HP enlarges Print Premier partner program

December 12, 2018

HP Inc. has announced a new expansion of account opportunities for U.S. print premier channel partners.

Beginning immediately, thousands of Managed Print Services (MPS) Speciality accounts that were previously directly engaged by HP will begin to be made available as premier channel opportunities. The program is described by the OEM as a next step in the company’s office printing strategy to concurrently grow contractual and channel this year, while earning incremental market share in both the A3 and A4 categories.

“We have seen worldwide growth with our A3 and A4 channel partners as we advance our office printing strategy into FY19,” said Grad Rosenbaum, Vice President and General Manager of Solutions in the Americas for HP. “The expanded program creates new business opportunities while strengthening our collaboration with channel partners in a large cross section of accounts.”

The expanded U.S. print premier channel partner program builds on HP’s commitment to channel partners providing MPS services and distributing the company’s A3 and A4 product lines. Over the past five years, HP has significantly strengthened its MPS partner channel, and customers today have a variety of options to acquire HP products and solutions through both regional and national partners.

Under the expansion, a larger segment of MPS accounts will be served with one dedicated HP lead account manager who spearheads print and copy solutions and one channel lead for MPS. The HP lead account manager is exclusively committed to each customer and the channel collaborates with the HP account executive to serve the customer together.

To continue growing contractual in parallel with channel opportunity, HP says it will begin focusing on a concentrated, larger subset of accounts in both the commercial and public sector markets. HP MPS specialists will engage only the largest customers in HP’s specialty MPS segment and continue collaborating with the channel in this set of accounts.

“We are seeing great teamwork with HP on key opportunities, working together to close incremental business,” said Pat Russell, CEO of ImageNet. “I am pleased that HP is adjusting its approach to engaging premier channel accounts and am excited to build on our momentum into the new year.”

“This is great news and provides an excellent opportunity to deepen our relationship with HP,” said Richard Cucco, Managing Partner for IMAGETEC L.P. “What I have experienced in the last nine months while being a premier dealer is that HP is laser focused on client satisfaction and expanding their relationships with clients. This change will re-enforce that most clients want to do business with their local service provider and now HP has set up service providers that they feel confident will provide the same or greater level of service as HP to the local market.”

“We are pleased to learn of HP’s new account strategy because it provides greater opportunity to expand NECS’s client base as we work to grow contractual in the region,” said Dana Cunningham, Vice President of Sales for New England Copy Specialists, Inc. “We are looking forward to continuing our positive relationship with HP into 2019.”

“I continue to be excited by the commitment HP shows to the print premier channel partners,” said Sam Pulino, Chief Operating Officer and Bay Area President for Ray Morgan Company. “This concrete step, of partnering with HP in accounts, strengthens our relationship and provides tremendous opportunity for growth.”

HP is actively notifying channel partners of the expansion. The changes will take effect as accounts complete term.