HP Announces New Division

In a recent news story on the PC World website, HP announced a new print services division on Monday called the Managed Enterprise Solutions. It aims are to bring together separate hardware such as printers, copiers, and scanners to reduce the cost of the machines themselves as well as printing costs. Another focus of this newly formed division will be on providing services and software that take the hassle out of document and workflow management.

Automating services can save businesses and employees a lot of time and trouble. For instance, a document such as an invoice can be scanned and then put into the company's payroll system automatically. This type of example, according to HP, will help to reduce the fallibility of people who previously may have transcribed it manually.

Users/consumers can also expect that the physical design of HP machines will also be changing. Changes will be made to facilitate workflow by using things such as touch screens to be able to check on the status of a document like a patient s' records.

To make this bold move, some personnel have been moved around internally from similar positions. However, HP has a real opportunity to make a big impact on the printing industry. The difference between them and the competition is that this will be the first unified division of its kind according to HP. With more and more people focusing on printing costs, HP envisions a situation in which a company would pay them for each page they print, but the printing costs would be rolled together with hardware, services, and supplies.

PC World also notes that Xerox has disputed HP's claims of being the first corporation with this type of standalone division. They cite research conducted by Gartner and according to them, they do not have print services spread across multiple divisions. For more information go to this page on their corporate website