PRINTITRESELLER.UK 31 https://uk.access4.com BUSINESS BRIEFING Voice as the Missing Piece in the Modern MSP Portfolio One of the clearest conversations to emerge from the Access4 UK roadshow series was not about new products or shiny features. It was about relevance. In particular, how MSPs that have built strong and profitable businesses around print and managed services can extend that value into voice without introducing unnecessary complexity or risk. For many print-focused MSPs in attendance, voice has traditionally been viewed as operationally heavy. Fragmented vendor portals, manual provisioning, billing complexity and inconsistent support have all made it feel like a distraction rather than an opportunity. The roadshows challenged that perception by reframing voice as part of a broader platform conversation. Voice today is no longer a standalone product. It underpins collaboration, customer experience and productivity, all areas where customers are actively investing. The difference now is how partners can deliver it. Access4’s vendor-agnostic approach allows MSPs to offer best-of-breed voice, UC and CX solutions through a single pane of glass. That removes the operational burden that previously held many partners back. Automation was another major theme. MSPs are under constant pressure on margin, particularly those managing large print estates alongside IT services. Through SASBOSS, Access4 demonstrated how billing, provisioning and even stock ordering can be automated, turning voice into a repeatable and scalable service rather than a bespoke headache. For print focused MSPs, this mirrored the discipline they already apply to managed print contracts. There was also strong discussion around customer expansion rather than displacement. Many MSPs already own trusted relationships with their customers. Adding voice and Teams calling naturally complements existing print, document workflow and IT conversations, increasing deal size without chasing new logos. Most importantly, voice was positioned as a growth enabler rather than a commodity. When combined with CX, analytics and automation, partners saw clear evidence that deal values increase and customer retention improves. The takeaway from the roadshows was clear. For MSPs rooted in print, voice is no longer a leap into the unknown. With the right platform, it is a logical extension of services they already deliver, backed by automation, vendor choice and margin protection. The opportunity is not to become a telco. It is to become more relevant to customers who already trust you. Jonathan Walker, CEO UK & Ireland, Access4 businesses who invest in tools and bring AI into daily life for their workforce are reaping the rewards. 40% of those with a healthy work relationship use work-provided AI tools daily. This is where HP’s One HP proposition comes into play. “We are the one company out there that offers a breadth and depth of solutions across the total portfolio - from PCs and print to peripherals and collaboration tools through Poly. Whether a user is on the road with a Poly headset or in a meeting room equipped with Poly conferencing solutions, the aim is to ensure everyone feels equally present and able to contribute,” she said. One key focus area is working with channel partners to bring this to life via the HP Welcome Centre. Based at the Gherkin in London, HP’s flagship customer experience space offers immersive experiences and showcases HP’s solutions, particularly in the context of hybrid work. “The Welcome Centre is designed to bring use cases to life, allowing partners to ‘walk in the shoes’ of the customers they serve,” Patterson explained. Amplify partner programme That same mind-set informs HP’s work with partners through its Amplify partner programme sharing best practice, exploring new opportunities and ensuring partners have access to the expertise they need. The Amplify partner programme continues to grow and evolve particularly around sustainability, broader social values, security and AI. Amplify includes a comprehensive AI training component for partners. Strategic relationships with partners such as Nvidia play a key role in delivering the right education. HP supplements this with subject matter experts, CIO forums and roundtables, including print‑focused sessions held in its UK and Ireland security labs in Cambridge and Bristol, which serve as HP’s worldwide security hub. With AI, the rapid growth of data and increasing security and sovereignty concerns, HP is investing heavily in edge compute. “With edge compute, you can keep large language models local, avoiding the security risks of sending data to the cloud. And from a sustainability perspective, we simply don’t have unlimited energy and water to support the rapid growth of datacentres. It’s a huge area that from an environmental perspective, we need to be very aware of,” Patterson explained. By continuing to enhance partner support, and doubling down on innovation, HP intends to lead the way in shaping a more productive, sustainable and human-centred future of work. www.hp.com
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