HP announces new printing and imaging services

Reuters

SAN FRANCISCO: Computer and printer maker Hewlett-Packard Co. said on Tuesday it was offering new services that it claimed will help business customers better manage their imaging and printing costs, boost productivity and efficiency and cut costs.

Rather than just set up another group with HP's imaging and printing group, HP plans to roll out the imaging and printing services offerings throughout its computer services organization. It aims to build on the consulting expertise it already has, the company said.

HP said it now offers business-critical services, infrastructure services and digital publishing services. The company cited industry analyst forecasts that imaging and printing-related services and solutions will be a $40 billion market by 2006, up from about $20 billion in 2001.

Some limited versions of the three types of services are already available but this is the biggest push yet by HP. The printing services are now available on a broad marketed scale and throughout the entire HP organization, according to George Mulhern, head of HP's shared printing and imaging group.

"There are pieces and parts of this that have been in the works for a while," Mulhern said. "What we’re doing now is bringing the whole thing to market."

HP’s imaging and printing group has been the profit powerhouse for Palo Alto, California-based HP, as its PC business remains only slightly profitable and its Unix and Intel-based server business is still losing money.