{"id":59466,"date":"2024-03-14T13:22:26","date_gmt":"2024-03-14T20:22:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/?p=59466"},"modified":"2024-03-14T13:22:29","modified_gmt":"2024-03-14T20:22:29","slug":"best-of-ecs-from-yesterdays-tools-to-tomorrows-solutions-sharps-mike-marusic-suggests-following-the-information-trail","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/the-week-in-imaging-twii\/editors-blog\/2024\/03\/best-of-ecs-from-yesterdays-tools-to-tomorrows-solutions-sharps-mike-marusic-suggests-following-the-information-trail\/","title":{"rendered":"Best of ECS: From Yesterday\u2019s Tools to Tomorrow\u2019s Solutions, Sharp\u2019s Mike Marusic Suggests Following the Information Trail"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"
Mike Marusic, Sharp<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Often times, too much attention is paid to technology itself as opposed to the intention of it. This is why history is littered with examples of tools that overstayed their practicality, not to mention the many victims that fell by the wayside because of their loyalty to past methods of accomplishing business-related tasks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the industry\u2019s most relatable executives, Mike Marusic\u2014president and CEO of Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America\u2014held court for a 30-minute presentation at Executive Connection Summit, in January at The Scottsdale Resort at McCormick Ranch in Arizona. His segment was titled \u201cCabinets to Cloud,\u201d but it was less of a dissertation on the many Cloud-based solutions and more of a history lesson\/cautionary tale on embracing change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve always said this is a people industry,\u201d Marusic told the crowd. \u201cThe common thread is people always want to communicate, always wanted to share. In essence, that\u2019s what we do as an industry. We\u2019re in the information industry; paper pays the bills, but information is what we\u2019re selling.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marusic really drove home the information management bottom line in his first 10 minutes. The industry is comprised of hardware, software and services that help businesses in their quest to input information, share information and store it. He spoke of change and evolution, providing reminders of how we, as an industry, sometimes allowed the allegiance to technology tools interfere with evolution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a testament to his belief that \u201chistory doesn\u2019t repeat itself, but it often rhymes,\u201d he cited the technology that had the greatest allegiance. Marusic came across information about a 1960 NOMDA meeting in which Hubert Humphrey\u2014a Minnesota senator and soon-to-be vice president\u2014had written the association to underscore his commitment to help the industry transform from typewriters. Humphrey was at least 20 years ahead of his time in discussing tax breaks and economic policy that could facilitate the transformation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSixty years later, we\u2019re still talking about things like this to initiate change,\u201d he added, noting that IBM was essentially the lone survivor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Repurposed Cabinets<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marusic conceded that Sharp, as a business, was loathe to mothball its office cabinets, only exiling them seven years ago (they probably serve as room dividers, he mused). They\u2019re hardly alone in the plodding DX push to the cloud; mainstream businesses, out of muscle memory, still find reassurance in keeping hard copies of its records.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not all technologies take hold, though some were on the right track. Not long ago, Marusic found a sales sheet for an early document management solution released by Panasonic (his former employer) which, despite its good intentions, had much less firepower that a garden variety smart phone. He also cited the BlackBerry, which remains patent rich but has fallen behind the pace it once set for mobile communications and security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marusic noted that at the core of every challenge the industry is facing is the concept of the cloud. \u201cThe core essence of the cloud, first and foremost, is sharing information,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019ve got to make all the core products, the products that have brought you all into this room and made your businesses, relevant in a cloud environment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As more and more elements are moved to the cloud, it also has to be brought back into the tangible world. Herein lies the opportunity for physical conversion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe take the data out of the cloud and put it into something tangible,\u201d Marusic said. \u201cWe service and manage things that are tangible. We bill for things that are tangible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AI is Here<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

No discussion of future success would be complete without an overview of AI\u2019s influence. Information sharing has never been greater, according to Marusic. Sharp\u2019s parent company, Foxconn, is developing what it calls the \u201cAI factory,\u201d where information is the output. As autonomous cars continue to proliferate, passengers will want to leverage the riding time by logging into meetings, applications and the like, opening the door for business opportunities for dealers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At CES earlier this year, Sharp demonstrated a technology that replicates the sense of smell, and other companies are devising techs that can emulate all five senses. The important thing is to consider how these technologies can be managed, controlled and made a part of business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While Foxconn lacks the R&D firepower of a Google or Microsoft, Marusic believes Sharp can leverage the technology between the giants. Sharp\u2019s Synappx solution has the follow-me ease of data and application portability anywhere within the office. The OEM also teamed with ConnectWise on a tool to manage print security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the ways and means may change, the fundamental requirements of inputting, sharing and storing will continue to present opportunities for those seeking to play a custodial role. \u201cWhen you look at the business itself and what companies need, if you focus on information and data, you will never be disappointed,\u201d Marusic said. \u201cIt will continue to grow.