HP has introduced a new version of its Instant Ink consumables replenishment program for small businesses and two new series of SMB-scaled LaserJet Pro printers.
The hardware maker announced the new offerings at its HP Amplify Executive Forum event today in Palo Alto, Calif.
The Instant Ink subscription enables small businesses to receive ink or toner for multiple HP printers in multiple locations on one bill automatically whenever they begin running low. Users can add or remove devices from their contract or cancel it at any time.
“What the vast majority of small business owners tell us is that they rely on their printer, but they don’t have time to manage it, nor do they want to,” says George Brasher, vice president of worldwide strategy and marketing for LaserJet and enterprise solutions in HP’s Printing and Personal Systems Group. “Small business owners want to focus on their business, not on their printer.”
Net promoter scores are between 20 and 40 points higher on average among customers who buy ink by subscription versus through traditional means, according to HP President and CEO Enrique Lores. “This is a huge difference,” he says.
Instant Ink can help print partners enter the services business too, he continues. “If you are a reseller or a retailer that sells mostly hardware units but not in the supplies business, this is an easy way to expand into supplies.”
The new printers introduced today include the LaserJet Pro 4000 series for businesses with up to 10 users, which prints at 42 pages per minute, and the LaserJet Pro 3000 series for organizations with up to seven users, which prints at 35 pages per minute. Users both in the office and working offsite can send scanning and print jobs to the devices via their phone using HP’s Smart app.
Both product families are ENERGY STAR certified, HP says, and use the company’s power-saving Auto On/Off Technology, which turns off printers after pre-set periods of idleness or at scheduled times of the day. According to HP, the feature consumes up to 26 times less energy than traditional printer sleep modes, which don’t cut power off completely.
HP is one of many major hardware vendors prioritizing sustainability in its product and packaging decisions as well as its supply chain relationships. The company has committed to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions across everything it does by 2040.
Partners and IT professionals can manage 3000 and 4000 series LaserJet Pro printers remotely through the HP Smart Admin Dashboard, a cloud-based solution that guides users through configuring and onboarding new devices. Over 80% of small businesses rely on printers, according to recent research conducted for HP by Morning Consult, yet 55% say they lack the time to administer those systems.
Targeted originally at consumers, HP Instant Ink lets users of HP printers receive consumables automatically at substantial savings. HP tracks ink or toner usage in enrolled devices remotely, and ships new supplies on an as-needed basis. Small business subscriptions start at $7.99 a month for a plan that includes 200 pages of printing. Pages unused at the end of the month roll over to the next one. HP covers shipping costs and recycles used cartridges.
Users also subscribed in the HP+ program receive six free months of service, plus an extended warranty and use of HP’s Smart Security settings monitoring service, Private Pickup feature, which releases documents at the printer only when the sender is present, and Forest First feature, which is designed to compensate for the environmental impact of producing and using paper by planting new trees in offsetting amounts.
Both the LaserJet Pro 4000 series and LaserJet Pro 3000 series are available with HP+ support.
Instant Ink is only a starting point for HP in recurring revenue opportunities. The company plans to launch a new “print as a service” offering in the U.S. within the next few months.
“It’s going to be an all-inclusive subscription, and customers will be able to select the printer and the page plan that they want all for a low monthly fee with 24×7 support and the ability to do regular upgrades,” Brasher says. “We really believe this is a game changer for both HP and our partners.”
Global printer shipments declined 3.9% year over year in the second quarter of 2022, according to data published today by IDC. HPs still industry leading share of the market slipped quarter over quarter to 39.6%.
HP introduced a different subscription-based hardware purchasing and services program for SMB buyers called Business Boost two years ago. It unveiled a new set of PCs and peripherals for hybrid workers and a fresh benefits for members of its Amplify partner program today.
