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Technical Validation: Enabling Predictive IT Services with HP Premium+ Support

This Enterprise Strategy Group Technical Validation was commissioned by HP and is distributed under license from TechTarget, Inc.

T E C H N I C A L V A L I D A T I O N

Enabling Predictive IT Services with HP Premium+ Support Proactive, Telemetry-based Predictive Services for

PCs and Smart Devices

By Tony Palmer, Principal Analyst and Practice Director

Enterprise Strategy Group

March 2024

Technical Validation: Enabling Predictive IT Services with HP Premium+ Support

Contents

Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................................... 3

Background ................................................................................................................................................................ 3

HP Premium+ Support for PCs .................................................................................................................................. 4

HP Smart Device Services for Printers ...................................................................................................................... 5

Enterprise Strategy Group Technical Validation ............................................................................................................ 5

HP Premium+ Support for PCs .................................................................................................................................. 5

HP Smart Device Services for Printers ...................................................................................................................... 8

Conclusion .................................................................................................................................................................... 10

Technical Validation: Enabling Predictive IT Services with HP Premium+ Support

Introduction

This Technical Validation from TechTarget’s Enterprise Strategy Group examines HP Premium+ Support (formerly

Active Care) predictive PC service and support for in-office, remote, and mobile workers with a focus on how

Premium+ Support’s telemetry-based predictive services can help organizations prevent outage issues for users. In

addition to Premium+ Support, we also looked at how HP Smart Device Services (SDS) can extend the same

benefits to organizations’ print ecosystems.

Background

According to Enterprise Strategy Group research, the top business priorities or initiatives driving or influencing

organizations’ endpoint device strategies span multiple practices and disciplines, including improving employee

productivity (55%), fortifying cybersecurity (44%), improving the employee experience (44%), and supporting

hybrid/remote work (41%), as seen in Figure 1.1

When you consider that 39% of organizations have extended their refresh cycles beyond the traditional three years,

it should come as no surprise that nearly one in three organizations (29%) consider the operational cost of the IT

staff required to support end users and client access devices to be a current operational and business challenge. As

devices age, the likelihood of component failure rises.

Figure 1. Top Endpoint Device Priorities

Source: Enterprise Strategy Group, a division of TechTarget, Inc.

Organizations need a solution that can minimize downtime in a blended work environment and help them to identify,

prevent, and resolve endpoint computing device issues anywhere.

1 Source: Enterprise Strategy Group Research Report, Endpoint Device Trends, February 2024. All research in this Technical Validation comes from this research report unless otherwise noted.

22%

23%

26%

30%

41%

44%

45%

47%

55%

Shifting capital costs to Opex

Fortifying disaster recovery

Reducing capital expenditure

Fortifying business continuity

Supporting hybrid/remote work

Improving the employee experience

Fortifying cybersecurity

Improving the customer experience

Supporting digital transformation

Improving communication and collaboration

Improving employee productivity

What are the top business priorities or initiatives that are driving or influencing your organization’s endpoint device strategy? (Percent of respondents, N=354,

multiple responses accepted)

https://research.esg-global.com/reportaction/515201743/Toc

Technical Validation: Enabling Predictive IT Services with HP Premium+ Support

HP Premium+ Support for PCs

HP Premium+ Support is a PC service and support offering for office and mobile workers. HP Premium+ Support is

designed to increase uptime and provide fast resolution support on HP devices with predictive device health

analytics, next-business-day response, remote technical support, and onsite remediation services. It may be

purchased transactionally attached to a PC purchase or contractually as part of a Managed Device Service (MDS)

agreement.

HP Premium+ Support predictive analytics accelerate problem diagnosis and remediation on HP devices, often

before the device issue impacts users' productivity. Automated case generation minimizes disruption by prompting

end users to open a case as soon as an issue is detected, before the device goes down, enabling end users to

schedule repairs at their convenience.

Predictive, proactive analytics give IT visibility into the condition of every HP device in the fleet and can quickly

identify issues when and where they occur, order replacement parts, and install them as needed. HP Premium+

Support is only available for HP devices and offers three-, four-, or five-year plans, 24/7 remote support, and onsite

service when issues can’t be resolved remotely.

Figure 2. HP Premium+ Support Dashboard

Source: HP and Enterprise Strategy Group, a division of TechTarget, Inc.

HP Premium+ Support monitoring detects possible health issues for storage devices and batteries. When these

reach a level that could cause a failure, an incident is logged and sent to the end user or the dashboard. These

incidents can be used to create cases for HP repair of the component with no additional diagnostics.

