HP took the wraps off several products and initiatives at its annual global partner event (held virtually, of course) as the company works to help channel partners adjust for the “new normal” their business customers face. Indeed, the name of the conference—HP Reinvent—reflected the fact that HP, its partners, and its customers are working to adapt to mid- and post-COVID realties.
Product introductions included office/home office printers and MFPs as well as business laptop PCs and monitors. On the services front, HP announced new or improved IT support options, Device-as-a-Service (DaaS) and consumables subscription programs, as well as cloud workflow services. To help dealer partners reach their full potential as responsible community citizens, HP unveiled its HP Amplify Impact partner assessment and training program, which provides the tools and resources required to identify potential gaps in the goals partners wish to set and provide guidance on how to achieve those goals.
Document Input/Output Introductions
Although print volumes have cratered overall due to the pandemic, products that help shift to a digital workplace will remain an important cog in the business machine. To underpin that initiative, HP launched new print products, services, and solutions optimized to enable new ways of working, new ways of managing, and new ways of buying:
- HP LaserJet Enterprise 400 Series are compact (yet full-featured) single- and multifunction printers that are ideal for tighter quarters and work-from-home employees
- Document Workflow Cloud solution for simplifying the flow of information from paper to digital
- Fleet Onboarding tool that enables partner resellers to quickly onboard the HP Workpath app environment across a printer fleet
- Expansion of subscription-based plans for automatic toner delivery (similar to HP’s popular “Instant Ink” subscription service for SOHO inkjet devices)
 |
The HP LaserJet 400 Series is the smallest enterprise-class LaserJet HP has introduced to date, making it
suitable for work-from-home executives as well as reduced-footprint office environments. |
PCs and Peripherals
While the imminent death of the PC has been widely reported for years, HP’s research shows that the pandemic has actually increased PC usage. Gen-Z and Gen-Y users report using their computers about 25% more since the crisis started. That’s welcome news for HP’s Personal System Group, which announced:
- HP ProBook 635 Aero G7, the world’s lightest AMD-based business notebook
- HP ProBook 600 G8 and 400 G8 laptop series, designed for professionals at growing companies
- HP EliteDesk 805 G6 Series, designed to meet the demands of a multi-task workday
- HP ProDesk 405 G6 Series featuring the latest AMD Ryzen PRO series processors
- HP E24t G4 Touch Monitor with integrated fast and responsive in-cell touch technology
- HP E24d and E27d Conferencing Monitors optimized for virtual collaboration
- HP Business Boost, a bundled PC and print hardware and services optimized for SMBs
- HP Device as a Service (DaaS) program updates
Partner Program Updates
In addition to these customer-facing products and services, HP also announced its Amplify Impact channel partner program (set to launch November 1). The company issued a call to action to its partner community to drive meaningful change across the global IT industry across the three pillars of sustainable impact—People, Planet, and Community—with an emphasis on racial and gender equality.
HP Amplify Impact represents a first-of-its kind partner assessment and training program, providing the tools and resources required to identify potential gaps in the goals partners wish to set as well as provide guidance on how to achieve those goals. Partners will be recognized via an annual certification and awards program. HP has set an ambitious goal of enrolling at least 50% of its global channel partners in the voluntary program by 2025.
Subscribers to our CompleteView service can log-in to the InfoCenter in the coming weeks to view the full report on the conference. Not a subscriber? No problem. Just send us an email at sales@keypointintelligence.com for more info.
