With over 80 years of existence, HP remains an industry leader with a significant market share in the printer segment. HP’s printer business unit consists of inkjet, LaserJet, consumables, and industrial graphics printing. The company has been at the forefront as a key industry player and witness of major consumer behavior trends that changed the way how printers are used through the years. These trends include the COVID-19 pandemic, which accelerated the changes the company previously foresaw, according to Samir Shah, Vice President & Head of Print Category, Greater Asia at HP.
“We used to talk about the lines between work and personal life. How people want to work the way they live and how they want to live the way they work. That was on the horizon. People want to work from anywhere and, at the same time, operate from anywhere. Consumer patterns are evolving and shifting because there is an exponential growth in content. What you print and what you do not print from where you print has become even more important. Print has become even more essential and critical than in the past because it has a strong intrinsic value, whether in a business or a home setup,” said Shah.
During the past years, people saw digitalization as a hindrance to the growth of print. Fast forward to the present, in an era of rapid digitalization, the print segment is still around and remains a thriving business for HP. “Today, printers are not just devices to print. Printers are also endpoint devices to integrate with other workflow solutions that exist in organizations. Printers have become even more essential and critical because people see printing as an important part of their work and personal life in terms of creating content,” Shah continued.
“If you look at the explosion in the amount of information today, it is enormous. So even if printing is coming down due to the percentage of digital information available, the fact that information itself is exponentially growing, I think the number of printed pages is also increasing,” Shah added.
Transformation of workspaces
The pandemic has not only changed consumer behavior but also transformed workspaces around the world. Many companies, including HP, transitioned from having large office setups to thousands of smaller offices when people started working from home or anywhere where work and personal life are seamless. This seamlessness has led HP to modernize the printing experience as well.
“What we mean here is we want to ensure that the products we deliver to our customers also offer seamless experience. One of the trends that we see and most like about the Philippines, people are moving from wired to wireless technology. In response, we have a smart app that allows you to print from anywhere and everywhere. We are looking at one of the statistics, and we found that the adoption rate in the Philippines is strong, which means the smart features and seamless experience that we offer are resonating well with Filipino customers,” said Shah.
In the United States and Singapore, HP has made the printing experience more seamless and simplified by offering consumers subscription service that allows them to have a spare ink cartridge based on their consumption. “If you have a printer at home, you can sign up for HP Instant Ink. Let us say your print page volume is 50 pages per month, so you buy a 50-page volume pack. If you need to print more, you can buy an additional pack. You do not have to go and shop for a cartridge because it is delivered to you and you always have one in stock,” he explained, adding that HP is discussing with partners and studying how to implement a similar model in the Philippines.
While having a full or hybrid remote work setup offers convenience to stakeholders, it also raises another concern that has become more important even among consumers—security. “Anything that is connected can be exploited. Therefore, one of the biggest focus areas for us is to ensure that our devices deliver the security value proposition we have. From our home products to our enterprise-class products, we have built-in security features that provide enough protection against cybersecurity attacks. For home printers, we have the HP Wolf Essential Security. For small and medium business models, and enterprise-class printers, we have next level of security packs built into them,” Shah added.
Sustainability as a brand promise
Today, people want to be associated with a brand with a purpose, particularly a brand that stands for sustainability and gives back to society. Recognizing this reality, HP has spearheaded and participated in various sustainability-centric initiatives.
“When you talk about sustainability, it has multiple elements, such as climate change, human rights, and digital equity. When you specifically talk about climate change, we are looking at how customers can print freely without worrying about environmental impact,” said Shah.
To address climate change, HP has been working with partners to take the empty ink cartridges back with a commitment that for every 30 cartridges taken, the company will plant one tree. HP is also producing printer models and ink cartridges made from recycled plastic.
Regarding human rights and digital equity, HP has partnered with Atayde Foundation to distribute learning materials to students in far-flung areas. “We strongly believe that printed material can be a great way to reduce the digital divide that exists far-flung areas for kids who do not have access to PC,” Shah added.
With goals to continue modernizing the printing experience by making it more simplified and seamless, lead in emerging markets like the Philippines, and mobilize sustainability efforts, Shah believes that HP is in a unique position to capitalize on the current trends.
“Given that some of the global trends we are seeing are also observed here in the Philippines, we only want to ensure that those technologies and services offerings in other countries are also extended here. It is important for us to deliver the experience customers expect from a brand like HP,” Shah concluded.