Client
HP Inc. is an American multinational information technology company headquartered in Palo Alto, California, that develops personal computers (PCs), printers and related supplies, as well as 3D printing services. It was formed on November 1, 2015, as the legal successor of the original Hewlett-Packard after the company’s enterprise product and business services divisions were spun off as a new publicly traded company, Hewlett Packard Enterprise.
Challenges
HP sought to expand its market dominance into the multi-function printer (MFP) sector, aiming to capture market share in high-speed, multifunction copiers, particularly in the education sector (higher education, state universities). They needed detailed market intelligence to identify contract opportunities in this segment.
Solution
IRC was engaged to perform extensive market research to identify existing contracts, equipment types, and incumbents for printers and copiers in public sector educational institutions. They compiled data on contract renewal dates, equipment details, pricing, and competitive information and built a database for HP.
Results
IRC provided HP with a comprehensive database, including interim reports on data collection progress, giving HP’s sales representatives targeted information to pursue new contracts. HP could leverage this data to strategize bids against competitors like IBM and Xerox and potentially increase market penetration.
Business Benefits
Enabled HP to strategically pursue MFP contracts in the educational sector, increasing market visibility and competitiveness in a new segment.
Empowered HP’s sales teams with targeted data on contract renewal timelines, existing vendors, and pricing for precise sales engagement.
Supported HP’s security positioning by highlighting their advantage in networked multifunction devices over competitors.
Potential for increased revenue streams and enhanced market share by entering a previously underdeveloped segment with high-value contracts.
Positioned HP as a viable competitor against IBM and Xerox in high-speed copiers, diversifying HP’s market focus beyond desktop printers.