134 pages per minute segment!

One would imagine that with the steady lowering of color printing costs, the overall attractiveness of printing in monochrome would disappear. However, the true advantages of printing in black and white over color, tie directly to the applications printed. From book blocks, security documents, labels to transactional documents, bills and manuals – printing in color might not make sense as monochrome printers are more cost effective and faster. If you add variable data printing to the mix, and the host of advanced inline finishing options available on these ‘light production’ monochrome devices, the equation becomes that much more compelling.

An emerging trend that offers a unique value proposition to printers is the collaboration between monochrome and color printing – also known as a ‘hybrid job.’ Think about creating a document that is predominantly black and white, but uses color strategically to add value to the document using color covers or color inserts – low cost black and white, high impact color create a powerful combination. One such Xerox designed application – Best of Both Worlds –  printed on the Xerox 4112/4127 (predecessor to the Xerox D Series) and the Xerox 700i Digital Color Press has won several industry plaudits ranging from the IAPHC International Gallery of Excellence award to the Gold Ink award. It is a testimony to the capabilities that exist and the opportunities that abound when it comes to monochrome printing.

For the music aficionado, the 1980 song ‘Back in Black’ is known for its opening guitar riff, and the song was AC/DC’s tribute to their former singer Bon Scott. His replacement Brian Johnson recalled to Mojo magazine in 2009 that when the band asked him to write a lyric for this song, “they said, ‘it can’t be morbid – it has to be for Bon and it has to be a celebration.’ And that’s what monochrome printing is all about – a celebration!

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This post originally appeared on the Digital Printing Hot Spot blog

Whether an organization’s goal is to make money or provide a service, it needs to strive for constant improvement and efficiency. When viewed in these terms, the daily workings of a business and a nonprofit are not so different. Perhaps this is why so many nonprofits are following in the footsteps of their business counterparts and bringing their operations to the digital age. For instance, some are using technology to find improvments in communication, document organization and storage, volunteer management, and donor tracking. Nonprofits are finding that technology can streamline processes related to these functions by making information more centralized and processes less redundant.

Print is still important

Even though scores of nonprofits are moving to digital in many ways, paper still plays an important role. In large part, the days of jobbing out to print shops are gone; organizations now have the ability to produce high-quality documents on their own. With today’s printers and MFPs, smaller batches are now more affordable, too.

Print is still an effective tool and shouldn’t be overlooked. In fact, according to Socialbrite.org, a website aimed at helping organizations utilize social media, nonprofits view print material as even more important than Facebook. In an era where so much advertising is done via social media and e-blasts, a direct mail piece actually stands out. The same goes for flyers: you can’t exactly go to a busy intersection and hand out digital advertisements. And, of course, many event materials, such as programs, name tags, sign-in sheets, instructions, etc., are most effective when put in someone’s hands.

Looking ahead

In the future, it’s likely that nonprofits will continue to move toward digital. We are already seeing droves of businesses moving their processes and data storage to cloud-hosted solutions. Nonprofits are sure to follow. Also, a few of the items we mentioned earlier, like sign-in sheets, can already be completed digitally. As costs for these technologies decrease, we are likely to see more and more aspects go electronic.

Of course, the success of a new technology depends on its adoption. We’ve all seen cutting-edge equipment go to waste because no one uses it. The rate of adoption of new technology by nonprofits depends mostly on the willingness to adapt and accept change. The important message to convey to others is that these aren’t just “changes,” but that they are “good changes.” Simply put, technology allows us to do more with less, which is a great thing.

Technology can’t reach its true potential, though, unless those using it buy into it. How can you foster this attitude? For instance, giving specific examples of how storing documents digitally will save a department a certain amount of hours is a great way to get acceptance rolling. Planning in-depth training right off the bat will help alleviate the initial frustration of learning new concepts, while providing ongoing tips can help everyone get the most mileage out of your new technology. This is especially true given the typical volunteer or paid nonprofit staff member isn’t going to start out as a power user.

In the end, we can see that the technology trail of nonprofits often follows the same path as small business. Clearly, the landscape of the business sector drives those entities to seek competitive advantage through technology. While nonprofits may not have that particular pressure, they are still accountable to their board and supporters and should likewise take into account how embracing technology can enhance the services they provide.

