HP’S NEW PARTERSHIP WITH, SYNNEX ,NER DATA ,SUPPLIES NETWORK AND UNITED STATIONERS
PrintSolv could provide a big boost to the market for resellers
HP
is upping its game in the managed print services business, and this
could be a boon to its distribution partners, namely Synnex. Part of
this strategy, however, will include a component – a global business
unit for direct business – that will compete against the channel.The
reality is, the transition to managed print services has been slow,
even though it seems inevitable as hardware margins are squeezed into
oblivion. Still, there has been some resistance by resellers and
customers alike to move over to this model – perhaps, simply, because
it represents change, and there hasn’t been a lot of consistent
information available out there.
So HP is trying to get more
resellers on board with managed print services, estimating enterprise
print to be a US$100 billion market. This includes a new channel
partner program, new printer products and an enhanced relationship with
Canon that will expand its copier portfolio.Synnex has been selected as
an HP Collaborative Infrastructure Partner in the U.S. to offer
resellers a full suite of managed print services using HP printing and
imaging hardware. Aside from the fact HP and Synnex already have an
established relationship in this area, Synnex is an ideal distribution
partner since it offers PrintSolv, a managed print solution, to the VAR
community.PrintSolv, which provides a usage-based billing model, is
vendor-agnostic and works with new and existing printer networks.
Synnex also has a dedicated PrintSolv sales team that includes field
sales, inside sales and sales support to help resellers through the
managed print learning curve.
This latest deal with HP is part
of Synnex’s drive to differentiate itself from the competition through
the provision of incremental revenue opportunities for resellers. Just
over a year ago, Synnex launched its On Demand Services program to help
VARs achieve longer-term contracts with customers and gain a recurring
revenue stream. This includes four areas of on-demand services: field
services, managed services, professional services and edge services
(which includes PrintSolv).HP is also teaming up with niche
distributors in the U.S., including Supplies Network, NER Data and
United Stationers, which will work with resellers to deliver managed
print services through a shared sales, infrastructure and print model.
As
part of this initiative, HP has also created a global business unit
called Managed Enterprise Solutions for direct customers – and this
will be active in Canada. HP says this is aimed at enterprise
customers, but most business will still go through the channel – and
this includes new printer products designed specifically for channel
partners (with warranties, for example, that maximize opportunities for
services revenue).There appears to be a potentially lucrative market
out there, and it’s really a no-brainer for VARs feeling the margin
squeeze, yet the managed print services market has endured a long,
bumpy road. Synnex has been trying to address this through PrintSolv,
and its latest partnership with HP could provide a big boost to the
market – and to resellers looking for new business opportunities.