Since adding AuthX to its portfolio in June of 2025, ecoprintQ reports onboarding more than 12 office equipment dealerships. The cloud-native, identity/access management (IAM) software is a natural fit for the dealer channel, believes Ross Wood, manager of business development at the software firm known for providing print management services. Wood pushed hard for ecoprintQ to become an AuthX distributor in the Americas.
“We are still in soft-launch mode,” Wood explained in mid-April. To date, growth has been organic: mostly the word-of-mouth variety. At industry events, people from dealerships are hearing about ecoprintQ’s status as an AuthX technology partner, he continued, and they have been reaching out.
The value proposition is clear for many dealers, especially amid the shift to hybrid/remote office settings, where endpoint workflows for cloud apps, desktops, and virtual private networks (VPNs) require streamlining. Single sign-on (SSO) authentication methods are like a simplified breath of fresh air.
“For reps who are selling PaperCut [print-management software], this is the same type of authentication,” Wood noted, “except that it’s for computers.” Encrypted security through AuthX is cloud-hosted and managed, he added.
That dozen or so dealers reselling and quoting the AuthX IAM solution are discovering the best ways to structure pricing, which typically is on a term subscription (one- or two-year) basis. “The license fee is per user, not per device,” Wood clarified, with prices starting at less than $5 per user per month and bulk discounts kicking in at 500 users. There is a five-user minimum, he noted, and the discounting goes beyond “the 10,000 pricing tiers.” Paying per-user fees means one person can log into her or his tablet, laptop, and desktop computer simultaneously. Wood added that ecoprintQ is also investigating a monthly recurring revenue (MRR) pricing model to add flexibility for dealers in the future.
ID abusers are on the rise
The latest research from ConnectWise highlights how identity abuse redefines risk for managed service providers (MSPs). As AI accelerates the speed and scale of theft, the IT firm’s 2026 MSP Threat Report reveals that attackers increasingly exploit trusted identities, remote access infrastructure, and software supply chains. Compromised credentials pose security concerns, and some of the breach statistics are scary. Phishing hackers prey on the feeble, making weak passwords the number one vulnerability culprit:
· 91% of cyberattacks start with a phishing email that captures passwords.
· 81% of data breaches are due to weak or stolen passwords.
· 52% of people use the same password for work and personal accounts.
· 60% of people reuse passwords across multiple accounts.
· The average person has 80 to 100 passwords but remembers only 10.
· Password guessing attacks are responsible for more than 80% of hacking attempts on web services.
Source: independent market research platform Gitnux.org
In April, the FBI accused Forest Blizzard, a threat actor linked to the Russian military, of compromising insecure small office/home office (SOHO) internet equipment, such as routers, in the United States. Its hackers then modified settings to turn them into part of the actor’s malicious infrastructure.
Beyond security: ecoprintQ & AuthX
Ease of use is another major benefit of AuthX, according to Wood. It’s all about eliminating steps and convenience for end users, he points out. IAM solutions need to meet people where and how they live and work. The AuthX user experience (UX) is intuitive and not cumbersome in the least, he stressed.
From locking smartphones using PINs to tap-and-go badges, Wood illustrated, “AuthX offers integrated RFID (radio-frequency) technology for card readers.” Through integrations, the software can also (upon login) automatically launch client backend platforms, such as billing systems, thus reducing steps for end users and simplifying their daily routines.
Keeping the authentication process simple is key. AuthX supports features such as SSO and multiple-factor authentication (MFA). MFA badge access, push notifications, and card-reader integrations can enhance security in the cloud as well as on locally hosted services.
ecoprintQ’s Ross Wood
Wood encourages dealers to leverage credentialing solutions for customers who already have implemented badge access, say, to enter a building or to use a copier machine. On the other hand, if a customer isn’t yet invested in card-reader tech, he said a dealer can offer mobile apps and high-tech alternatives like facial recognition and other biometrics. These features, which reduce hardware costs, may come into play particularly in budget-driven environments.
Compliance requirements, such as HIPAA, GDPR, PCI, and CJIS, are driving security changes for many vertical markets, Wood concluded, including in education, finance, healthcare, law enforcement, manufacturing, and utilities. MFA is often mandated for doctors, law enforcement personnel, and other professionals, and AuthX supports these standards. Within federated authentication—governmental settings that demand higher levels of authorized access—an actual human sitting in front of a computer can be crucial in our chatbot-centric, online world.
That’s why a so-called passwordless future is on the horizon. “Soon, passwords will be viewed much differently,” Wood foresees. AuthX aligns with this trend. Authenticating without passwords is the direction toward which big tech players Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google, and Microsoft are migrating, he noted. Why? Put simply, it’s because passwords have become a liability.