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The content shared in this blog post is the author’s opinion and does not necessarily reflect the views of Xerox. Shawn Kendrick is a researcher and blogger for VolunteerHub, a cloud-based volunteer management software application that offers online event registration, email and SMS (text) messaging, report generation, and much more. VolunteerHub is a member of Xerox’s Free Color Printers Program: https://www.freecolorprinters.xerox.com/vhub/volunteerhub.jsp

Recently, I had the opportunity to speak with a 1^st grade class at a local elementary school about two topics that don’t always complement each other… technology and the environment.

In a world of Barney and Dora, children these days have a good understanding of why it is important to practice the three R’s (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle). The students already had a good understanding of Earth Month, and volunteered several excellent ideas showing what they do to care for the earth.

• “Fix things rather than buy a new thing.”
• “Walk to school, or ride your bike!”
• “Pick up trash.”

My favorite, however, was “Clean your room.” At first thought, I found it to be an odd suggestion. However, after further discussion I realized what he meant was that if you have a clean room, then you can find your toys, shoes, etc. when you need them. Then, you won’t have to buy new items to replace the things you can’t find. That struck me as a unique way to look at a problem from a different angle. This was a great lead in to talk about how technology can be done differently – and how it can be friendlier to the environment.

In order to show the class one example of how technology can work with nature, we printed the ideas they came up with on sheets of seeded paper through a ColorQube MFP. Seed paper is just what it sounds like – sheets of paper with non-invasive wildflower seeds embedded into it.  Not only were the seeds actually in the paper, they were preserved during the printing process by the solid ink technology.

The class delighted at the sight of a solid ink stick.  Most thought it looked like a large crayon, and did not seem at all surprised that there was little more to the printing process than marking the “crayon” on the page.  Each child was given their own sheet of paper and took the page home to see the flowers grow from their printed ideas.

I was expecting that a discussion with 1^st graders about technology and the environment would be difficult. But children this young have open minds and they responded positively to the idea of finding a different way to get something done. After seeing a true example of how technology can work with the environment, I hope the knowledge might have a lasting impact so they grow up to continue responsible actions that are good for the environment in the future.

And hopefully they will have cleaner rooms as well.

Is it just me or has life sped up, but left us no time to do everything we’re required to do? Work, life, fun, exercise, family, friends – let’s add a few more hours to the day or maybe we could evolve as a human race to need less sleep so we can get more out of a day?

There are countless tips and tricks out there that explain how to do more with less. Today, it’s a necessity. To anyone who asks how I stay productive (I can’t say it enough) the sub-calendar I set up in Outlook as a to-do list is a must. It’s the only way I manage my time and get work done. Without it, my life would be chaos.

With most people agreeing chaos is the norm today, how can we simplify our lives? I start by paying more attention to the little things in life; slowing down, not rushing. I try to acknowledge what brings me joy and recognize what’s important. When you focus on what matters most in your life, you feel happier, which usually results in you being more productive at work. It’s a win, win.

What steps are you taking to simplify your life and your work? In this busy world of ours, let’s find a way to progress together.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Over the recent April school break, I finally got the chance to see The Lorax.  As I watched my 6-year-old laugh out loud at the film’s humor, I couldn’t help but think about the film’s message and how things have changed – or not – in the 40 years since the book was written.

The Lorax is one of Dr. Seuss’ less-disguised social commentaries, pointedly highlighting the dangers posed by industrial development and corporate greed.  In the story, an entrepreneur named the Once-ler invents a garment called a Thneed, made from the prized tuft of the Truffula tree.  He cuts more and more trees to meet demand, leaving environmental carnage behind, until, finally, he cuts down the last tree.  Unable to produce any more product, his company folds and he retreats to a reclusive existence.

Despite the rhyming text and whimsical pictures, Dr. Seuss’ point is not at all subtle: disregard for the implications of business growth not only compromise the world in which we live, but also the ongoing viability of the business itself.

So where are we today?  There is certainly a lot of attention to environmental issues and corporate responsibility.  But have things really changed?

