FAQ: PenForms Re-seller
What does it takes and how do we become PenForms reseller
PenForms have a strong reputation, and are known as one of the most flexible suppliers in Anoto Technology. A normal procedure to become PenForms reseller is short;
First we will kindly ask you to sign a non disclosure agreement. Hereafter we have a standard and international reseller contract ready to secure our SW rights, you optimal service and support in our product, terms of payment terms and so on.
Only few investments are required and you are a member of the PenForms reseller family.
What is the average time to become PenForms reseller
As soon as the reseller contract is signed, you will get full access to all modules in the PPoD state of the art SW application. PPoD has significant possibilities for you to print all your leads’, end-users’ and customers’ forms to dedicated websites in a snap.
PPoD will give your company the top modern applications, with an almost endless amount of functions and services.
What is the optimal reseller profile to gain profit?
The top performing of PenForms’ existing resellers, have an existing customer base, in a specific vertical market, where they can easily announce and marke the digital pen based solution.
Secondly the most successful resellers have a strong focus on a very specific marked, where they have knowledge, brand and reputation.
If you as PenForms reseller have internal or access to skills in ERP, CRM (Or what is related to your specific vertical market) it will be a major advantage to convince and advice your leads.
What is the advantage to become reseller in the PenForms reseller family?
It is our hope that our resellers will connect across and between our reseller network, and share leads and help each other when large international end-users need local support and installations.
FAQ: Pen market in general
What markets is the most attractive to sell the Digital pen and paper technology?
Digital Paper technology has one unique advantage, the digital based solution can be implemented in almost any market – please, have in mind this is also the biggest threat – many new resellers imagine selling digital paper based solution to Police, Public, Hospitals, Transport…. Our strongest recommendation: stay focused on your market.
The most expandable market areas change a lot from country to country.
At present time the most popular vertical markets are; Service, Health, Inspections all in public as well in private sector.
Since 2011, the most attractive markets have changed from Europe to areas in Far East and South America.
FAQ: Contractual issues
Can we get exclusive agreements?
Many first time resellers ask for exclusivity, because they are the first reseller in a country. Normally exclusivity is a two-way agreement, where the exclusivity is limited to a specific period combined with a minimum quantity.
Our experience tells us the exclusivity is often waste of time and money, having in mind that PenForms has no chances in avoiding other Anoto partners selling across borders, also also have in mind that your company has full flexibility in expanding across your own borders.
Will PenForms open other resellers in my country?
PenForms will best possible try to expand new re-sellers to cover new market areas. It is our hope and goal that different vertical markets are covered with different resellers, but also secure that our promoted resellers can harvest the specific vertical market best possible.
What will it cost to become PenForms reseller?
Only few investments are required and you are a member of PenForms reseller family. You will pay for units and items you will need anyway to start up and that’s it. All units can hereafter be used for demo, sales etc.
Can we sell the PPoD applications across borders?
PenForms normally have no limitations in how or where you sell the PPoD applications.
FAQ: Digital Pen Related Questions
From where do we buy the digital Pens?
In theory you can buy your Anoto digital pens whereever you like, we have no demand regarding this issue.
All this said, we work hard to secure that you as partner at any time will get a low optimal price and fast delivery. We also generally warn you that some older digital pens on the marked are on sale, and they do NOT support open based digital forms.
PenForms will not have any responsibility for pens bought at 3rd party.
What happens if the pen has failure and what is the lifetime?
Most pens have a life expectancy of 4 – 6 years. The reason for this is the rechargeable battery will begin to flat out after 6 years. A pen may have a longer lifetime, all depending of each battery. Batteries will not be replaced.
If the pens have failure, Anoto will change the pen in the warranty period of the first 14 month.
What warranty does a pen have?
Anoto provide 14 month of warranty and change the pen at no additional cost.
Is the pen stabile?
Generally the pens are extremely stabile. Our best argument is that a mobile phone on average last around 12 – 18 month and cost twice as much.
Based on our 10 years of experience, less than 1 - 2% of the pens have an acknowledged failure in the first 36 month. Most replaced pens are lost, forgotten, dropped ….. - most of all forgotten in the pocket and turns up again in the dryer after the trip in a washing machine.
Conclusion: Water is the biggest ‘enemy’ against digital pens.
Ps. Inside the pen there you will find a small indicator showing if the pen have been in contact with water.
FAQ: PPoD GUI, support and education
How can our technical staff get education and training in PenForms PPoD?
Via PenForms University you can get education. We mainly offer education around the globe where your staff can fly in and be educated. Beside this we can also offer education onsite at your or at your customers location.
