HP to offer hard copy services
As part of its strategy to move "outside the box," Hewlett-Packard plans to start a new services division for its LaserJet solutions group.
The new digital hard copy services division will offer consulting, via its resellers, to companies that want to see how much they?re spending on printing, faxing, and copier costs. It also will offer recommendations on where to cut costs.
"HP?s printer side, historically, has been focused on products," said Laura Cory, general manager of HP?s digital hard copy services. "But last September we outlined our five-year plan for the LaserJet group and said we?ll begin offering solutions based around printers and scanners."
She noted a customer focus-group study, which revealed that a large number of HP customers want the company to be a full-service provider and work with them on developing strategy for a move into the digital world.
Plans for the division have been underway for the past 18 months, and six months ago the company rolled out pilot programs.
Cory said she was surprised by the research data that emerged.
"A site with an average of 1,000 employees, on average, made 9 million hard copies from copiers and printed 4 million pages from printers," Cory said. "And the most astounding thing was that, people, on average, spend two weeks a year walking these pages around."
Under the terms of the division?s FirstView service agreement, HP will receive royalties and fees from its resellers, which will sell and provide the consulting service.
Cory said it is too early to determine the potential contribution this service will have on HP?s revenue.