© HP Inc.
HP is upsetting their partner channel with plans to discontinue their popular range of A3 and A4 PageWide office printers.
The Recycler understands that HP plans to discontinue the inkjet technology saying goodbye to innovative inkjet technology with a fixed print head. The decision is upsetting their partner channel. The decision will leave Epson as the primary supplier in the inkjet office printer market.
HP Germany spokesman Heiko Witzke told ChannelPartner HP is simplifying and optimizing the print portfolio and future investments. HP will focus future investments on the LaserJet portfolio of A4 and A3 hardware and stop selling PageWide A3 and A4 office printing portfolio products.
The PageWide devices for offices are popular and are considered more economical, energy-efficient and lower-emission than comparable laser printers.
For HP Partners, the decision will undo ten years of promoting the Pagewide array printers. Especially popular among public authorities, dealers now need to make HPs laser printers look a better option or change to an alternative brand, like Epson, to meet customer needs.
One dealer said, “it’s a bad decision [to end the PageWide series] because the printer is popular, and it is easy to sell the sustainability and energy efficiency features.
HP usually provides parts and consumables for five years after a printer model is withdrawn.
Our take on this: This reliable printer has many fans and now the decision has been made, the aftermarket will gain market share on the consumables. Assuming HP doesn’t continue to upgrade the firmware on these printers.
