Columbus, OH - Ricoh Americas Corporation, a leading provider of digital office equipment and advanced document management solutions, has just signed on as the first manufacturer to join the Managed Print Services Association (MPSA) at its highest commitment level, the Foundation Member.  Ricoh Family Group (RFG) dealers may now join the MPSA at a discounted rate because of Ricoh's Foundation Member status. In addition, Foundation Membership is the premier level of corporate involvement in MPSA, and Foundation Members receive top visibility among corporate members in the organization.

"We are excited that Ricoh is our first OEM to join the MPSA as a Foundation Member. Since Ricoh is an influential leader within the managed print services community, we anticipate others will follow their lead and increase their involvement in the MPSA. Ricoh was also one of our 2011 MPSA Leadership Award winners, so their experience and innovation in managed print and managed document services are of the highest caliber. All our MPSA membership is important, but Foundation Members are a special group who make a significant commitment to the association. We look forward to working with Ricoh as our newest Foundation Member to drive the growth of managed print and managed document services," said MPSA President, Joe Barganier.

"Ricoh is fully committed to managed print and managed document services. By becoming a Foundation Member, we can participate at the highest levels of the association to help drive industry standards, best practices and growth. The MPSA offers clear value to managed print and managed document services players of all kinds, so we are pleased to offer our RFG dealers the chance to join MPSA," said Mark Boelhouwer, Vice President, Strategic Marketing for Ricoh U.S.

RFG Dealers Get MPSA Membership Discount
Ricoh recently announced ChaMPS, a Ricoh Managed Document Services (MDS) Program to help its dealers transform their business to a services-based model to meet customers' document management needs. The program has three components – Proven Methodology, Best-in-Class Resources and Ricoh's Industry Leading Services. This new program makes it easier for Ricoh, Savin and Lanier dealers to leverage what they need when they need it, while lowering their document-related capital investment and helping accelerate profit generation opportunities.

An important piece of the ChaMPS offering is the opportunity for Ricoh Family Group dealers to join the Managed Print Services Association at a significantly reduced rate. Because of Ricoh's strong financial commitment to the MPSA, RFG dealers can join for only $500, a 50 percent reduction. By joining, a dealer gains MPS credibility and access to the MPSA's strong industry alliances, technical partners and best practices.