HP Unveils Print Management & Procurement Bundle
HP has unveiled PrintAdvantage, a procurement and service plan that delivers printers, toner supplies, and support to departments, sites, or entire companies looking for a print management solution. PrintAdvantage allows users to choose any combination of HP LaserJet printers (color or monochrome) and pay for the products on a monthly basis according to estimated usage. The monthly fee includes service, support and supplies, and is fixed according to the customer's toner usage model for 12 months. Contracts run for three, four or five years. Service can be purchased on either a four-hour or next-day basis.
HP is touting PrintAdvantage as a usage-based program, one that offers significant advantages over traditional cost-per-page programs that set minimum monthly volumes. Through use of a sophisticated quotation tool that takes into account type of hardware (desktop, network or multifunction printers) and total number of pages printed (adjusted for graphics), customers can estimate how many pages they print each month. They are then charged according to their usage.
"This is very different from the Xerox type of program in the copier business and that is just coming into the printer business," says Paul Christensen, a marketing communications manager at HP. "In the cost-per-page model, there is a fixed charge. You get a monthly bill whether you use all the toner or just a percentage of it. If you go over the amount, you get a surcharge for each page printed.
"That's a big difference from our program, which is based strictly on the amount of toner used. We ask you to estimate how many pages you print, how much toner is needed for the year, and if you don't use it all, we carry it forward into next year. If you use more, we forward that to your annual order for the next year."
PrintAdvantage is scheduled for availability on May 1. It is offered through qualified resellers and requires an initial order of $50,000.