From our vantage point at Xerox, the answer would be yes.  Among Xerox’s customers, energy and waste are top of mind today, just as they were in the mid-1990’s when we first systematically started looking at our products’ environmental impacts.  What has changed is the level of detail our customers are looking for – today they want to know how much we can help reduce their energy costs and carbon footprint, and to make it easy for them to reduce waste.  Programs such as our Green World Alliance for recycling and managing consumables waste have evolved over time to meet those expectations.  Today, we also have customers asking us to help them print less, finding ways to improve their processes and manage their information without putting marks on paper.

Growth is certainly top of mind for nearly all companies today, but we don’t see our customers solely focused on “biggering” (the Once-ler’s word) their operations at the expense of all else.  While I won’t speculate on motivations, customers are increasingly raising the bar on their environmental expectations.  The reality is, especially in the early stages of paying attention to environmental issues, what is good for the company in the long term is very often also good for the environment.  Waste nearly inevitably equates to unnecessary cost and environmental impact.  And, as Dr. Seuss so effectively illustrates, by ignoring the environmental impact of his operations, the Once-ler ultimately drove himself out of business by depleting the very raw material that made his product possible.

While many view environmental sustainability as a moral issue, the reality is that “business is business, and business must grow!”  The good news is that growing business doesn’t need to equal “biggering factories, biggering roads, biggering wagons, and biggering loads.”  Companies that are striving to operate responsibly continually look for cost-effective ways to achieve their goals – both financial and environmental.

Even though we are well into the “digital age,” most organizations are still dealing with an abundance of  paper-based documents.  The challenges are numerous – the cost associated with creating, revising, and capturing (scanning), complying with regulations, finding information when you need it, and providing customers with access to public information.

Paper documents are really “unstructured” data and it’s easy to see the advantages gained with “structured” digital documents.  Structured documents hold data that is 100% searchable, meaning you can quickly find information when you need it. Other benefits include the ability to collaborate, version control, and manage documents throughout their lifecycle as you access, edit and process them. As an added bonus, digital documents can be securely archived and you can backup your data with the peace of mind knowing that it’s protected from accidents and natural disasters. The good news is that there are many business document automation solutions available that can enable you to create structured documents and improve the flow of information throughout your office.

Many businesses “automate” with basic scanning like  scan to e-mail or scan to a network folder – without realizing you can do so much more.  In fact, some users e-mail a document to themselves only to rename it and send it to its final destination. This requires many time-consuming steps and lacks “structure,” or identifying data, making it difficult to effectively use the document later.

One of the most efficient ways to automate your business processes is to leverage equipment you likely already own – your multifunction printers (MFPs). These multi-tasking devices used in conjunction with the proper workflow solution can offer you document workflows that are highly intuitive and simple to deploy.  For example, you can walk up to your MFP, select a customized workflow and securely scan your documents directly to the correct destination, along with identifying data for that file.  Items like file name, file type, destination (single or multiple), e-mail alerts, approvals, and more can be set up and used every time you scan.

Understanding the challenges businesses face as they try to manage paper vs. digital documents, Xerox developed a way to simplify those tasks with the LiveKey Business Process Connector.  This solution enables the use of Xerox MFPs to instantly and securely capture paper-based documents and digitally transport them to Xerox business processing centers, replacing the manual method of copying, sorting, creating cover sheets, and shipping. Now, these “structured” documents are received the same day they are scanned.  The result is a much faster process that is more secure and less costly.

Think about where you are storing some of your most important business documents right now and how much time you spend just shuffling paper around. Are your documents safe and can you find information for things like customer requests, legal actions, and regulatory audits?

Bring your own device or BYOD is becoming the global norm. Prices for consumer electronics decrease while capabilities increase. People are discovering devices purchased for personal use outperform those provided by IT. The pervasiveness of these devices is allowing employees to stay more connected, work with greater agility, and be more effective.

There is an expectation that a user should be able to have the same tools and capabilities between work and home. The upcoming generation already views traditional websites like cave paintings, email like hand-written letters sealed with wax, and any communication over 140 characters as self-indulgent. This transformation has also introduced risk.

