HP Debuts Remote Work Solutions for the New Normal

HP on Wednesday introduced HP Remote Work Solutions. The new offer equips HP Amplify partners with solutions to help business customers thrive in the “new normal” work environment. The announcement was made in conjunction with the unveiling of HP Amplify, the company’s new, unified global partner program.

HP Remote Work Solutions think about the “new normal” in three ways. The suite of offers enable partners to deliver integrated services-based print solutions.

HP’s David Prezzano

“The HP Remote Work Solutions will help our partners stay current with all the trends that are happening right now, as a result of COVID-19,” Dave Prezzano, global head, print services and solutions at HP said in a news briefing. “Some companies are returning to the office, some people are working in a hybrid fashion — in the office and at home, and some people are dedicated to working from home. We want our Amplify partners to stay current with these trends.”

Breaking It Down

• For remote fleet managers, HP Advance is a new modular-based enterprise output management system. It allows customers to manage an entire fleet of HP and non-HP devices from a single web-based console. That’s for both Windows print and non-Windows print.
• The new and upgraded HP Command Center is a single tool for HP partners to deploy and manage cloud applications for their customers. It also enables fleet onboarding.
• The HP Workpath ecosystem enables workers to connect to cloud-based platforms directly from the multifunction printer (MFP). Introduced last October, HP Workpath enables the creation of workflow apps for an HP MFP. Today, there are more than 100 apps in the ecosystem, and thousands deployed. HP also announced a revenue sharing model for HP Workpath, for developers and resellers selling Workpath apps. Partners can access a broader range of apps by having the order and payment process transacted through the HP Command Center.

Office and WFH

To enable office workers, HP offers touch-free printing, HP Roam and HP Secure Print. HP is giving customers a 90-day free trial for features that help minimize contact with printers. HP’s touch-free printing enables workers to release a print job with their phone or the tap of their badge without having to touch the control panel.

The company also is expanding HP Roam to LaserJet Pro devices, simplifying print on the go from a mobile device to any HP Roam-enabled computer. HP Roam targets SMBs.

The company enhanced HP Secure Print, a cloud-native solution that releases documents only to authorized users. It now supports all network types, including traditional networks behind a firewall as well as serverless print environments.

And, for work-from-home employees, HP offers Instant Ink a subscription-based service that automatically detects when a customer runs low and needs more. The service automatically mails new cartridges to the user.

The New Normal

The global pandemic has disrupted how work gets done. At the same time, it has accelerated digital transformation efforts. That’s according to HP Insights research released in May. More than two in three (69%) medium and enterprise businesses said they will digitize workflows post COVID-19. Another 70% agree that a more distributed workforce raises security risks and processes. And 73% agree that their printing strategy needs to change.

“What we’re seeing now is a second wave of proactive planning. That’s where companies say, ‘Now I see this new normal where employees, work and information is more distributed. How do I plan an approach that makes more sense in that environment?’ I bring this up because it’s a great opportunity for our partners and HP to work together,” said Prezzano.

Print is important to how work gets done, wherever it gets done. In other research – HP’s Power of Print Study – done in June, respondents rallied around print. For example, nine in 10 (90%) agreed that print helps them stay more organized, engaged (90%) and effective (82%). Ninety percent also said that print makes it easier to collaborate.