Additional telemetry can generate incidents for BIOS out of date and system thermal conditions. These incidents

can be used to send alerts to the end user of the device with instructions such as how to update their BIOS or clean

the fan intake to improve air circulation and reduce heat stress. The customer’s IT administrator can customize the

instructions.

Because HP Premium+ Support is a break/fix service that extends the support coverage beyond the standard

manufacturer warranty, the IT administrator can create a case from the dashboard at any time for hardware issues

Technical Validation: Enabling Predictive IT Services with HP Premium+ Support

such as with the motherboard or power. The admin just clicks the Create Case button on the incident page and

completes the form. A case will be created, and HP will service the PC.

HP Smart Device Services for Printers

HP Smart Device Services (SDS) for printers are designed to maximize uptime and provide excellent service

experiences. Cloud-based service management combines smart integration of advanced service capabilities with

the managed print services (MPS) solutions HP and resellers use today.

Predictive AI keeps customers working by anticipating failures before they become problems. Remote remediation

minimizes customer downtime with tools to diagnose and fix issues remotely. On behalf of end users, service

providers can leverage SDS to adjust configurations, upgrade firmware, and reboot devices without an onsite visit.

Detailed diagnostic and service information ensures that customers get the right fix the first time. SDS identifies the

correct parts and exact procedures needed before a technician is dispatched for a service call.

SDS-connected printers can now contact the service provider for needed assistance when issues arise, reducing

the need for customer calls or intervention. With SDS artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) capabilities and

predictive analytics, the SDS system can monitor device health, predict certain failures, and proactively provide

service recommendations to help minimize device downtime and lost productivity.

SDS advanced diagnostics capabilities provide detailed device service information and issue remediation steps to

ensure service providers’ help desks and service technicians have the information they need to quickly solve

problems for the customer the first time without additional onsite visits.

SDS is designed to provide improved service experiences by enabling remote management capabilities to solve

issues such as firmware updates, configuration adjustments, and printer reboots remotely to help minimize onsite

service visits and unnecessary device downtime. SDS fleet management capabilities also give MPS providers the

ability to set and remediate essential security policy settings for their customers through their MPS software

solution.

Enterprise Strategy Group Technical Validation

Enterprise Strategy Group evaluated HP’s telemetry-based proactive and predictive services, which help

organizations update systems and address issues before they affect productivity.

HP Premium+ Support for PCs

First, we examined the customer’s view of Premium+ Support. We logged into a customer account, which shows

only the devices and incidents that belong to this specific customer, seen in Figure 3. The dashboard allows a

customer to manage the support for their own devices. We also reviewed the scenario when proactive pop-up alerts

notify end users of device issues, rather than IT administrators monitoring the dashboard. This is covered later in

this technical validation.

Technical Validation: Enabling Predictive IT Services with HP Premium+ Support

Figure 3. HP Premium+ Support Customer Dashboard

Source: HP and Enterprise Strategy Group, a division of TechTarget, Inc.

Next, we looked at how a customer would monitor and manage their devices. Once the HP Insights agent for

Windows is running on their devices, HP Premium+ Support begins collecting data. Clicking on Devices shows a

view of all devices this customer is monitoring. Administrators can select a specific device to see detailed

information on any issues involving that device.

Figure 4. HP Premium+ Support Device List

Source: HP and Enterprise Strategy Group, a division of TechTarget, Inc.

Technical Validation: Enabling Predictive IT Services with HP Premium+ Support

Next, we looked at the incidents feature of HP Premium+ Support. HP Premium+ Support reports on component

attributes or characteristics that meet certain thresholds. If thresholds are met, an incident is generated and, if

configured, a pop-up message is generated on the end-user device with a description of the incident and

instructions on how to proceed. IT support can also use this data to open a case with HP support with a click.

Figure 5. HP Premium+ Support Incidents

Source: HP and Enterprise Strategy Group, a division of TechTarget, Inc.

Finally, we looked at how an HP partner would use the dashboard to support their customers. Partners use the

dashboard to invite their customers using the customer ID, and customers need to approve the invitation to get

connected.

Figure 6. HP Premium+ Support Customer List

Source: HP and Enterprise Strategy Group, a division of TechTarget, Inc.

Technical Validation: Enabling Predictive IT Services with HP Premium+ Support

HP Smart Device Services for Printers

Enterprise Strategy Group looked at HP SDS for printers, a cloud-based service management system that uses

predictive AI and remote remediation to provide detailed diagnostic service information. HP SDS has been in

operation since 2017, and HP has a large base of connected printers, with two million active devices under

management.

HP SDS is focused on improving printer uptime as well as service experiences for end users.

Devices connect to the HP cloud where HP collects the telemetry and feeds it into its machine learning (ML) and AI

system to identify device health issues and predict failures. