For years, cybersecurity conversations have focused on endpoints, networks, cloud applications and data. But too often businesses forget about one part of the environment that users interact with every day: the printer.
Raees Sallie, product manager at Tarsus Distribution, points out that as printers become increasingly connected and intelligent, they have become more than peripheral devices. They can process, store and transmit information, making print security an increasingly important part of an organisation’s overall security strategy.
“For resellers, this creates an opportunity to move the conversation around print from a transactional discussion about devices and consumables to a broader conversation about protecting business information,” he says.
The printer is no longer an isolated device
Users may take the printer for granted, but the reality is that modern businesses print sensitive information every day – financial documents; customer information; contracts; employee records and business plans.
That information doesn’t become less sensitive simply because it is printed on paper, Sallie says.
At the same time, today’s print environments are more connected to business networks and cloud services.
“This means organisations need to think about the security of the entire print environment – from the device itself through to the supplies and documents being produced.”
This is where HP’s approach to print security becomes particularly relevant.
HP has always been serious about security, building into the DNA of its print portfolio. This embedded security helps businesses protect devices, data and documents rather than treating the printer as an afterthought.
“And, for reseller partners, that creates a much stronger value proposition than simply selling a printer,” Sallie says.
Security starts with the device
A secure print environment begins with the printer itself. HP’s business print portfolio incorporates security features designed to help protect devices against threats and support organisations in maintaining control over their print environments.
As organisations embrace AI-enabled workflows, HP continues to lead with security built into the foundation of its printers. HP Wolf Security provides hardware-enforced protection that helps defend devices, data, and networks from cyber threats.
By embedding security across hardware, firmware, and software, HP enables organisations to confidently adopt AI-driven productivity tools while maintaining strong protection against evolving cyber risks.
“For businesses, this means print can become part of the wider security conversation,” Sallie explains. “For resellers, it means an opportunity to lead with the business risk rather than the specification sheet.”
In this environment, the conversation is no longer about which printer is needed, but becomes about protecting the information moving through the print environment?
“That is a much more valuable conversation,” Sallie points out.
Don’t overlook the security of consumables
There is another part of the print environment that deserves greater attention: supplies.
“Ink and toner are often treated as simple consumables. But the use of non-genuine or counterfeit supplies can create concerns around quality, reliability, device performance and the integrity of the overall print environment,” Sallie explains.
HP has invested in technologies and processes designed to help customers identify genuine HP supplies and protect against counterfeit products.
“This is important because the supply chain is increasingly part of the technology conversation,” according to Sallie.
“A customer may have invested in a secure HP printer, but if the wrong supplies are introduced into that environment, the intended performance and protection of the solution can be compromised.”
Sallie points out that this creates an opportunity for the channel to make genuine HP supplies part of the solution rather than an afterthought.
Security shouldn’t be a premium conversation
HP printers address every part of the market, so one of the biggest opportunities for resellers is to make security relevant across different customer segments.
A home-based professional may need a different print environment from a growing SMB.
An office with multiple users has different requirements again.
A managed print customer may need an even more comprehensive approach to device, document and fleet security.
“HP’s portfolio provides a range of solutions that can support these different environments – from the Smart Tank range for home and small-office users through to business print, managed print and large-format environments,” Sallie says.
“The conversation changes depending on the customer, but the principle remains the same: Print security should be built into the solution from the start.”
The opportunity for resellers
For channel partners, this creates an opportunity to move beyond the traditional print transaction.
Instead of selling: Printer → toner → next printer, resellers can build a longer-term relationship around: Device → genuine supplies → security → management → ongoing support.
“That creates greater value for the customer and a broader commercial opportunity for the reseller.,” Sallie points out. “It also gives the reseller a reason to engage with customers before they reach the point of replacing a printer.”
The HP portfolio gives partners room to scale
Different customers require different print solutions, and HP’s range of printing solutions addresses them all.
For home and small-office users, HP Smart Tank solutions can address everyday printing needs while offering an alternative to traditional cartridge-based models.
For office environments, HP’s business print portfolio can support organisations that need reliable, secure and scalable printing.
Managed Print Services can take that further by helping customers manage their print environment as an ongoing service rather than a collection of individual devices.
And for businesses operating in specialist environments, HP Large Format Printing provides solutions designed for higher-volume and professional applications.
“Across these environments, genuine HP consumables remain an important part of delivering the intended solution,” says Sallie.
The role of distribution
This is where having access to the complete HP portfolio becomes particularly valuable. Tarsus Distribution gives reseller partners access to HP’s broader print ecosystem, including devices and the associated supplies and consumables.
“That means partners can build the solution around the customer’s requirements rather than starting with whichever individual printer happens to be available,” Sallie adds.
“It also gives resellers an opportunity to create stronger recurring relationships around supplies, services and ongoing print requirements.”
Security is part of the value proposition
The bottom line, according to Sallie, is that the print conversation is changing.
“Customers are becoming more conscious of cybersecurity. They are increasingly conscious of supply-chain risks. And they expect the technology they deploy to contribute to a secure business environment.
“Print should be part of that conversation,” he adds.
“For reseller partners, the opportunity is to stop treating security as something that belongs exclusively to the IT department and start positioning secure print as part of a complete business technology solution.
“Because the printer may sit at the edge of the office, but the information passing through it can sit at the heart of the business.”
Find more information on HP printers and Tarsus Distribution here.
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