With hybrid working now part of the new normal at many Australian businesses – and many others eager to lure employees back to the office with top-tier perks – the need to ensure consistent communications no matter where employees are located has driven strong interest in Ingram Micro’s newly added HP|Poly range of cameras, headsets, and other devices.
The sheer range and legacy of HP|Poly – which was created in 2018 from the $3 billion ($US2 billion) acquisition of videoconferencing stalwart Polycom by conferencing giant Plantronics, and was then acquired by HP in August 2022 – has allowed Ingram Micro to introduce a broad selection of audiovisual equipment to support the significant proportion of Australian workers embracing flexible work arrangements.
Companies can strategically empower employees with a more consistent, high quality collaboration experience that is supported by technological advancements like AI-driven features, and protected with enhanced security protocols.
Having been added to the distributor’s range of more than 115 vendors on November 1 2023, the over 100 products in HP|Poly’s product range span the gamut of enterprise collaboration tools – ranging from wired and wireless desktop headsets to DECT and IP desktop phones, wireless earbuds, wired and wireless speakerphones.
The range also includes large-scale group videoconferencing technology, which features 4K resolution and automatically follows speakers as they move around the room.
With a focus on reliability and compatibility with contemporary collaboration environments based on the likes of Microsoft Teams, the devices are proving popular with enterprises that are tapping the HP|Poly range to give their employees a consistent selection of portable and ergonomic headsets.
The goal is to ensure that they can communicate with consistent audio and video quality whether they are working in the office or from home – and to make sure that workers can tap seamless, effective communications that suit their personal style wherever they are in the office.
“Employees who are working remotely should no longer be a best-effort process that relies on whatever equipment those employees have to hand,” said Hope McGarry, director of ASG, Specialty and Commercial with Ingram Micro, “and those working in the office need collaboration to be seamless and effective.”
“As businesses increasingly normalise work-from-home and remote working, business leaders are recognising the importance of providing consistently high quality audio and video equipment that ensures workgroup collaboration and customer engagements aren’t compromised by haphazard devices.”
New channel opportunities in a surging market
Ingram Micro is working to bolster its presence in a worldwide video conferencing market that expects will nearly double, from $16.1 billion ($US10.6 billion) in 2022, to be worth $29.1 billion ($US19.1 billion) in 2027.
This will be driven by a range of factors – including adoption of remote work, hybrid workforce enablement, integration with collaboration tools, AI-powered features, enhanced security and privacy, mobile and cross-platform support, and virtual events and webinars.
Integration with hardware devices will also be crucial, the firm notes, with purpose-built cameras, microphones, and displays being steadily integrated with video conferencing platforms.
This not only improves overall user experience and audiovisual quality, but provides channel providers with a broad range of opportunities to add additional value.
By offering the HP|Poly range at competitive price points with easy access to peripheral bundles through an online customer configuration portal, Ingram Micro’s partners can give their customers a range of value propositions, including:
- Easy access to cutting-edge video conferencing technology
- A cloud based application that allows them to remotely provision, monitor, and troubleshoot devices from a single app
- The backing of Poly+, which provides comprehensive device support and visibility for hybrid workforces – including unlimited, global 24x7 technical support, advance hardware replacement, ecosystem cloud partner support, and upgraded access to premium software.
“HP and Poly unite to provide an intelligent ecosystem of AV hybrid work technology,” said HP|Poly managing director and ANZ head of enterprise Michael So, “that is designed to elevate employee experiences.”
Reflecting the value it brings to the conferencing space, the company has won PC Distributor of the Year in the HP Partner Awards in both 2022 and 2023 – a recognition that McGarry attributes not only to the company’s focus on enhancing its offerings, but to its engagement with corporate sustainability initiatives such as HP’s Sustainable Impact program.
Showcasing its wide range of collaboration solutions, HP|Poly recently exhibited at the Ingram Micro Experience at the ICC Sydney in May, where hundreds of partners and vendors converged to experience first-hand the transformative capabilities of HP|Poly products’.
“Every company wants to both support remote staff, and give them a reason to come back to the office,” said McGarry, “and it really helps employees’ working styles when everything works in sync.”
“We are always looking for really good products that have right price points to make everyone comfortable when they do come back.”
Contact the team to book an appointment to experience the full HP|Poly suite of products.
