UXBRIDGE, U.K., – Xerox will support BT to reduce Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council's office printing costs by up to 30 per cent in a five-year, multi-million pound managed print service agreement.
 
The new managed print service will provide the council with a complete view of its office print environment, enabling it to take control of all costs and processes related to office output devices.  Xerox and BT will work together to implement a print management strategy helping the council meet sustainability targets, increase efficiency and reduce costs.
 
The managed print service will be rolled out as part of 'Transform Sandwell', a 15-year partnership between Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council and BT to transform Sandwell's IT infrastructure. Xerox will work with BT to integrate the managed print service into its broader IT service to ensure a seamless user experience.
 
The Xerox/BT programme includes the replacement of 1,500 printers with 150 new energy-saving multi-functional printers. The team will also introduce 'follow-me' printing, which will enable council staff to send a print job to any device on any floor of the council's premises and release the job with a swipe card. This will ensure documents do not go unattended or unclaimed, helping improve efficiency and security as well as reducing waste.
 
Stuart Kellas, Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council's finance director, said: "This initiative with Xerox and BT not only saves the council a significant amount of money straight away, but will ensure costs are controlled and managed over the lifetime of the agreement. The partnership's joint expertise gives great confidence that our crucial cost-reduction, service and wider business objectives will be delivered."
 
Dave Ratcliffe, CEO of BT Transform Sandwell, said: "BT has long been an innovation leader, as has Xerox. Working together, we are delivering industry-leading solutions to help Sandwell council meet its business objectives."
 
Amanda Abernethy, director and general manager, Global Document Outsourcing, Xerox UK said: "Working in partnership with BT, we will focus on streamlining the council's print environment to meet its cost-saving targets and environmental agenda, so Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council can focus on its business of improving and transforming frontline services for citizens."
 
Xerox has been a partner to the U.K. government and public sector for more than 35 years, recently signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Cabinet Office to deliver savings to HM Government as part of the Efficiency Reform Group's deficit-reduction programme. Xerox provides technology, document management and business process outsourcing to such public sector clients as the Department of Work & Pensions (DWP), Worcester NHS Trust, Manchester City Council, Scottish Police Services Authority and Kirklees Council.
 
As the worldwide market leader in managed  print services, Xerox applies the same tools and techniques used to save millions for corporate customers to help clients in the public sector. Xerox was positioned by Gartner, Inc., in the Leaders Quadrant in the "Magic Quadrant for Managed Print Services Worldwide"[1] for 2010 and was recognised as a leader in IDC's 2010 MPS MarketScape report[2].