Hewlett-Packard issues managed print warning
Vendor claims VARs need to get onboard with selling print services, or it will have to go direct
Hewlett-Packard’s (HP) Imaging and Printing Group (IPG) has warned that resellers need to learn to sell managed print offerings, or the vendor could be forced to recruit a direct-sales team.
Currently, more than 90 per cent of IPG’s business is fulfilled by the channel.
Graham Long, director at IPG, told CRN: “End-users are demanding managed print services. Our competitors are offering it, but we need the channel to step up to this. If it does not get onboard, then we could lose out on this increase in demand and be forced to recruit a direct-sales team.”
In 2003, HP launched its first Total Print Management (TPM) offerings. Today, TPM consists of an integrated family of HP software, hardware and services that take control of businesses’ imaging and printing networks.
“This year our key strategy is to grow the TPM business. I don’t want to sell TPM direct, I want to sell it through the channel,” Long said.
Kevin Jones, managing director of VAR Printware, said: “We have been selling TPM since January. It’s a great offering and we’ve had a lot of success with it. Dealers who aren’t selling managed print are missing a trick.”
Philip Grote, analyst at Current Analysis, said: “HP has two options: invest in channel education or go direct. If it goes direct, the channel will not be happy. HP needs to reward loyalty with loyalty, and then the channel will pay HP back in the same currency.”
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