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Often times, too much attention is paid to technology itself as opposed to the intention of it. This is why history is littered with examples of tools that overstayed their practicality, not to mention the many victims that fell by the wayside because of their loyalty to past methods of accomplishing business-related tasks. One of the industry\u2019s most relatable executives, Mike Marusic\u2014president and CEO of Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America\u2014held court for a 30-minute presentation at Executive Connection Summit, in January at The Scottsdale Resort at McCormick Ranch in Arizona. His segment was titled \u201cCabinets to Cloud,\u201d but it was less of a dissertation on the many Cloud-based solutions and more of a history lesson\/cautionary tale on embracing change. \u201cWe\u2019ve always said this is a people industry,\u201d Marusic told the crowd. \u201cThe common thread is people always want to communicate, always wanted to share. In essence, that\u2019s what we do as an industry. We\u2019re in the information industry; paper pays the bills, but information is what we\u2019re selling.\u201d Marusic really drove home the information management bottom line in his first 10 minutes. The industry is comprised of hardware, software and services that help businesses in their quest to input information, share information and store it. He spoke of change and evolution, providing reminders of how we, as an industry, sometimes allowed the allegiance to technology tools interfere with evolution. As a testament to his belief that \u201chistory doesn\u2019t repeat itself, but it often rhymes,\u201d he cited the technology that had the greatest allegiance. Marusic came across information about a 1960 NOMDA meeting in which Hubert Humphrey\u2014a Minnesota senator and soon-to-be vice president\u2014had written the association to underscore his commitment to help the industry transform from typewriters. Humphrey was at least 20 years ahead of his time in discussing tax breaks and economic policy that could facilitate the transformation. \u201cSixty years later, we\u2019re still talking about things like this to initiate change,\u201d he added, noting that IBM was essentially the lone survivor. Repurposed Cabinets Marusic conceded that Sharp, as a business, was loathe to mothball its office cabinets, only exiling them seven years ago (they probably serve as room dividers, he mused). They\u2019re hardly alone in the plodding DX push to the cloud; mainstream businesses, out of muscle memory, still find reassurance in keeping hard copies of its records. Not all technologies take hold, though some were on the right track. Not long ago, Marusic found a sales sheet for an early document management solution released by Panasonic (his former employer) which, despite its good intentions, had much less firepower that a garden variety smart phone. He also cited the BlackBerry, which remains patent rich but has fallen behind the pace it once set for mobile communications and security. Marusic noted that at the core of every challenge the industry is facing is the concept of the cloud. \u201cThe core essence of the cloud, first and foremost, is sharing information,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019ve got to make all the core products, the products that have brought you all into this room and made your businesses, relevant in a cloud environment.\u201d As more and more elements are moved to the cloud, it also has to be brought back into the tangible world. Herein lies the opportunity for physical conversion. \u201cWe take the data out of the cloud and put it into something tangible,\u201d Marusic said. \u201cWe service and manage things that are tangible. We bill for things that are tangible.\u201d AI is Here No discussion of future success would be complete without an overview of AI\u2019s influence. Information sharing has never been greater, according to Marusic. Sharp\u2019s parent company, Foxconn, is developing what it calls the \u201cAI factory,\u201d where information is the output. As autonomous cars continue to proliferate, passengers will want to leverage the riding time by logging into meetings, applications and the like, opening the door for business opportunities for dealers. At CES earlier this year, Sharp demonstrated a technology that replicates the sense of smell, and other companies are devising techs that can emulate all five senses. The important thing is to consider how these technologies can be managed, controlled and made a part of business. While Foxconn lacks the R&D firepower of a Google or Microsoft, Marusic believes Sharp can leverage the technology between the giants. Sharp\u2019s Synappx solution has the follow-me ease of data and application portability anywhere within the office. The OEM also teamed with ConnectWise on a tool to manage print security. While the ways and means may change, the fundamental requirements of inputting, sharing and storing will continue to present opportunities for those seeking to play a custodial role. \u201cWhen you look at the business itself and what companies need, if you focus on information and data, you will never be disappointed,\u201d Marusic said. \u201cIt will continue to grow.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":166,"featured_media":53388,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[80,1650,82,1638],"tags":[185],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59466"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/166"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=59466"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59466\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":59467,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59466\/revisions\/59467"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/53388"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=59466"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=59466"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=59466"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}