PrintIT Reseller - issue 69

01732 759725 40 FINANCE ...continued Customers now expect flexible options for how they leverage technology to collaborate and make agile business decisions stuck with their legacy infrastructure and they really need a partner that can help them monetise their existing assets and help them accelerate their transformations,” he said. Sheeran argues that delivering smart IT asset economic solutions is becoming more and more important for customers. To prove the point, he said: “HPEFS is the largest owner of HP technology in the world. In fact, we have over $13 billion in IT assets on our balance sheet – that's a signal that we know how to manage IT assets. We operate in 52 countries around the world and we work with customers from the smallest to the largest global multinationals.” Sheeran was quick to dispel the common belief that older technology has no remaining value when it comes to retire the assets. “That's just not the case. We strive to be experts in helping customers to monetise their existing IT assets and free up what I call trapped capital. Last year alone we infused over $330 million back into customers’ budgets through several offerings – including asset upcycling services, and our accelerated migration offer – those offers are now also available to our partner community,” he said. Sheeran continued: “For smaller customer engagements, we rely on a powerful network of channel partners and this is an area where we see real growth opportunities. Most if not all of the channel partners we work with are moving their customers along that IT consumption journey and need a partner who can help them embed clever financial solutions into their offerings. If you combine that with some of the attractive rewards we pay to partners, it does make HPEFS a very compelling proposition.” Embracing the circular economy According to Sheeran, the other burning topic for customers right now is sustainability and embracing the circular economy. “50 million tonnes of e-waste will be created this year – that’s actually four and a half thousand Eiffel Towers!” he said, adding: “The circular economy is about designing out waste and driving sustainable systems, keeping products and materials in the cycle for longer. HP is very focused on the design aspect and at HPEFS what we do is excel in keeping those assets in the circle for longer and doing the right thing for sustainability.” HPEFS recently launched an IT platform to support an omni-channel customer and partner experience. This delivers a fully connected digital experience that allows customers and partners to engage with HPEFS in a number of ways. Customers and partners can experience a truly digitalised experience from the very start of the process, all the way through to the end of the contract. “With the extension of our partnership agreement with HP through 2024, we look forward to continue to bring value to partners and customers, so they can achieve their goals – business and sustainability,” Sheeran concluded. Compelling customer payment options Rick Trobman, President of the Technology Solutions Global Business Unit at DLL said that HP´s strategy to evolve toward contractual service models fits perfectly with DLL’s lifecycle financing offers and ability to help channel partners in bundling HP products and services into customer solutions. “Customers now expect flexible options for how they leverage technology to collaborate and make agile business decisions. Our entire business model is based on partnering directly with manufacturers distributors and resellers of products and services to make it easier for their clients to acquire and or consume the goods and services that those partners provide,” he said, adding: “We are thrilled to collaborate with HP, and to help HP’s partners deliver compelling customer payment options.” DLL which has just celebrated its 50th anniversary has got over 1.2 million contracts under management. “Those contracts range anywhere from micro- ticket contracts all the way up to very large Fortune 50 enterprise customers,” Trobman explained. DLL’s business is organised around the markets that it serves. Trobman says its value proposition is focused on two key things: industry specialisation and a global footprint which positions it to help a whole variety of different partners to deliver what their customers require. “In the last three to five years we've moved from a business model that was heavily dependent and reliant on data centre and software financing, to a model which is much more reliant on device cloud and service financing. We've deployed technologies around the management of devices, we've deployed API technologies that allow us to integrate into our partners’ sales cycle to make it easier for customers to be able to acquire the products that they need, and do it within a seamless landscape that references exactly what the partner is trying to deliver to that individual customer. The other thing that we brought to the market is the ability to service HP partners that are deploying global solutions for their customers through a global master lease agreement, and the ability to support customers as they roll out devices across multiple geographies. Overall, I think that the fit is perfect between what DLL has evolved to in the last number of years and where HP is taking their business right now. I'm looking forward to the ongoing partnership,” he concluded. Since 2015, HPEFS has been a trusted HP financing partner, and will remain so supporting HP’s direct led sales with public, corporate and enterprise business customers, its Graphics and 3D businesses globally, and its indirect MPS business in EMEA. HPEFS is also HP’s sole partner for North American and Latin American markets. The three year extension to the partnership agreement reinforces the commitment and value the two companies can provide to HP’s customers and partners. www.hp.com