What Languages does the PPoD support?
PPoD Designer supports English.
PPoD Portal can with little effort on your end be translated to your language, if it is not already one of the long list of supported languages.
FAQ: PPoD advantages and modules
Can PPoD exchange data with other ERP/CRM applications?
PPoD exchange data in a XML format by HTTP post, FTP and web services.
How can we as a company design our customers’ forms?
As soon as you have signed up as PenForms reseller you will get full access to PenForms Designer module. In this module you can easily design and print your leads’ and customers’ digital forms.
Can PPoD run remotely?
PPoD runs remotely on our hosted servers. Our servers are located in the UK at a highly secured hosting center.
What Modules do PPoD offer?
PPoD have following Modules:
# PPoD Designer (Will be given free to all PenForms Partners)
# PPoD Management (Included in the PPoD Designer)
# PPoD Server (Will be needed if installations behind the firewall is required)
How can PPoD be scalable?
PPoD is fully scalable. The PPOD system can be mounted just like LEGO. From one small single pen user and all the way up to almost endless amount of pens, servers and users.
As an example:
- A user start with one pen and step by step add pens running on our Remote hosted servers.
- After a while the user will expand, and will begin to design and print its own forms, for this the PPOD designer module are required.
- Later the user would like to have all applications behind the firewall. Then the PPoD Server modules are required and hereafter all will run locally.
How can PPoD be installed on the Customers’ servers?
PPoD can be installed behind the customers firewall, remotely by PenForms’ employees. At larger installations at Public sectors, Hospitals, Military and others an onsite installation may be required.
FAQ; PPoD management
How do we manage our customers pens, if they get lost, damaged
Link to: What if the pen is stolen?
How do we manage the pages
The pages will sent from our accounts into your License Bank Account. From your account you can hereafter dedicate the pages to each of your customers listed in the PPoD management module.
FAQ; PPoD HWR “Hand Writing Recognition”
What HWR SW application do PPoD support?
PenForms have the highest partner ranking at Vision Object as VO Platinum reseller.
What (HWR) languages do PPoD support?
PenForms are one of maybe 2 Vision Object (VO) Platinum resellers worldwide.
As VO Platinum partner we have access to all VO’s languages, in the system.
Most common languages; Traditional Chinese, Mandarin Chinese, UK, US, France, Spanish, Scandinavian Languages, German etc.
How do we add HWR licenses to the digital Pens
HWR Licenses (From Vision Object) is simply transferred into your License Bank Account. From here you can easily transfer your licenses to the next pen you enroll into PPoD designer or alternative dedicate the HWR licenses to a specific pen ID.
FAQ; Digital Paper and dots
From where do we buy the digital pages?
The digital pages will be sent electronically into your PPoD account.
The digital pages, is not physical paper – the digital pages are ‘only’ the dots you print on the hard paper. Therefore there are no shipping costs.
What kind of physical paper can we use?
Generally there is no demand of specific paper quality; most common used paper will work fineVery low quality paper may however cause problems.
What format and size can we print our customers forms?
PPoD Designer have no limitation in paper size, all sizes from tiny small stamps up to A0 is useable. Normally the printer has the limitations.
What is generally required to print digital Forms?
Generally all color laser printers are supported, so long as they have minimum a DPI of 600.
What kind of Anoto technology will PPoD support:
PenForms PPoD supports unique and copied pattern.
What is the different between Unique pattern and Copied pattern:
Unique pattern has the advantage that the dots on the page will be printed just once, allowing the pen to distinguish each page from each other.
Copied pattern is different, in that the dots on the pages will be reused over and over. That requires that the pen user remember to use a check box, for instance on the top of the page, to indicate to the system that the user is writing on a new physical page.
When do you recommend Copy Pattern and Unique pages?
Using Unique pattern is optimal in the matters of stability and security.
The Unique pattern is recommendable in terms of usages in Hospitals, Personal Journals ex. – And/or:
- Where written information flows over longer periods
- Where more than more person is writing on the form
The Unique pages will secure al data at any time will arrive as written.
The Copied Pattern can be usable, when filling out a single form at a time, without requiring to go back to this form later.
- Where the written data will be written in the same time and no other forms will be used in same time
- Where only one user/pen will fill out the form
When is there an economical argument for using Copied Pattern compared to Unique Pattern?
Average investigations shows that a yearly usage of unique pages are cheaper until around 200.000 and up to 300.000 pages are reached – Copied Pages can be an advantage from 300.000 pages and up.
