School is back in session, and that means jostling in the hallways, homework, sorority pledges, textbooks, and yes, lots of paper. Although iPads, Chromebooks, and online learning applications are revolutionizing the education vertical, the paperless classroom still sits on the distant horizon.
In the meantime, cash-strapped schools and universities, as well as their time-constrained staffs and technology-savvy students, have to find creative ways to deal with paper and address their evolving document management needs.
The answer
Xerox® multifunction printers (MFPs) enable education institutions to save time and money with innovative workflow solutions for digitizing and generating paper content. Xerox channel partners can help education clients select and custom-tailor MFP applications, for example, reducing wait time at devices, streamlining print jobs, and making paper document scanning a snap.
How to solve
By leveraging the power and flexibility of Xerox MFPs and workflow solutions, channel partners can help educational institutions streamline their document management and printing systems. Using customizable app templates and developing applications of their own, channel partners can simplify print/copy jobs dramatically, minimizing the time educators spend waiting at the device and minimizing the volume of wasted consumables.
Channel partners can create automated workflows to improve collaboration and communication among teachers and administrators, and deploy data capture solutions to reduce reliance on paper. In addition, integrating printing and scanning workflows with other technology systems helps educators do their jobs more efficiently and avoids system “silos” hampering productivity.
Tying together customized Xerox solutions and online learning management systems such as Moodle or Blackboard Learn, for instance, allows educators to fully leverage available educational tools. And given today’s reliance on mobile devices in classrooms and on campuses, linking those devices with document management systems is imperative.
Key components
Addressing the print, copy, and scan challenges of teachers and their students requires partners to mix and match Xerox technology sets and service offerings, including these:
- ConnectKey MFPs
- Xerox Mobile Print
- Personalized Application Builder (PAB) program and Xerox App Studio (XAS)
- Authentication and access control
- Professional services
Xerox® ConnectKey® technology is at the crux of Xerox’s MFPs, enabling partners to install and configure apps for storing, securing, and managing digital documents.
The vendor’s Mobile Print platform allows for secure printing on the go, in any format, from any mobile device to any printer.
The PAB program includes an application development platform that allows <a href="http://PAB application developers” target=”_blank”>partners with software development expertise to deliver personalized solutions to customers. Through XAS, partners can access customizable app templates.
Hardware and software come together to control access to MFPs through multifactor authentication.
Partners can use their technical acumen and expertise in the education market to address customer challenges and provide ongoing support and services.
Service opportunities on campus
Solution providers in the education vertical have a wealth of service opportunities at their fingertips. With Managed Print Services (MPS), partners can address multiple educator pain points:
- Minimize the financial and environmental costs of printing and storing hard-copy content
- Eliminate risk by maintaining secure, access-controlled MFP fleets
- Leveraging mobile technology by implementing remote-access and cloud systems
- Improve overall productivity and communication with ongoing workflow assessments and revisions
The textbook approach
Xerox channel partners serving education customers can couple their expertise with the vendor’s products and services to streamline document management at schools and universities. Take a look at the Xerox Partner Solutions Playbook for specific managed print and workflow solutions that target educators.
Become a Xerox channel partner
If you are a channel partner looking to solve print and document management challenges for your education sector clients then we should talk. Visit the Xerox Global Partner Program page and sign up to become a Xerox channel partner.
Build your own apps for Xerox MFPs
If you want to leverage your in-house professional service capabilities – learn how to create personalized solutions for unique customer needs with the Xerox Personalized Application Builder program for channel partners.
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