At last, Xerox is paying serious attention to hardware as a service (HaaS). The multi-function printer giant plans to support a growing list of managed services platforms, MSPmentor has learned.

The effort, which includes such partners as ConnectWise and N-able, could transform HaaS from a niche solution into a mainstream managed services offering, MSPmentor believes.

The strategy calls for Xerox to write to a range of managed services APIs (application programming interfaces). Here are the details.

Publicly, Xerox says it is now writing to ConnectWise’s professional services automation (PSA) platform APIs. Xerox disclosed some of that initial work during the ConnectWise Partner Summit in Orlando last week. The effort will allow MSPs to manage Xerox devices from within ConnectWise’s PSA system.

Privately, one Xerox partner says the printer company also plans to support N-able’s managed services APIs, with more details expected to surface in October. Longer term, Xerox is committed to supporting additional managed services platforms — assuming the platform providers are committed to assisting with the work, the Xerox partner says.

When asked about platform support beyond ConnectWise, a Xerox representative attending the ConnectWise Partner Summit had no comment.

Defining Moment?

Assuming Xerox does write to a range of managed services APIs, this could be a defining moment for the HaaS industry.

Generally speaking, HaaS allows customers to pay MSPs a flat monthly fee for their ongoing hardware needs.

In many cases, HaaS has been misrepresented or mispositioned by hardware companies that were simply trying to hype leasing services. In other cases, hardward companies developed promising HaaS efforts — but they didn’t support open standards.

If Xerox and other printer providers start to support managed services APIs, it will make it easier for MSPs to promote and support HaaS programs for multi-function printers, copiers and other document management devices.