HP Inc. is testing a managed print services (MPS) subscription plan -- called HP Managed Print Flex -- with selected channel partners and customers in North America and Europe, the PC and printer giant disclosed this week.
HP Managed Print Flex allows partners to generate print revenue through hardware, resell and commission options, add-on solutions and service subscriptions. An HP Smart Pricing plan automatically adjusts month-to-month based on actual volume printed, HP says.
How HP Managed Print Services Work
The base subscription also includes:
- Automatic supply replenishment proactively schedules supply delivery before you run out
- Break-fix services with two-hour callback and next-business-day onsite support (if not resolved remotely)
- Short-term one year commitment with automatic renewal
- HP Roam so workers can print securely from virtually anywhere
- All printers consolidated in an analytics dashboard and billed under single contract
- A page is a page; plans do not differentiate between mono and color
- The Wolf Security pack ensures endpoints are configured with the right security settings
Select resellers and customers are testing the MPS program in the United States, United Kingdom and Germany. General availability is expected in Spring 2022, HP predicted. Describing the effort, HP GM George Brasher said
:“...e have taken the complexity out of managed print services and made it as simple and seamless as possible. In fact, customers don’t even choose a plan. Our innovative Smart Plan adjusts automatically to the best cost option based on what was actually printed, so IT departments can focus less on overseeing printing services and more what really matters.”
Managed Print Services (MPS) Market Growth
Demand for MPS services appears to be rising, despite the global COVID-19 pandemic. Among the anecdotes to note: Managed print monitoring solutions company MPS Monitor generated 40 percent revenue growth in 2020 vs.2019,
Printer companies, meanwhile, have had mixed results with their MPS efforts. From time to time, some printer companies have emphasized direct sales of managed print services -- which can cut MSPs and office equipment dealers out of the revenue pipeline. Xerox, for one, has been acquiring MPS companies that essentially compete with Xerox's own channel partner program.
HP's effort to test Managed Print Flex with channel partners -- prior to general availability -- is a welcome move in the channel ecosystem.
Additional insights from Joe Panettieri.
