HP clarifies roles of Chongqing factory

April 25, 2012
Facility will only produce entry-level inkjet printers, states OEM.
Printer manufacturer HP has clarified a number of inaccuracies from a number of outlets reporting on the planned manufacturing facility in Chongqing, including claims of laser printer manufacturing and the agreement between the OEM and the Chongqing government, reports Actionable Intelligence.
HP’s official statement stated: “HP’s local manufacturing supplier is planning to build a manufacturing facility in Chongqing. HP expects to use this facility, once completed, to manufacture entry-level HP inkjet printers”, denying that the factory will produce laser printers and inkjet consumables.
The OEM also stated that Foxconn, as HP’s local manufacturing supplier, signed the agreement with the Chongqing government regarding the construction of the facility, as opposed to HP directly.
A number of outlets including PCWorld and PC Advisor had previously reported that HP signed an agreement to build the new facility in Chongqing, which would be completed in two to three years and would produce 40 million inkjet printers, 20 million laser printers and 150 million inkjet cartridges by 2015.
Actionable Intelligence commented on a number of issues, remarking: “The new about the new manufacturing base left us with lots of questions […] If, as the PCWorld article stated, the facility would be producing laser printers, that would be particularly big news as Canon is HP’s exclusive laser manufacturing partner. So, we wondered, is Canon a partner in this endeavour? And if not, was this story even bigger news and was HP contracting with a new laser manufacturing partner?”
In light of HP’s clarifications: “Thus, while the news of HP’s new manufacturing base for entry-level inkjet printers is significant, to be sure, it does not seem that the Chongqing facility represents quite the seismic shift in HP’s printer and supplies manufacturing base as was first reported.”

What Constitutes a Legal Lease?

What is a Legal Lease?

The documentation of an equipment lease must follow the requirements of the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC). Perhaps the most important thing to understand is that two parties may enter into a contract to do just about anything. So long as the agreement does not cross any legal barriers both parties are expected to live up to the requirements of the contract. When a breach occurs (one or both parties fail to honor the contract) and a civil court action is required to settle the dispute, the contract, as written and signed, will be used by the judge to determine corrective action or penalties.
The contract must clearly state "do’s and don’ts," if the contract does not prohibit something, it is assumed the lessee has the right to do it. If the contract contains provisions that conflict with existing laws, it is said to be “unenforceable” An example: If a contract claims to be governed by Article 2A, of the UCC, and then contains a provision that excludes it from 2A then the provision claiming to be governed by 2A is unenforceable (not illegal).
The UCC, for Commercial transactions, is divided into Articles with each Article defining a type of business activity. Article 9 defines the requirements for money lending or secured lending. This Article acknowledges the borrower as the legal owner of the equipment and the lender as a lien holder. To “perfect,” or record a lien, the lender must file a recording document called a UCC-1. This UCC-1 must be filed in the State where the borrower has incorporated or registered to do business. If the borrower has an existing “blanket lien” (a lien on everything owned by the borrower) the new lender is restricted from having a first position and would be regulated to a secondary lien position in the case of a default. However, if the equipment is a new purchase and the lender has loaned the money to purchase it ,then Article 9 allows for a “purchase money lien filing” that will have first lien position in front of the blanket lien holder providing the purchase money filing is filed within twenty days of the borrower taking possession. This twenty-day requirement starts with customer possession—not the date of the signatures on loan documents. Therefore some record of delivery date needs to be retained in case of a court challenge in default.
Article 2A is for equipment leasing that is not a lending activity governed by Article 9. To distinguish the differences, the definition of an Article 2A transaction was published as an exception to a secured transaction and is found under the definition of a “Security Interest” as section (37). The reason for this article on leasing is to establish the rights of the lessor as the legal owner of the equipment. In the case of a third party lessor, it establishes procedures for the lessor to pass on to the lessee the supply contract; a term for the usual equipment performance guarantees and the warrantees from the vendor, seller. This limits the third party lessor from responsibility for equipment performance or liability for non-performance, or injury, from malfunction.
To qualify as an Article 2A lease and be judged by the contents of 2A the lease transaction must meet the definition or the qualifications in section (37). If the transaction fails then it is considered an Article 9 secured transaction and the lessor must contend with the lien filing requirements of this article to maintain their lien position. Most Lessors’ file a lien-filing document called a financing statement also called a UCC-1 as a precautionary measure because under the law the filling of a UCC-1 cannot be used as evidence the Lessor considered the transaction to be a loan. There is no requirement for a lien filing in Article 2A because the lessor is considered the legal owner. One difficulty presents itself when leasing non-titled equipment (personal or tangible property:) Without a lien filing, there is no location for a lessor to post a notice that the lessee is in possession of equipment that the lessee does not own. A potential purchaser finding no liens may assume the business asset is free and clear of all liens and the lessee has rights to sell it. This is one of the reasons for filing a UCC-1 or as some Lessor’s do, put labels or notices on the asset itself, stating “ This equipment is owned by ABC Leasing and may not be removed from this location without our permission. PH 123-456-7891.” Still, in many cases when assets are sold without the lessor’s knowledge and the buyers name is not recorded, many Lessor’s have little recourse in default situations except to take the Lessee to court for selling non owned assets.
Mr. Terry Winders, CLP, has been a teacher, consultant, expert witness for the leasing industry for thirty-five years and can be reached at leaseconsulting@msn.com

