Marco brings its cybersecurity and workplace technology expertise to the development of WALM, an open framework for secure workplace asset lifecycle management.
ST. CLOUD, MINN., — SEPTEMBER 24, 2026 — Marco has joined Open Interoperability Technologies (OIT) as a founding member company, supporting the development of WALM (Workplace Asset Lifecycle Management), an open framework designed to help organizations securely manage and orchestrate the lifecycle of workplace technology and connected assets.
Marco will work with OIT and the Stramaglio Consulting partner ecosystem to help develop WALM and establish an open approach to connecting workplace devices, software, services, identity, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and business systems. The initiative also draws on the broader interoperability community, including organizations such as the TWAIN Working Group, which has long focused on open standards for document and imaging interoperability.
WALM is designed to go beyond simply connecting devices. It provides a framework for coordinating assets, services, security, workflows, analytics, AI, financial processes, and lifecycle events across increasingly complex workplace environments.
Cybersecurity at the Foundation
For Marco, cybersecurity is a fundamental component of the interoperability challenge. As workplace environments become increasingly connected, organizations must be able to establish trust and security across devices, networks, applications, cloud services, and business systems throughout the entire asset lifecycle.
“Interoperability cannot be separated from cybersecurity,” said Jay Brown, Head of Print Cybersecurity at Marco and a CISSP. “As workplace environments become increasingly connected across devices, networks, cloud services, applications, and AI, organizations need to know not only that their systems can communicate, but that those connections can be trusted and secured throughout the asset lifecycle. Marco is excited to contribute a cybersecurity perspective to WALM and help build security, identity, risk management, and emerging technologies such as post-quantum cryptography into the foundation of workplace interoperability.”
Brown brings extensive cybersecurity, governance, risk, and compliance experience to the initiative, including work involving NIST, CMMC, HIPAA, FFIEC, COBIT, and PCI DSS. At Marco, he leads cybersecurity efforts supporting the company's managed print and technology environment and its national customer base.
The collaboration with Stramaglio Consulting and its partner ecosystem brings together complementary technologies and expertise spanning identity and trust, cybersecurity, post-quantum cryptography, artificial intelligence, device management, content workflows, enterprise applications, and service management.
“WALM is intended to provide an open foundation for organizations to manage increasingly interconnected workplace technologies,” said Kevin Neal, Executive Director at the TWAIN Working Group. “Marco's participation, particularly its cybersecurity expertise, adds an important perspective as the ecosystem develops.”
OIT is being developed around an open interoperability model that includes APIs, SDKs, certification, identity and trust services, registries, and reference implementations.
Marco's participation as a founding member reflects its commitment to helping shape open, secure approaches to interoperability and workplace technology lifecycle management.
About Marco
Marco is a leading provider of managed print services, IT solutions, and technology services for organizations nationwide. With deep expertise across healthcare, education, and enterprise environments, Marco partners with organizations to design, deploy, and support secure, scalable technology programs that drive operational efficiency and long-term value. Learn more at marconet.com.
Marco has been a Norwest Equity Partners (NEP) portfolio company since 2015 and has executed 31 strategic acquisitions as part of its ongoing growth strategy.
About OIT and WALM
Open Interoperability Technologies (OIT) is a Public Benefit Corporation developing open technologies that enable secure interoperability across workplace systems. Its initial initiative, WALM (Workplace Asset Lifecycle Management), is being developed with founding member companies and the Stramaglio Consulting partner ecosystem.
Press Contact
Marco Technologies
Jay Brown, CISSP, Head of Print Cybersecurity
jay.brown@marconet.com
