Printer and MFP dealers using a "Click Charge" model to bill customers for device usage in addition to the standard monthly lease face an uphill battle. It sounds simple enough-collecting data for every page printed in black & white or color and billing accordingly-but it's actually quite a challenge.
The problem is the standard method for collecting and reporting this data is incredibly inefficient. While many manufacturers have developed software to read and report usage data automatically, most are manufacturer-specific, and some use different tools for different device-series. This makes it difficult for small and mid-size dealers to afford and manage all these tools and still achieve an ROI.
Instead, dealers rely on the customer to call in or report meter data online on a monthly basis. This can be a tall order, especially for customers that run 300+ devices, each requiring someone to manually collect a serial number, color meter, mono meter and total meter and report this to the dealer monthly. The system is not only grossly inefficient but also clearly introduces room for error, or even intentional fraud.
Aiming to bridge the gap, MWAi has worked with Paessler, the innovative network monitoring solutions specialist, to leverage its industry-leading PRTG Network Monitor that already provides the most powerful, affordable and easy-to-use network monitoring solutions on the market.
Based on the PRTG platform, MWAi has developed a feature set called iMPS™ Sensor that covers multiple facets of the meter monitoring and Click Charge challenge, including:
In addition to usage monitoring, PRTG with MWAi's sensor also solves one of the most aggravating challenges dealers face: the mysterious "the MFP is not working" customer call. There are literally hundreds of potential causes for device malfunction-from a simple power cable being unplugged or a paper tray left open to a more complex network disconnection. Or, perhaps the Scan and Email tool reported an SMTP error or the domain controller is unavailable for user authentication. Still other problems deliver cryptic error messages on the device display that force even the savviest technical support team to wade through the 1,000-page tech manual to find the problem.
The iMPS™ Sensor for PRTG monitors for all these conditions, sending alerts and reports in clear text-no cryptic error codes or general "the device isn't working" phone calls. In an industry where Service Call Avoidance is THE KEY to reducing service costs, the iMPS™ Sensor for PRTG is the ideal tool to achieve these goals.
As one example, let's say the admin receives an alert that the service door of a device is open long before a user shows up in front of the device to notice the error message. Rather than sending an engineer on site, he can simply consult the sensor to pinpoint the device location, call the employee whose desk is closest to the device and simply ask him/her to close the service door. That's call avoidance at its best.
The complete list of parameters the iMPS™ Sensor for PRTG can extract from a machine include:
As the only sensor on the market that can monitor MFPs to this depth, the iMPS™ Sensor for PRTG is also ideal for imaging channel partners looking to diversify their income, expand to include IT services and evolve into Managed Service Providers (MSPs). Conversely, the deep monitoring capabilities of PRTG Network Monitor from Paessler will provide MFP-channel service providers an easy way to extend their monitoring service offering to include MFPs, as well as a wide range of other IT devices -from routers and switches to servers and even desktop machines for complete IT infrastructure monitoring.
As printers and MFPs evolve to perform a broader array of digital tasks, the integration of these devices as part of the overall IT infrastructure is inevitable. This iMPS™ Sensor provides an outstanding solution to an industry that has been craving a tool for managing complex devices for decades.
MWAi's iMPS™ Sensor is not part of the PRTG core product, but it is available directly from MWAi for seamless integration into any PRTG installation.
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