The two fundamental areas of concern are access and protecting data on these application-ready devices that are integrated with cloud services and social media. On average, users have four devices they use interchangeably between their personal and professional lives. An IT department that, for example, was concerned with protecting 10,000 user devices, such as an IT-issued laptop, now worries about 40,000 devices – most of which aren’t managed by IT.

The IT technocracy once dictated what devices would be allowed and usage standards; this has given way to a dynamic environment. Just like other disruptive trends – landline telephones, personal computers and the Internet, BYOD can open up avenues for abuse if absent security.

To mitigate data loss and control access, IT can take steps across three areas allowing them to say “yes” to BYOD without increasing risk:

1. Smartphones
2. Tablets, laptops and desktops
3. Virtual desktops

Smartphone security shouldn’t entail managing users in different directories – laptops, tablets, and smartphone brand x.  This introduces too much complexity and overhead. Centralizing user privileges and associating a user with a device, and configurations for VPN, wireless, mail services, etc. should be the focus. Other necessary capabilities are policy enforcement such as what versions of smartphone are allowed, backups, tracking and full data wipes if a phone is lost, and partial data wipes when an employee leaves an organization and corporate data has to be removed without deleting personal data.

BYOD for tablets, laptops, and desktops can make use of network access control or NAC. NAC offers control over assets entering the corporate network and interacting with business assets. User privileges are associated with devices, and controls around OS, patch level, anti-malware, etc. can be used to determine access.

Virtual desktop infrastructure or VDI allows users of BYOD assets to run a virtual desktop within their device. The virtual image is stored within their datacenter for centralized configuration. A device can only access the IT environment through the VDI client which can be configured so data doesn’t stay persistent and copy and paste, screenshots, etc. can be disabled, creating a clean bifurcation between data in the datacenter and what’s on the user’s device.

By applying security controls across these areas the value of BYOD can be embraced while mitigating many of its inherent risks.

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The content shared in this blog post is the author’s opinion and does not necessarily reflect the views of Xerox. Brian Contos is the customer security strategist and senior director of Vertical & Emerging Market Solutions at McAfee. To read more blogs by Brian Contos, please visit: http://mcaf.ee/had81.

I got into a disagreement the other day with a colleague of mine.  We are same age and have had roughly the same tenure in our careers, but we disagreed sharply on the pace and impact of the “tablet revolution” for business.   I think that the tipping point for business is well underway.  The tablet is the new “off ramp” replacing paper in many situations.  My colleague firmly believes it will be years before tablets really make any sense for business users; displacing laptops or displacing most printed documents.

My reasoning for believing that we are witnessing a dramatic shift for business is simply the blue-covered Apple iPad sitting on my desk (yes, BYOD).  I considered all the ways I’ve already begun to use it in my day-to-day practices.  I don’t take my laptop to meetings anymore, unless I have to project PowerPoint slides in the conference room  or over WebEx.  Otherwise, I take my iPad – good for notes, and of course, to multitask in all those meetings.

I find this to be true even more so than I did with my smartphone.  That’s because the line between my personal “fun” activities and business activities increasingly blur with the lure of  tablet-based apps.  With very few exceptions, I don’t use a laptop outside the office anymore, and once Microsoft Office is available for the iPad, there were be very few things I won’t do on my tablet.

While enjoying a sunny deck or cozy fire, I am a flipper. I flip from business email, to reading the latest Fast Company article in Flipboard to tweeting my latest blog. Then, I might hop onto a search engine to find marketing research for my next project, while downloading the latest issue of International Living, dreaming of a retirement house in Belize. After that, doing a quick search to see what to watch on Netflix later or look for recipe for dinner. Was I working?  Was I playing?  Yes and yes.  Would I have done the same thing with my laptop or my smartphone?  Certainly not as fluidly, or at all.

Ethnographic researchers at PARC even have a new name for this kind of emerging social and digital phenomena, they call it “Channel Blending.” When our work, personal worlds and rich media are colliding at a breathtaking pace, doesn’t it say business will follow the trend? In fact, Cisco has an entire portfolio focused on collaboration through multimedia communications channels  for business.

