01732 759725 30 By bringing together expertise in cloud, cybersecurity, managed services, digital workplace and AI‑driven solutions, customers will benefit from a more consistent, scalable and consultative services model, designed to support endto-end digital transformation journeys. Expanding into enterprise The acquisition of Apsia in particular marks a significant shift in the company’s market reach. “Apsia operates in the enterprise space, which we’ve historically not done in the UK,” Budd explained. “Our sweet spot is in the SME and larger SME corporate space, and now we need to redesign our capability to go to market in an enterprise sense, for two reasons. We’ve now got panEuropean capability. So, if we spot those opportunities, we’ve got a partner that can come in and support that and the same applies to the datacentre we’ve got in Switzerland which also operates at that enterprise level.” expert advice, tailored solutions, endto-end support, and security. “Expert advice is really built around us taking the time to understand our clients’ businesses,” he said. This includes helping customers articulate their needs internally, build business cases and secure investment. Support remains a major differentiator. “We’ve always been incredibly well-known for the support that we provide through all channels, from understanding options to implementation to ongoing service and support, over many years.” Security underpins everything. With a sizable IT capability in the UK and new solutions showcased at the event, Budd said Sharp has been “taking security extremely seriously.” Business restructure Sykes explained the moves Sharp is making in the UK to make that One Sharp call to action a reality in terms of how the business is structured. “From the first of April, which coincides with the NEC Display business being integrated, we come together practically as one trading company. Sharp UK will be a single business with a single organisation structure,” he said. This, he says will give partners a simpler, more cohesive experience. “Our dealers have one point of contact. So, it really gels together, you can come and deal with One Sharp across display, print and IT services.” IT services A major highlight at Inspire Expo was the launch of Sharp DX (Sharp Digital Experience) – the newly formed brand that unifies the company’s IT services businesses across Europe. Sharp DX represents the culmination of multiple acquisitions over the past five years. Bringing companies like Complete IT in the UK, ITpoint in Switzerland, and Apsia in France, Spain and Italy together, to unite 500+ IT services professionals under one brand. As reported last issue, Sharp used its Inspire Expo 2026 event to make a clear statement about its future direction. With the integration of print, IT services, workplace solutions and AV, the company is positioning itself as a single, end-to-end technology partner for channel partners. The One Sharp positioning is the result of two years of work and extensive consultation across Sharp’s customer-facing teams. “The best way to think about One Sharp is a call to action, a market statement. The One Sharp component is really making it clear to our customers, partners and our own people, that the various strands of the business are, for the first time, coming together completely. This is a statement of intent,” Budd explained. “Our value proposition is ‘technology partner,’ and ‘connecting people with technology’ is the tagline that sits underneath it,” he added. Built from the ground up Budd said the technology partner proposition was built from the ground up to reflect the real value Sharp delivers. It centres on four pillars – Sharp UK CEO Stuart Sykes and Chief Strategy & Marketing Officer Trevor Budd, spoke to Michelle Ryder about the company’s evolution into a unified technology partner, bringing print, IT services, workplace solutions and AV together under the One Sharp umbrella One Sharp, one strategy INTERVIEW Stuart Sykes
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