By Rick Dastin, president, Office and Solutions Business Group, Xerox

Any device connected to the Internet – an iPad, a computer, even an MRI machine – has the potential for a security vulnerability. That’s because these devices all have operating systems and hackers can possibly get inside and cause damage to the device or the surrounding network environment. Businesses are well aware of this with PCs, servers and computer networks, but not necessarily with devices with embedded firmware such as printers and mobile technologies. Yet, as all of us use more mobile technology, information access points and the resultant vulnerability may increase.

Some business leaders acknowledge this challenge and deal with it appropriately. It worries me though, after talking with CIOs across the country, how some are not fully aware of the vulnerabilities and view some mobile security elements as optional. They think it’s going to be difficult or expensive and seem to worry more about the difficulties than about the cost of a security breach. How can they feel that way when information is the most sacred thing in business?

Maybe it’s because in the past, companies had separate network and security management systems and organizations that manage them. It was swivel-chair management, turning from one console to the next, or worse, one organization to the next because the integrated tools were not available to manage both the network and security together. Security doesn’t get more inefficient or painful than that.

For CIOs to embrace mobile and embedded device security to the level that is required, I agree that solutions have to be convenient and integrated. We have to provide device safeguards and keep information secure as it moves between systems. This next-generation thinking is what drove partnerships with McAfee and Cisco on a new platform we call ConnectKey.  This video explains more about how it works:

Read more from Rick Dastin in the latest edition of Chief Optimist Magazine – Security by clicking here.

By Carol Zierhoffer, chief information officer, Xerox

CIOs today aren’t just grappling with how to make the latest technology work. They’re looking to change business outcomes. To transform and simplify business processes using technology that removes unnecessary steps, improves workflows, and delivers better experiences.

Advancements in technology will continue to evolve as we enable knowledge workers to be more productive in this interconnected, mobile world we live in.  But with those advances comes an unintended by-product – complexity.  Part of my focus as a CIO, as well as our overall strategy at Xerox, is to simplify that complexity.

Today’s launch of ConnectKey is a great example of how Xerox can help tame that complexity and simplify the way work gets done.

Sixteen Xerox MFPs are now ConnectKey-enabled so users can scan and upload documents to cloud-based repositories, print securely and easily from any mobile device, and send business-critical documents directly into a workflow process. These features simplify how work gets done by bringing information to the workers’ fingertips – whether they sit in the enterprise or are part of a mobile workforce.

We’re helping IT departments large and small meet the workforce expectation that technology should do more. ConnectKey MFPs are easier to use, easier to install, and easier to support.   IT professionals can manage ConnectKey MFPs as a central part of the IT network, providing technical support as they do for desktops – via remote management – and protected by embedded security.

Our key differentiator is security – a major concern for CIOs everywhere.  ConnectKey-enabled MFPs are protected with McAfee’s “whitelisting” that stops malware before it penetrates the operating system. This is an industry-first.  We also added an extra layer of security with Cisco’s TrustSec, which protects data paths to and from the devices. Now MFPs are trusted citizens on the network.

Standardization is key to driving efficiency so CIOs can make room for innovation.  ConnectKey’s software ecosystem and technology make that possible.

By Patti Quinn, Xerox Public Relations 

It’s not too often you hear about a Xerox printing device making someone’s Christmas wish come true. But that’s what happened recently in Grand Rapids.  

The Xerox iGen4 Press was used to print the journal of Anthony Torrone – a man who has endured many difficult experiences throughout his life. He wrote his own prayers, by hand, in a journal as a way to keep a positive attitude during the darkest moments of his life. Year after year, Anthony’s only Christmas wish was to have his journal published, as chronicled in this news article.   

A number of people came together to make Anthony’s wish a reality – and just a few weeks ago his journal came off the Xerox iGen4 press – check out the video below. 

But there’s more to the story. Anthony’s neighborhood raised money to cover the cost of the first printing, local businesses agreed to sell his book and an independent bookstore hosted a book signing and made his book available – at no cost to Anthony.

The printers, Freeze Frame Publishing and Color House Graphics, are set to print a third run – 300 soft-cover copies – bringing the total number of books printed to date to more than 1,000. The demand has far surpassed anything anyone involved with this project could have ever imagined.

Technology can change lives and it’s heartwarming to know Xerox’s equipment was used to make Anthony’s simple wish come true; and that so many people came together to make it happen.

Pay it forward.  

By Shell Haffner
Manager, Desktop Product Marketing
Xerox Corporation

With the influx of laptops, smart phones, tablets, and whatever the next consumer device may be, more and more conversations crop up about the future and relevance of print. Are eReaders killing the hard copy book? Are hand-written notes a thing of the past? Has the growing number of digital options killed print all together?

Now granted I work at Xerox – a company with a history in putting ink on paper – but I believe that print isn’t going anywhere. It may not have the monopoly on consumers’ attention it once enjoyed, but I believe its relevancy may be even more powerful today. My sentiment is echoed by a specialized group of taste makers – the graphic designers, marketing communication firms and creative agencies that shape much of how companies market to us.

And guess what? Despite the virtually limitless number of digital options to which designers now have access – from websites and apps to social media vehicles – creatives say they will continue to lean on print as an important way to tell a compelling visual story.

According to Gordon Kaye, who has followed the graphic design community for more than 20 years, print provides a tangible, targeted, emotional connection.

