Talk about jumping on a crowded bandwagon. When International Data Corp. unveiled its MarketScape study of the managed print services (MPS) market, Xerox, Hewlett-Packard and Lexmark each claimed MPS victories. The IDC MarketScape study reminds MSPmentor of  Gartner Inc.’s Magic Quadrant for Managed Print Services Worldwide. Each time new study results surface, multiple technology companies stand up and attempt to dominate the spotlight.

IDC’s MarketScape reports give an overview of the competitive suppliers in a given market based on both qualitative and quantitative data. The reports aim to give a clear view of each vendor’s products, service offerings, capabilities and strategies, current and future success factors and strengths and weaknesses of each company.

And after all that research, the IDC came to the same conclusion in December as Gartner did back in October: Xerox Corp. leads the MPS market. But here’s the twist: Both HP and Lexmark also issued press releases claiming victories in their own way.

Still, the report listed two main reasons why Xerox earned the top spot: its support for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) through its Partner Print Services, and its commitment to helping businesses do more than reduce printing costs, such as streamline print operations and improve company efficiencies.

In a prepared statement, IDC Research Director Holly Muscolino said:  “Xerox’s high scores indicate that the companies seeking MPS want a partner with market experience and depth of approach to ensure long-term results. Consistent global delivery capabilities are a key differentiator for Xerox, and they continue to build out their infrastructure for global support, including support for indirect channel partners.”

That’s good news for managed services providers (MSPs), some of whom are trying to build MPS revenue streams.

Back at Xerox, the company achieved multiple managed print milestones this year. It partnered with Office Depot and BT to offer MPS services in Europe, helped U.S. campuses save money with its MPS solutions, debuted it free mobile print solution and signed a five-year MPS deal with British Airways.

The IDC MarketScape report also identified Ricoh Company, Hewlett-Packard (HP), Lexmark and others as leaders in the MPS space.