I’m going to get somewhat partisan this week, as this includes discussion of some of the solutions I market for HP (though I’ll try to be as journalistic as possible) . . .

You might be surprised to learn that the HP Enterprise Imaging & Printing (I&P) business is larger than it’s consumer I&P business. And HP is doing a lot to make sure to remain the leader in the enterprise I&P space. This path was made clear in the recent HP Enterprise Imaging and Printing Press and Analyst Conference, where HP clearly showed it’s strength relative to digital copiers in both sales approach and solution. Some of the key announcements from the Conference included:

• Augmenting the Sales Force—for more of a consultative (solution-oriented) sales motion by “establishing teams of specialists that can address customers’ broad business environments, as well as their specific IT and end-user challenges.”
• Announcing new productized technologies that will take market share from digital copiers:
• HP Edgeline Technology—combining the benefits of laser and ink to handle high-volume business workloads, a $30 billion-plus market by 2009.
• HP MFPs—with the “Largest multifunction printer rollout in company history”—enabling organizations to place the functionality people need to be effective directly in their work environment.
• Vertical applications—applying more than 200 I&P solutions that improve processes and revenue, while saving on costs.

As you can see, HP is taking the solutions-approach as discussed in last week’s “Trends” blog by finding out what the I&P challenges are for the enterprise, commercializing technologies to meet your needs, then customizing these solutions for specific businesses.

The Sales Force augmentation includes hiring “hundreds of highly skilled sales consultants, who will be dedicated to the company’s top 2,300 accounts. These experts will engage customers in conversations that go beyond simple cost cutting to understanding how to apply the information enabled by the imaging and printing devices.” Clearly, HP is looking to be more collaborative in finding out how enterprise I&P needs are evolving, then designing solutions to meet those needs.

4 new multifunction printers, a new HP Color LaserJet and a monochrome LaserJet lead a lineup that is geared for the enterprise (as well as those “enterprising” small- to mid-size companies that benefit by thinking bigger). These include the:

• HP LaserJet M3035 MFP—compact, affordable at 35 ppm and a convenient stapler option
• HP LaserJet M4345 MFP—the next generation of the best-selling device in its class, including the new HP Easy Select Control Panel
• HP LaserJet M5035 MFP—industry’s fastest desktop, wide-format MFP for cost-effective wide-format printing and copying, faxing and stapling options, also with the new HP Easy Select Control Panel
• HP LaserJet CM1015 MFP—the world’s smallest color laser MFP with great output and high performance—the first color laser MFP to start under $500.
• HP Color LaserJet CP4005—durable, high-performance color printing with easy sharing and low operating cost
• HP LaserJet P3005—fast, feature-packed and network-capable with optional two-sided printing

(For more information on HP Multifunction, HP Color LaserJet and mono HP LaserJet devices, please click on links)

These products include the new HP Universal Print Driver and an updated version of the HP Web Jetadmin print management software--making it easier to install, update and manage printers throughout your organization. Adding the Report Generation Plug-in 3.1 to the mix delivers more scheduled reports and asset utilization tracking that helps with understanding Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and helps you plan future purchases.

HP Edgeline Technology will take on high-end digital copiers directly, with speed and expanded functionality. While this technology is already in-use within photo printing (suggesting that your general office documents will look great), HP Edgeline Technology is also expected to deliver “some of the best printing speeds, operating costs and reliability in its class.” Along with the HP LaserJet MFPs and printers, this makes for a complete lineup for balanced deployment across the enterprise and enhanced Information Lifecycle Management.

While HP has developed a portfolio of security, document capture and output management solutions, HP has also partnered with myriad “best-in-class” solution providers. The solutions from these partners help customers reduce operational costs while improving productivity, ensuring regulatory compliance and increasing IT efficiency. Such products as: (most of which are available via the Global Solutions Catalog)

• Capella Technologies’ Megatrack Agent—job accounting and security that is fully integrated with HP Web Jetadmin
• eCopy Desktop—scan directly from an HP MFP to eCopy to manage, modify and share PDF documents
• Kofax Ascent—automates information captured from scanned business documents, delivering the content into a business application or database
• Autostore—resold by HP as a Premier Partner solution for scanning into existing content management and line of business applications
• Omtool AccuRoute—enterprise document capture solution designed to work with HP MFPs

With two additions to the HP Output Management Solutions portfolio, including HP International Printing (intelligently routes Unicode documents to multiple destinations); and Web Console: Job Manager (a web-based tracking and management utility that delivers single log-on authentication and access across many domains)—it is clear that HP has a solutions-orientation. This will only be bolstered by the consultative sales approach, leading to more customized products going forward.

Given the new consultative approach, I can’t help but get personally excited about the prospect for these HP solutions, especially relative to digital copiers—however, that more objective conversation is for another day. . .