News in the Channel - issue #17

SHARP

their reputation as well and build on the relationships they’ve built up through the provision of print services to now enter the world of IT services. That is the strategy that Sharp have in the UK and in Europe.” Consolidating partners Another consideration for expanding into IT services is that some customers are looking to consolidate the number of partners they work with. “Partly because it can be more cost-effective but also it makes it easier if the customer has an issue with technology – there is one number to ring, rather than having to define if it is a print or IT or security problem before ringing the appropriate person and getting the right service,” Colin notes. “They want one person to take responsibility for the relationship and one invoice, rather than having multiple invoices from multiple vendors. There’s lots of improvements in efficiencies you can have by cutting down your suppliers’ partners. We are hearing from SMBs that this is something they want, and it is something we’re working towards delivering. “We made good progress on new business; we have new business teams who sell the portfolio services that Sharp in the UK can deliver. We’ve already started joining together functions within the businesses in the UK to bring together that one supplier, one partner approach that we believe SMBs and other businesses are looking for.” Telephony spike Another developing area of products and services for Sharp as part of its drive to be an IT technology partner for its clients is telephony VoIP services. “With the switch off at the end of 2025 of the PSTN ISDN network, that will generate a large amount of potentially short-term demand for a shift to a voice environments for our clients,” says Colin. “We have several offerings, which means we can be consultative in our approach and how we offer voice services to our clients. But that applies to all our services because we’ve got the breadth and depth of services and solutions that means we don’t just turn up with one solution, we turn up with the potential to deliver two or three. We can consult with our clients and propose the right service and the right solution for our client and/or prospect.” Service is key But while Sharp is a large business and has the resources and expertise to back it up, it

doesn’t come at the expense of customer services and relationships, Colin notes. “We want to build long-term relationships with our clients and bring a local feel to those relationships. We have several offices throughout the UK so that we can be the local partner for our clients but backed by a greater breadth and depth of skills and knowledge and expertise and availability. “If you provide technology in addition to print, by the nature of that increase in services, you will have a closer relationship with your clients and your prospects. And those businesses, especially SMBs, want to see those partners and not just deal with them online and remotely. They want to feel that they’re engaged within their business and understand their business. To achieve that, you need to be on site in front of your clients and your prospects on a regular basis. One of the key services that we deliver is an IT roadmap for our clients, where we set out how their technology should develop in the coming year. They have a plan and give us a budget to deliver what they have agreed is the right technology roadmap for their business in the coming year.” Future For the future, Colin is optimistic, as Sharp continues its evolution in the UK and Europe. “We are looking to grow IT services as an overall percentage of Sharp’s business within the UK,” says Colin. “And that’s through growing our organic offerings of services, but also as an acquisition strategy as well in major economic territories within Europe also, so it builds on two strands.”

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We have several offices

throughout the UK so that we can be the local partner for our clients but backed by a greater breadth and depth of skills and knowledge and expertise and availability.

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