HP CEO Explains Measure Against Third-Party Cartridges

The inkjet and laser printer market is likely to change much more significantly in the coming years than has been the case before. For the HP group, this means above all to get rid of the “unprofitable customers” who do not want to use original cartridges.

That emerges from an interesting report that The Register published. In the report, The Register takes on the new concept HP+ and publishes some quotes from HP CEO Enrique Lores, which show where HP wants to move with the printer division.

Software blockages set up

We recently reported that after a software update, numerous HP printers went on strike at their users’ homes because they had not installed any new original cartridges in their inkjet or laser printers. But this search for the “black gold” is being discussed more and more, similar to the way that the right to repair came into the consciousness of a broader masses. Those affected are no longer just annoyed, but demand legal regulations against the specifications of the device manufacturer.

Two fundamentally different systems

At HP, the solution is very simple, as The Register reports. The group had evaluated how the price of printer hardware must increase for customers who do not want to use HP brand consumables. Accordingly, two systems were developed, with new hardware and software that excluded the use of non-HP inks or toner. This is not too tragic if you are clear before buying that you are tied to the manufacturer with a subscription, for example. The problem, however, is that HP continues – because the updates to exclude third-party ink are not a new invention – to make hardware already sold without a subscription unusable for third parties. The HP CEO said on the sidelines of the recent business results announcement: “We’re evolving our print business models with our pursuit of service and a rebalancing of profitability between hardware and offering.”

He added, “We’re making progress in rebalancing the business model between hardware and supplies. We’re increasing profit upfront with a 69 percent unit increase at SES or Big Inc. Through selective price increases, new product innovations, and lower discounts, we have the AIU for Consumer hardware improves year on year. “