Further research commissioned by Xerox reveals that consumers are more receptive to print communication than digital and mobile combined – by more than double. More than one quarter of respondents (27 percent) said that print is the best way for companies to reach them, whereas only 13 percent said the same for online and just 2 percent for mobile.

What communications vehicles do you prefer – and for what? How do you use print in your daily life?

Director of Worldwide Corporate Industry Analyst Relations

What draws 60 of Xerox’s top analysts to Rochester, NY in June?  Could it be the renowned Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival was striking up a tune?

Or, could it be the opportunity to hear about Xerox’s document technology business directly from senior executives?

Xerox CEO Ursula Burns with company executives

The answer is both! Last week, Xerox hosted analysts from around the globe in upstate New York.  The day-and-a-half briefing kicked off in Xerox’s hometown of Rochester with an address from Xerox CEO Ursula Burns and a concert at the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival.  The Gil Hatch Center for Customer Innovation took center stage the following day as Xerox executives from our Graphic Communication, Enterprise, and Indirect Channels business groups hosted tours, product demonstrations, and panel discussions to demonstrate Xerox’s leadership in document technology.

Though Xerox is transforming, our continued commitment to document technology rang loud and clear throughout the briefing.  As Burns put it during her opening address, “We must continue investing in the technology marketplace.”  Xerox Chief Technology Officer Sophie Vandebroek further reminded the analysts, “Inventing is at the core of what we do at Xerox.”

As one analyst summarized in an event wrap-up report, “Xerox provided a good indication that they were still committed to technology as it also grows its solutions and services business.”

The analysts walked away informed, and the Xerox team walked away excited having been able to share our vision with these key industry influencers.

Patricia Calkins
Xerox global vice president of Environment, Health, Safety and Sustainability

We’ve all seen the popular “Please consider the environment before printing this email” tag .The implied call to action is “save a tree, please don’t print.” Fairly straightforward, right?  Not so fast.

If you consistently turn to digital media technology instead of printing, you may be doing more harm than good. Printing is neither good nor bad. It’s how you print that’s important. Those of you, who say “Well, I don’t print; I archive my documents electronically,” think again. Digital media technology uses coal fired plants, which have been linked to global warming and deforestation.

In truth, digital and hard copy documents should coexist.  The key is thinking about how you use your available resources from beginning to end.  When using paper, make two-sided prints, print multiple images per page, and print only the quantity you need. If collaboration is a component of a document’s value, cut back the time and energy spent on manual paper-based processes by using workflow management systems and collaboration tools, like DocuShare.  Rather than having copies on multiple computers and servers; using collaborative tools reduces energy consumption by ensuring that a digital document is stored in a centralized location.

This “life-cycle approach” to considering the environment can be applied all over the place. For example, many of us use compact light bulbs because of the energy efficiency and cost savings. But these bulbs contain mercury. If you fail to properly discard the bulbs, you cancel out the environmental benefits by creating the possibility that mercury be released into our water and earth.

So the next time you’re asked to “consider” the environment, do just that—the effort is worth its weight in gold.

If you’re the typical business worker, you only have so much time in one day to get your work done and check off the tasks on your To-Do list. You don’t have time to focus on whether the back office is up and running, or how to keeping things moving. You’ve got relationships, projects, resources, and people to manage. And, if you’re thinking about whether the technology is working, or, let’s face it, worried about something as mundane as printing, (unless you’re a printer) you’re probably not having a very good day. 

So, just what is a good day?  It’s a day when it all just works, it’s hassle free, and you don’t have to think about it. At Xerox, we work behind the scenes to help our customers focus on their real business. We recently hosted a Real Business Live customer event in Cincinnati to touch base with our customers from the Ohio area. About 130 people joined the event for an in-depth look at how Xerox is committed to the freedom to do more through simpler technology, powerful mobile solutions and services, and we heard much more about what businesses need from companies like Xerox to make every day work hassle free and to run more smoothly.

Russell Peacock, president of Xerox NA, speaking to the crowd about how businesses are thinking global and working mobile.

During the event, Medical Mutual of Ohio participated in a customer panel. We had the chance to ask them how unique Xerox innovations, like ColorQube, have improved their business. Andy Balazs, VP of Enterprise Technology at MMO said, “[Xerox] helps us serve our clients better and faster.” They spoke to the crowd explaining that as insurance providers, information privacy and security were major issues they considered in their decision to purchase their fleet of Xerox ColorQubes. MMO needed a company that was flexible enough to grow and adapt with the changes in the healthcare industry.  Watch their customer testimonial for more details.

Mobility without compromise also appeared to be a big motivator for the customers in attendance. Bill Knott of LCA Vision was intrigued with the Xerox Mobile Print Solution because his office has several field employees and executives who travel frequently and mobile printing is a necessity. Knott liked the benefits that come with forwarding emails from a smartphone and having the ability to print them securely, when it’s convenient for him. He also stressed that LCA Vision’s executives will value sending the documents they want printed to their office while they’re away.

Gaining this insight from our customers helps us understand what Xerox needs to do to provide hassle free, innovative technology, services and solutions that are cost effective, productive and secure.

Sales representative, Michal Stimson, gives a demonstration on the ColorQube 9300.

Leave a comment below – give us an update on your business and how you see technology and mobility changing the way you work.

–

Be sure to visit the virtual events site to see all the highlights, videos and photos from the Real Business Live event in Cincinnati http://virtual.realbusinesslive.xerox.com/auto.aspx – you’ll find it in “Visit a Virtual Event” then “Freedom to do More 2011.” Enjoy!