IT Industry Executive Gary Gillam Honored with Lifetime Achievement Award from CompTIA - MarketWatch

IT Industry Executive Gary Gillam Honored with Lifetime Achievement Award from CompTIA - MarketWatch: IT Industry Executive Gary Gillam Honored with Lifetime Achievement Award from CompTIA

CHICAGO, April 11, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- A veteran information technology (IT) industry executive whose commitment and dedication to advancing industry growth and expanding career opportunities for military veterans was honored here today with a lifetime achievement award from CompTIA, the leading non-profit association for the IT industry.

Gary Gillam, vice president, North American Channel Operations for Xerox® Corporation, received the award at CompTIA's third Annual Member Meeting.

"From leading industry-wide initiatives like managed print services, to chairing the CompTIA Board of Directors to leading our charitable foundation, Creating IT Futures, Gary has given of himself for the good of the IT industry, the IT channel, CompTIA and Xerox," said Bob O'Malley, chairman, InFocus® Corporation, and former chairman of the CompTIA Board of Directors.

"Thanks to Gary's leadership - a common thread throughout his life - CompTIA has evolved from an organization focused solely on certifying IT skills to a valued industry resource for education, workforce development, advocacy and philanthropy," O'Malley continued. "In small ways, many IT professionals owe Gary a thank you. Our association and our industry owe Gary in a big way for our success in growing the entire IT channel."

"Those organizations that have excelled are the ones that are filled with people with passion," Gillam said in accepting the award. "This industry is special because it's filled with people with passion. It's been a joy to work with you."

Gillam first served as a member of the CompTIA Board of Directors in 1996-97. He rejoined the board in 2001, was secretary in 2002 and vice chairman in 2003. In August 2005 Gillam was elected chairman of the CompTIA board.

In 2008, Gillam joined the board of directors of the CompTIA Educational Foundation, since renamed the Creating IT Futures Foundation. He served on the board through 2010. During his tenure on the foundation board, a special program was launched to help military veterans gain the training and certifications needed to launch post-military careers in IT. To date, more than 1,000 veterans have become certified through this program.

"Gary's advocacy and commitment on behalf of CompTIA's philanthropic efforts are unmatched," said Todd Thibodeaux, president and chief executive officer (CEO), CompTIA. "His efforts have been instrumental in expanding career opportunities for many individuals. It's been an honor to know and work with Gary these past several years."

CompTIA had previously presented lifetime achievement awards to Vic Melfa, CEO and founder of The Training Associates, and John Venator, former president and CEO of CompTIA.

