HP Helps Small and Medium-size Businesses Gain Competitive Edge with New Printers, Support Services

PALO ALTO, Calif., Bolstering its Total Care initiative to better serve small and medium-size businesses, HP today announced two additions to its HP Officejet portfolio. The award-winning product line offers up to 50 percent savings on printing costs and energy use.(1)

Additionally, HP unveiled specialized support packages designed to provide small businesses with enhanced technical support for their home and office environments.

HP made the announcements in conjunction with the U.S. Small Business Administration’s National Small Business Week at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel and Conference Center in Washington, D.C. HP is the sponsor of Innovation Forum: Technology – Our Competitive Edge, which features a panel discussion among industry and government experts and takes place today from 3:30 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. ET.

”HP is a true technology partner to its customers, helping them manage, protect and grow their businesses every step of the way,” said Stacey Wueste, vice president, Worldwide Small and Medium Business Segment, Imaging and Printing Group, HP. “Recognizing that small businesses are under more pressure than ever to save time and money, we are introducing new products and services to help them operate efficiently and reduce their printing costs without sacrificing quality.”

New HP Officejet printers save money, reduce energy use

The new HP Officejet printers offer affordable, professional-quality color printing at a lower cost-per-page versus competitive lasers when using HP Officejet inks.(1)

* The HP Officejet 6000 Printer series ($89-$119)(2) delivers fast print speeds and was recently classified as Highly Reliable by Buyers Laboratory Inc. Its productivity features include embedded wired and wireless(3) networking and automatic two-sided printing(4) to save up to 50 percent on paper use. The series is expected to be available for purchase worldwide in June 2009.
* The HP Officejet 7000 Wide Format Printer ($229)(2) is HP’s first entry-level wide-format printer with individual inks and delivers the lowest cost per page versus in-class inkjets.(5) It creates professional color documents and stunning photo-quality, borderless prints in a variety of sizes – from postcard prints to 13 x 19-inch posters. The printer is expected to be available for purchase in North America, Asia, Europe, Middle East and Africa in July 2009.

As part of the HP Eco Solutions program, the new HP Officejet printers are ENERGY STAR® qualified and use significantly less energy than competitive laser printers.(1) In addition, small businesses can easily view key environmental attributes of the printers with the HP Eco Highlights label.

Support services designed for HP Officejet customers

HP also expanded its Total Care offerings to include new HP Officejet Care Packs and wireless printer installation services.

The new HP Officejet Care Packs offer a higher level of technical phone support with access to North America-based support agents who are trained to provide technical assistance for business customers with an HP Officejet or Officejet Pro printer. Call center hours are 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. ET, Monday through Friday.

Customers can select the level and type of service that works best for their businesses:

* HP Next Business Day Exchange – Customers can get back to business without missing a beat with a quick call to the HP technical support team before 3:30 p.m. ET. If the technician isn’t able to solve the issue over the phone, HP will send the customer a replacement printer by the next business morning (round-trip shipping included).
* HP Accidental Damage Protection – Customers can protect their printers from damage caused by drops, spills and electrical surges. If an accident happens, HP will provide a replacement printer by the next business morning (round-trip shipping included).

HP Officejet Care Packs will be available to customers based in the United States on June 1 and can be purchased in two-, three- or four-year agreements. Pricing will range from $30 to $170, depending on length of service agreement and printer model.(2)

Beginning July 1, HP will offer basic and premium wireless installation services for inkjet products sold to small and medium-size business customers who might not have the expertise or time to set it up themselves. Basic wireless installation ($169)(2) includes setting up the printer, connecting it to an existing network using secure encryption, loading and testing the driver software on up to three PCs on a network, and providing an orientation for ongoing usage. Premium installation ($329)(2) also provides secure setup and configuration of an entire new home or office network, including router, PCs and wireless printers.

All support services will be sold through HP commercial resellers or by calling the HP Small and Medium Business Store at +1 866 625 1176.

More information about HP’s announcements from National Small Business Week is available in an online press kit at www.hp.com/go/nationalsmallbusinessweek.

About HP

HP, the world’s largest technology company, simplifies the technology experience for consumers and businesses with a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com.

(1) Compared to the majority of color laser printers priced less than $300, June 2008; details are available at www.hp.com/go/officejet. Officejet ISO yield with highest-capacity cartridges based on continuous printing; additional information available at www.hp.com/go/learnaboutsupplies. Energy use based on HP testing using the ENERGY STAR program’s TEC test method criteria.
(2) Estimated U.S. street price. Actual prices may vary.
(3) Wireless networking not available on base model. Wireless performance is dependent upon physical environment and distance from access point.
(4) Automatic two-sided printing not available on base model.
(5) Compared to B-size inkjet printers and all-in-ones priced less than $299 from major vendors as of Q408. Excludes HP Officejet Pro products. Average based on ISO/IEC 24711 or HP testing methodology and continuous printing. Actual yield varies considerably based on content of printed pages and other factors. Details are available at www.hp.com/go/learnaboutsupplies.

ENERGY STAR is a registered mark owned by the U.S. government.