While all those examples are true, my colleague still disagreed with me, arguing that printed paper and laptops are here for the long haul because “everyday working people” aren’t buying tablet devices for themselves given cost,  today’s economy and not for use at work. She agreed that executives and highly mobile workers will invest or be invested in, but what about everyone else?

She insisted that not many people are true “mobile” workers. I thought about that. I started down the list. Doctors and nurses, medical professionals?  Not in the traditional sense of mobile, but they sure move around in their jobs.  More and more of them use tablets because it avoids error prone, cluttered paper records, protects confidentiality and collects and electronically stores information while sitting with a patient.

Recently, a small business owner at a fencing company told me that paperwork is still the common denominator when dealing with clients; he’s still faxing and keeping paper records.  But, he also does an awful lot of redundant data entry when he gets home on his computer.  He wishes he didn’t.

Right now, maybe a tablet is just a fancy accessory for a banker or accountant, until the day comes when they can get to all the data they need from a tablet. Hotel registration requires paper signatures, but for how long? Will a hotel concierge stop handing out pamphlets of information to guests?  Will that brochure display station by the front desk switch to a set of QR codes with a voice over display so I can flip through all them at my leisure?  I say maybe, and maybe pretty soon.

What do you think about the tablet revolution – are we at the tipping point or are laptops here for the long haul?

Children today are surrounded by technology, earning them the title of “The Digital Natives.” They have grown up with gadgets.  They don’t remember a time before the Internet, smartphones and text messaging.  Have you seen the YouTube video where a one-year-old girl is navigating her way around an iPad but is completely confused when her dad gives her a magazine?  She doesn’t understand why the magazine won’t respond to her swipe and tap gestures. She even checks to make sure her finger is still working.  Amazing. And all of this technology is in full, vibrant, often high-definition color.

When I was growing up, we had a small black and white television in our kitchen.  If I told that to my 7- and 9-year-old children, I’m not sure they’d even understand what I meant.  Today, color is not an option. It’s not a “nice to have.”  It’s everywhere.  Just look at the nearest parking lot to see the bright eye-catching colors car manufacturers are now using.  Or walk into a Target store. You may have seen their latest commercial that declares, “Color Changes Everything.”  The moment you walk into the store you’re facing a sea of incredibly bright, colorful products – from handbags to house wares – say goodbye to monochrome and hello to color!

Researchers have studied the effects of color – how it can stimulate the brain and how different colors can prompt different emotions.  Interior decorators, graphic and web designers and advertisers well understand the impact of color.  But does our school system value color?

Educators are absolutely focused on trying to improve student performance.  U.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, called it a wake-up call when a 2009 study showed that students in the U.S. are falling behind other countries when it comes to math, reading and science. Out of 34 countries, the U.S. ranked 14^th in reading, 17^th in science and an even more concerning 25^th in math.

At Xerox, we recently completed months of research to better understand the K-12 market.  Teachers and school administrators will tell you their top priority is improving student performance.  But do they consider the research of how color can stimulate learning? One teacher told me, “Sure, color is nice. But I’m focused on teaching my students to read and write. Now if you can tell me that color will help do that, you’ve got my interest.”  So we asked students what they thought.  And they overwhelmingly agree – color makes a difference.

We worked with Harris Interactive and surveyed more than 1,000 students, grades 3-12.  An impressive 77 percent believe color would make schoolwork more interesting and would make it easier to focus on the important information, as well as remember it easier.  Students also say color would help them learn more in complex subjects such as science. But seven in ten said currently, very few or none of their handouts they receive in class have pictures, charts or graphs in color.

I’m not suggesting that simply adding color to documents will put the U.S. Education system back on top; but perhaps it’s a piece of the puzzle.  After all, today’s digital natives are used to seeing color in all the technology they use. They expect their homework to look just as interesting and appealing.  And if it does, perhaps they’ll spend a little more time on their schoolwork before they rush off to play on their Nintendo DSi or iPad.

What do you think?

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This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of Xerox from Nov. 16-28, 2011 among 1,002 students in grades 3-12. Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, parental education, urbanicity and region were weighted where necessary to bring the overall sample into line with their actual proportions in the population of U.S. 8-18 year olds. Because the sample is based on those who agreed to be invited to participate in the Harris Interactive online research panel, no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.