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InfoTrends Embarks on Comprehensive Study on the Opportunity for Professional Services in the Office Equipment Market

InfoTrends is pleased to announce that it will be conducting a comprehensive multi-client study entitled Professional Services: The Final Differentiator and Untapped Annuity Stream for the Office Equipment Market. The goal of this study is to determine the real potential of professional and managed services for mid- and large-sized business customers within the office equipment market, uncover the channel’s capabilities, identify the requirements and tools that are needed to be successful in providing these services, and reveal who is best poised to be able to deliver these services.

According to Randy Dazo, a Director at InfoTrends, “There is a significant opportunity for professional services when it comes to medium and large-sized businesses, as they have large office infrastructures to manage and lower penetration of business process improvements and implementations.”

The question is who will service these mid-market customers. The high-end “global services” organizations cannot service these accounts on their own because there are just too many of them to focus on; therefore, most rely on channels to supply the demand. Traditionally, the mid-markets have been serviced by direct OEM organizations, traditional copier dealers and IT resellers, VARs, and systems integrators. Each of these channels has some core strengths, but they often fall short of being able to offer a true portfolio of professional services. Herein lies the dilemma.

This multi-client study will take an in-depth look at the professional services market. The study will provide an understanding of various channel capabilities in regard to professional services as well as customer behavior related to purchasing and engaging professional services.

This study will use a combination of primary and secondary research to determine the market requirements and opportunities for professional services within corporations of various sizes. InfoTrends has conducted extensive research in the office document market space, and relevant research reports and forecasts will be leveraged as part of this study. We will also thoroughly examine existing market information from a variety of sources, including government and industry association data and published reports.

Primary research will consist of a structured survey that will be deployed to end users from small (50-99 employees), medium (100-999 employees), and large companies (1,000-2000 employees), with a strong focus on the mid market. We will also conduct structured interviews with office equipment dealers, IT resellers, and VARs/Systems Integrators. These interviews will be vital to evaluating the role the channel plays in offering professional/managed services. In addition, they will uncover the types of services that are currently being offered, the price points of those services, and future plans and directions. InfoTrends will also conduct personal interviews with end users, dealers, and IT resellers as part of the primary research.

For more information on the study or to sign up as a participant, contact Scott Phinney at +1 ext. 123 or via e-mail at . Early subscriber discounts are available until April 30, 2008. Clients that sign up early can also provide input and review of the structured surveys.

InfoTrends is the leading worldwide market research and strategic consulting firm for the digital imaging and document solutions industries. We provide research, analysis, forecasts, and advice to help clients understand market trends, identify opportunities, and develop strategies to grow their businesses. Additional information about InfoTrends is available on the Web atwww.infotrends.com.