{"id":69761,"date":"2026-06-04T15:38:45","date_gmt":"2026-06-04T22:38:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/?p=69761"},"modified":"2026-06-04T15:38:47","modified_gmt":"2026-06-04T22:38:47","slug":"dont-sleep-on-the-a4-dealers-share-the-most-neglected-opportunities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/feature-articles\/2026\/06\/dont-sleep-on-the-a4-dealers-share-the-most-neglected-opportunities\/","title":{"rendered":"Don\u2019t Sleep on the A4: Dealers Share the Most Neglected Opportunities"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

When considering your MFP sales strategy, it\u2019s advisable to play the long game in judging a sale\u2019s total value. Certainly, every account rep wants that big initial sale, even better when accompanied by a spiff. And while we wouldn\u2019t characterize the humble A4 as a red-haired stepchild, it still doesn\u2019t get the respect it deserves. And that\u2019s unfortunate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s only natural to gravitate toward the 1,000-pound swordfish as opposed to the five-pound trout. But the majority of industry reps can and do appreciate the opportunities A4 placements\u2014and their management\u2014can offer. As we kick off this month\u2019s report on A3 and A4 devices, our dealers talk about some of the often-overlooked A4 opportunities to seek out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Joe Blatchford, Image 2000<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

One of the more fertile verticals for A4 is the automotive dealership space, notes Joe Blatchford, CEO of Image 2000 in Santa Clarita, California. He points out that it\u2019s one sector that remains highly paper-intensive, and auto dealers often lean on manufacturer-specific software ecosystems such as Lexmark. As such, he feels it creates a strong opportunity for tailored A4 solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prime placement opportunities also abound in the healthcare field. \u201cWith numerous satellite offices and space constraints, A4 devices are often the ideal fit,\u201d Blatchford said. \u201cThe combination of distributed environments and ongoing document needs makes this a consistently strong and profitable market.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Device Neglect<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Melissa Confalone, Fraser<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

One scenario where dealers are leaving potential dollars on the table is environments with scores of unmanaged desktop printers. Melissa Confalone, president of Fraser Advanced Information Systems of West Reading, Pennsylvania, notes that these neglected devices create unnecessary cost, inefficiency, and lack of visibility for the client. When Fraser enters the fray, it standardizes such environments with platforms from HP\u00a0and Lexmark. The upshot is immediate cost control and consistency, and it paves the way for recurring revenue through managed services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another gap that can be leveraged is security. \u201cToo many organizations fail to recognize A4 devices as active network endpoints, leaving vulnerabilities unaddressed,\u201d she said. \u201cThat\u2019s a critical risk we\u2019re able to identify and solve as part of a broader print and IT strategy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Matthew Salzano, Network Digital Office Systems<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

As a rule, Matthew Salzano\u2014the vice president of Network Digital Office Systems in Fairfield, New Jersey\u2014believes well-designed and managed A4 environments are frequently underestimated. When standardized, secured, and deployed strategically, he notes A4s have a strong profitability upside and are far easier to support than fragmented A3-heavy fleets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen paired with software solutions such as device management, secure print and cloud connectivity, A4 becomes far more than a standalone device,\u201d he said. \u201cThat is where margins improve and long-term customer retention truly takes hold. A4 devices also tend to generate stronger margins on service and supplies, further enhancing their overall profitability.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One and Done?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
John Hastings, Loffler Companies<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

John Hastings, the executive vice president\u2014sales and service for Loffler Companies in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, feels the most overlooked opportunity is strategic A4 standardization. One-off A4 placements need to give way to enterprise-wide A4 strategies paired with several elements, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  • Device security and compliance<\/li>
  • Automated supplies and service monitoring<\/li>
  • User-based rules and reporting<\/li>
  • Integration with managed IT services<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cWhen A4 is sold intentionally, rather than opportunistically, it becomes scalable, sticky and highly profitable,\u201d Hastings noted.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    When considering your MFP sales strategy, it\u2019s advisable to play the long game in judging a sale\u2019s total value. Certainly, every account rep wants that big initial sale, even better when accompanied by a spiff. And while we wouldn\u2019t characterize the humble A4 as a red-haired stepchild, it still doesn\u2019t get the respect it deserves. And that\u2019s unfortunate. It\u2019s only natural to gravitate toward the 1,000-pound swordfish as opposed to the five-pound trout. But the majority of industry reps can and do appreciate the opportunities A4 placements\u2014and their management\u2014can offer. As we kick off this month\u2019s report on A3 and A4 devices, our dealers talk about some of the often-overlooked A4 opportunities to seek out. One of the more fertile verticals for A4 is the automotive dealership space, notes Joe Blatchford, CEO of Image 2000 in Santa Clarita, California. He points out that it\u2019s one sector that remains highly paper-intensive, and auto dealers often lean on manufacturer-specific software ecosystems such as Lexmark. As such, he feels it creates a strong opportunity for tailored A4 solutions. Prime placement opportunities also abound in the healthcare field. \u201cWith numerous satellite offices and space constraints, A4 devices are often the ideal fit,\u201d Blatchford said. \u201cThe combination of distributed environments and ongoing document needs makes this a consistently strong and profitable market.\u201d Device Neglect One scenario where dealers are leaving potential dollars on the table is environments with scores of unmanaged desktop printers. Melissa Confalone, president of Fraser Advanced Information Systems of West Reading, Pennsylvania, notes that these neglected devices create unnecessary cost, inefficiency, and lack of visibility for the client. When Fraser enters the fray, it standardizes such environments with platforms from HP\u00a0and Lexmark. The upshot is immediate cost control and consistency, and it paves the way for recurring revenue through managed services. Another gap that can be leveraged is security. \u201cToo many organizations fail to recognize A4 devices as active network endpoints, leaving vulnerabilities unaddressed,\u201d she said. \u201cThat\u2019s a critical risk we\u2019re able to identify and solve as part of a broader print and IT strategy.\u201d As a rule, Matthew Salzano\u2014the vice president of Network Digital Office Systems in Fairfield, New Jersey\u2014believes well-designed and managed A4 environments are frequently underestimated. When standardized, secured, and deployed strategically, he notes A4s have a strong profitability upside and are far easier to support than fragmented A3-heavy fleets. \u201cWhen paired with software solutions such as device management, secure print and cloud connectivity, A4 becomes far more than a standalone device,\u201d he said. \u201cThat is where margins improve and long-term customer retention truly takes hold. A4 devices also tend to generate stronger margins on service and supplies, further enhancing their overall profitability.\u201d One and Done? John Hastings, the executive vice president\u2014sales and service for Loffler Companies in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, feels the most overlooked opportunity is strategic A4 standardization. One-off A4 placements need to give way to enterprise-wide A4 strategies paired with several elements, including: Device security and compliance Automated supplies and service monitoring User-based rules and reporting Integration with managed IT services \u201cWhen A4 is sold intentionally, rather than opportunistically, it becomes scalable, sticky and highly profitable,\u201d Hastings noted.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":166,"featured_media":69762,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1650,82,87,1638],"tags":[2738,3926,560,4407],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69761"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/166"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=69761"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69761\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":69763,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69761\/revisions\/69763"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/69762"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=69761"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=69761"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=69761"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}