Xerox Offers New Software Tools to Help Channel Partners Deliver More Value, Cut Document Costs for Customers.

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Xerox Corporation (NYSE: XRX) is taking the kind of document management services that are generating positive results for large companies and tailoring them to meet the needs of small and medium-sized businesses. As Xerox expands its portfolio of office assessment tools and software, it is providing growth opportunities for channel partners and making it easier for them to help their customers boost productivity and shrink document costs.

According to research firm InfoTrends, 90 percent of companies don't know what they're spending on internal desktop printing and network printing. Xerox resellers and independent sales agents are now better equipped to help customers uncover document costs and make fact-based business decisions on the best ways to manage printing and related work processes.

"Our partners need to offer customers more than technology alone," said D. Cameron Hyde, president, Xerox North American Partners Group. "Xerox is helping its agents and resellers become document management specialists who can, in turn, help their customers find measurable cost savings and significant productivity improvements."

Xerox is offering several new and enhanced office assessment services, print management and tracking solutions, software tools and cost-per-page pricing programs.

The company recently enhanced its Xerox Office Productivity Advisor software tool and developed a streamlined version called QuickXOPA. Xerox channel partners can use these Web-based tools to find hidden opportunities in office document processes and provide customized recommendations based on printing patterns and workflow. Requiring a small time investment from customers, the tools help partners serve as consultants and deliver additional value that extends beyond hardware sales.

The enhanced version of XOPA enables partners to easily import data from device discovery tools such as Xerox's CentreWare([R]) Web printer management software and third-party offerings. These tools help partners rapidly collect critical information about printing devices, such as how many customers are printing to each device and what finishing options they use.

In addition, the enhanced version of XOPA provides a comprehensive view of a customer's printing environment, including a floor map of existing printing systems as well as a map depicting recommended devices and where they should be placed. It also identifies both direct and indirect costs associated with document output. Direct costs include the device, supplies and maintenance while indirect costs include power, space and worker productivity. QuickXOPA allows partners to focus on just the essential elements of document related costs such as the direct costs associated with each printing device.

Agent offerings

Xerox sales agents can rely on complementary assessment tools from software provider Print Audit to help them expand their document management services. Print Audit uses a USB device called The Rapid Assessment Key to collect data on networked imaging devices. There's no need to install hardware or software. A sales agent simply connects the USB key to a PC and gathers page volumes and other pertinent information from all networked printing devices. This information can be imported in XOPA and QuickXOPA to help agents quickly and easily create customized reports highlighting document costs and ways to save money on document output.

The second new assessment tool, Print Audit Assessor, is software that will track printing patterns for up to 60 days to generate comprehensive assessments of a customer's entire print environment, including who is printing, what kind of documents and the output volumes.

Another offering from Print Audit helps customers act on the information provided by the assessments and take control of their costs. Print Audit 5, a comprehensive print management and tracking solution, is now available through Xerox agents. It includes three components: Analysis, Reduction and Recovery.

Analysis tracks print volume, types of documents printed, finishing features and other information to identify equipment inefficiencies and bottlenecks.

Reduction enables customizable pop-up messages on a user's PC to notify or direct workers to use lower cost printing alternatives. It also allows an IT manager or system administrator to specify printing restrictions based on the device and the user.

Recovery helps businesses such as law firms or real estate agencies recover costs of printing through charge-backs. When a document is sent to the printer, a pop-up window appears allowing the user to enter a client's information so that printing costs can be charged to the specific client.

Reseller offerings

In addition to XOPA and QuickXOPA, authorized resellers can take advantage of a third-party data collection tool from FMAudit. The FMAudit[TM] ViewerUSB[TM] has been customized to work with XOPA. It will enable information from a customer's device, such as usage statistics, to automatically upload to XOPA, simplifying the task of creating a customer assessment.

With data imported from the device discovery tools, XOPA and QuickXOPA can help partners automatically generate customized reports pinpointing document costs and recommend ways to reduce those costs.

Flexible pricing and fleet management

Xerox is also making its PagePack[TM] cost-per-page pricing program available to sales agents. This allows agents to offer flexible, affordable monthly service and supplies contracts based on how many pages their customers print. The program helps predict monthly printing and copying costs and eliminates the cost of stocking supplies. PagePack, which was originally offered to Xerox resellers, uses technology developed by Xerox to help channel partners manage and maintain large fleets of office document equipment at customer sites. It allows selling partners to not only sell hardware and software but to also offer one- and three-year cost-per-page contracts for service and Xerox supplies. With the completion of training and certification programs, PagePack is now available to agents on select Xerox Phaser([R]) printers and WorkCentre([R]) multifunction systems.

Scanning, software and more

The new and enhanced assessment tools and services join existing Xerox offerings designed to help select partners and customers take advantage of scanning and content management.

* Xerox DocuShare([R]) Web-based document and content management software. Xerox authorized resellers can sell DocuShare software, which enables businesses of all sizes to rapidly deploy an enterprise content management solution to help reduce costs, optimize information flow and reduce risk.

* Remark Office OMR software, from Gravic Inc., collects data from paper-based tests or surveys that are scanned into a Xerox MFP. The data is scored and analyzed providing extensive statistical analysis and reporting capabilities, which is especially important for healthcare and education customers.

* ScanFlowStore[TM] software, from Xerox Business Partner X-Solutions, is an affordable scanning package that allows for simple scanning and digital archiving of hardcopy documents. It's designed for small and medium businesses.

* Xerox Scan to PC Desktop([R]) allows people to scan hardcopy documents to electronic form and automatically route those files to their desktop, e-mail or network folder.

* Xerox SMARTsend[TM] is a complete document capture, conversion and routing software solution that simplifies information management by allowing users to quickly, easily and securely share hardcopy information.

Availability

XOPA and QuickXOPA are available immediately to Xerox selling partners, with the completion of training and certification programs. Xerox sales agents can take advantage of the Print Audit Rapid Assessment Key and Assessor software tools immediately. Customers can now purchase Print Audit 5 through agents; pricing starts at $799. The XOPA-customized FMAudit ViewerUSB key will be available to Xerox authorized resellers beginning in March. PagePack is available immediately to both authorized resellers and agents.

Customer Contacts:

For more information about Xerox digital printing technology and services, visit www.xerox.com/tr/office or call 800-ASK-XEROX.

NOTE TO EDITORS: For more information on Xerox and to receive its RSS news feed, visit www.xerox.com/news. XEROX([R]), CentreWare[R] Web, DocuShare[R], PagePack[TM], Phaser[R], Scan to PC Desktop[R], SMARTsend[TM] and WorkCentre[R] are trademarks of XEROX CORPORATION. Prices, features, specifications, capabilities, appearance and availability of Xerox products and services are subject to change without notice.