The CompTIA Annual Member Meeting, which continues through April 12, offers extensive opportunities for IT channel business owners and executives to network with peers; discuss and strategize on issues affecting their business; and learn about the trends shaping the IT industry.

About CompTIACompTIA is the voice of the world's information technology (IT) industry. Its members are the companies at the forefront of innovation; and the professionals responsible for maximizing the benefits organizations receive from their investments in technology. CompTIA is dedicated to advancing industry growth through its educational programs, market research, networking events, professional certifications, and public policy advocacy. For more information, visit www.comptia.org or follow CompTIA on Twitter at http://www.Twitter.com/comptia .

SOURCE CompTIA

6 Things Only Bad Managers Say

6 Things Only Bad Managers Say                                        

By Liz Ryan, Bloomberg Business Week
http://www.businessweek.com/



Nope, it’s not just you. These jerks are out there.We know the kinds of things good managers say: They say “attaboy” or “attagirl,” “Let me know if you run into any roadblocks, and I’ll try to get rid of them for you,” and “You’ve been killing yourself — why don’t you take off at noon on Friday?”
Bad managers don’t say these things. Helpful, encouraging and trust-based words and phrases don’t occur to them.
Lousy bosses say completely different things.



We’ve gathered together six of the most heinous, bad-manager warhorse sayings. Do any of them sound like something a manager in your company might say (or might have said this week)?

"If you don’t want this job, I’ll find someone who does"
Great leaders understand that the transaction defining the employer-employee relationship — the fact that an employer pays you in cash while you cough up your value in sweat and brainwork — is the least important part of your professional relationship.

Good managers realize that to get and keep great people, they have to move past the dollars-and-cents transaction and let people own their jobs.

Good leaders give people latitude and let them know that their contributions have value. Lousy managers, on the other hand, love to remind employees that it’s all about the transaction: “You work for me.” They never fail to remind team members that someone else would take the job if you ever got sick of it or let the lousy manager down in some way.

"I don’t pay you to think"
This is what a bad manager says when an employee offers an idea he doesn’t like.
Maybe the idea threatens the inept manager’s power.

Maybe it would require the lousy manager to expend a few brain cells or some political capital within the organization.

Either way, “I don’t pay you to think” is the mantra of people who have no business managing teams.

It screams, “Do what I tell you to do, and nothing else.” Life is way too short to spend another minute working for someone who could speak these words.

"Drop everything and DO THIS NOW!"

Any manager can have a last-minute emergency that pushes everything else out of the way. Good managers pull this move sparingly and only in real crises.

Poor managers do it every day, and they never remember the dozen equally critical (at one point in time) priorities they’ve already told you to drop everything else for. A good comeback if your manager has this habit is to answer, “Yes, of course. That’ll push [yesterday’s drop-everything project] to next Thursday — is that fine?”

"Don’t bring me problems. Bring me solutions."

This chestnut showed up during the era when people were beginning to think about business process and realizing that employees could often solve their day-to-day problems in the moment and on the ground, rather than having to go upstairs to get help.

That’s O.K., but too many managers have reinterpreted “Bring me solutions, not problems” as “Don’t complain — shut up and deal with it.”

The fact is, business processes and organizations are complicated today, and often the employee who spots a problem doesn’t have the information she or he needs to solve it. That’s where a manager can help, if he or she is oriented that way.

Managers who say, “Bring me solutions” are often really saying, “Stop telling me what I don’t want to hear.” Working for a person like that will shorten your lifespan.

"I have some feedback for you … and everyone here feels the same way"

Good managers give their employees feedback when it’s warranted, and they try to emphasize and reinforce the good things.

Bad managers don’t give praise, but they ladle on the criticism, and the really bad ones add an extra twist of meanness: They say, “Everyone here feels the same way.”

Pretty soon, you start to feel that you can’t trust anyone in your shop and that everyone hates you — until a co-worker mentions that your lousy manager said the same thing to her.

Poor managers need to throw in a few dozen extra “votes” with their barbs, just to keep employees off guard.

