01732 759725 46 ONE-TO-ONE sector will continue to evolve towards a more services- and solutions-led model. While hardware will always remain important, growth opportunities will increasingly come from managed services, software and security-focused offerings. Customers are looking for trusted partners who can simplify complexity and deliver ongoing value, rather than one-off transactions. Resellers that invest in skills, services and closer customer relationships will be well positioned, while those that fail to adapt may find the market becoming more challenging. Q: What advice would you give a young person starting a career in the industry? A: My advice would be to stay curious and be willing to keep learning. The technology industry moves quickly, and roles continue to evolve, so adaptability is key. Gaining a broad view of how technology supports real business outcomes can open up many different career paths. Those who are open to change and proactive about developing their skills will be well‑placed for long-term success in the industry. Q: What excites you most about the future? A: What excites me most about the future is the opportunity to help partners and customers navigate ongoing change in a positive way. Advances across print, IT and services are creating new possibilities for how people collaborate and stay productive. There is also increasing momentum around security and sustainability, which are becoming central to technology decisions. HP’s commitment to meaningful innovation that solves real world challenges is something I find particularly compelling and rewarding to be part of. One example of this is our recent integration of Microsoft Copilot directly into HP office print devices to deliver unprecedented productivity gains right at the printer. Being part of an ecosystem that helps organisations work smarter, more securely and more responsibly, is something I find motivating. devices rather than relying solely on cloud-based tools. By investing early in AI PCs, we’re helping partners lead more informed conversations around productivity, security and user experience. Over the long-term, this positions both HP and the channel to support customers as they redesign how work gets done in an increasingly AI-driven environment. Q: What role do partnerships and collaboration play in driving innovation and growth in your sector? A: Partnerships and collaboration play a central role in driving innovation and growth across the print and IT sector. Customer environments are becoming more complex and by working closely with channel partners and technology partners, we can combine expertise, share insight and develop more integrated solutions. This collaborative approach allows us to innovate faster, respond more effectively to customer challenges and ultimately deliver greater value than any one organisation could achieve independently. Q: What do you see as the key challenges or pain points businesses are facing in today’s hybrid working model and how can you help your partners/customers to address these? A: Hybrid working has created a number of challenges for businesses, particularly around the consistency of user experience. With employees working across multiple locations, IT teams need better visibility and control over devices and data. Through our partner ecosystem, we help address these challenges by offering solutions that offer strong security features, and services that simplify support and device management. This enables partners to help customers create more secure and productive hybrid working environments without adding unnecessary complexity. Q: How do you see the print and IT reseller sector evolving over the next five years - any disruptors or opportunities on your radar? A: Over the next five years, the reseller Q: What’s currently having the greatest impact on your business? A: The biggest impact is coming from how quickly customers’ needs are evolving. Organisations are reassessing their print and IT environments in response to rising security concerns and increasing pressure to operate more sustainably. As a result, there is growing demand for solutions that are flexible and secure. For us, this means working closely with our partners to help them move conversations towards long-term outcomes that support resilience and employee experience across increasingly distributed workforces. Q: What’s one strategic decision your business made recently that you believe will pay off long-term? A: One of the most important strategic decisions we’ve made is accelerating our focus on AI PCs as a core part of the modern workplace portfolio. As AI becomes embedded into everyday workflows, customers are starting to recognise the value of having intelligence built directly into their Neil Macdonald, UK & Ireland Channel Director, HP Inc. Industry insight Neil Macdonald
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