A true leader would talk about conflict or performance issues regularly in staff meetings, resolving whatever is at issue without passing along anonymous jabs.

"In these times, you’re lucky to have a job at all"

The funniest thing about a manager who would open his mouth and say, “You’re lucky to have a job at all” is that these managers never seem to think they’re lucky to be working — just everyone else.

“You’re lucky to have a job at all” in an era of high unemployment is the same as saying, “I can’t believe you manage to stay in that 90 percent of the population that is working.”
It’s a huge insult, but worse, a statement of personal failure on the manager’s part.
People who live in fear don’t tend to see the potential in themselves, or in others.

If your manager’s native mode is critical, and if she tosses around compliments like manhole covers, know that there are plenty of other employers who’d be happy to have someone like you in the

Managed Print Services vs. Managed Services

What’s the difference between managed print services and managed services? Better yet, what is the difference between the run of the mill copier dealership and the everyday VAR? In a word – Mutation.
As in some warped Darwinian tale, managed print services and managed services are branches of the same tree. The MPS limb rising from the dirt, clawing through cold-calls and purchasing agents. The managed services bough magically sprouting from the traditional IT/VAR trunk.
Imagine this: IT solutions, the forerunner of managed services, were designed and installed by “really smart” people under the approving gaze of executive management. Copiers and printers, on the other hand, were acquired through the Purchasing or Facilities department after an exhaustive bid process vetted dozens of alternatives. Managed services as a practice grew under the executive branch; managed print services rose up and flourished from the ground.
Same tree, different limbs mutated into the same species: Managed Services.
So what does this all mean? Three things:
This mutation attracts the same customers and prospects
Both destinies are parallel
The agile and adaptive will prevail through natural selection.
Our customers and prospects are similar because each customer base is rooted in business process and each utilizes technology within a changing environment, whether that’s an enterprise or an SMB. Both the managed services and managed print services prospect are technologically savvy. Both are under pressure to do more with less and both are reacting to historic change. The prospects world is changing almost as much as ours.
Destinies are parallel because MPS contributes to the shift away from print and the managed services (aka, the cloud) pulls companies away from internal IT departments and assets. As we in MPS reconcile the management of our destruction, so too, do they. The “cloud” is to IT departments and “MPS” is to images as matter is to anti-matter – annihilation into pure energy. We are both contributing to our own transformation.
Finally, natural selection comes about as consolidation and partnerships are occurring daily, inside our industry and others. Like the overweight dinosaurs, some will fight for every last leaf, unaware of the falling sky. The strong will survive. Mutation will occur, there will be a day after with a new batch of players rising from the ashes. It’s only natural.
Today, the circle is complete as print meets content, meets infrastructure, meets applications. We’re all colliding on the same page. Evolution tells us that the most adaptable is the predominant strain – the survivor.
The question isn’t which branch will survive, it’s who remains standing after the entire tree comes down

Canon to Combine $1 Billion Océ Purchase After Delay

Canon Inc. (7751), the world’s largest camera maker, will start combining Dutch printer maker Oce NV (OCE) with its own business after the acquisition was delayed by two years, according to the new head of its European division.

Canon’s $1 billion takeover of Oce, its largest ever purchase, was held up after the company failed to gain outstanding shares. Tokyo-based Canon finally acquired the remaining 10 percent stake from Orbis Funds at the end of last year, said Rokus van Iperen.

“We had a delay of two years in terms of integration,” he said today in a telephone interview. Canon today named Van Iperen as new chief executive officer for its business in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, taking over from Ryoichi Bamba, who is retiring. Van Iperen is the the first non-Japanese executive to lead Canon’s business in Europe.

Europe’s debt crisis and a stronger yen, which cuts the repatriated value of overseas earnings for Japanese exporters, has dampened Canon’s outlook. The company will maintain Oce’s manufacturing base in the Netherlands, as it seeks to move more factories outside Japan. The strategy serves as a “natural hedge to compensate for currency fluctuations,” van Iperen said.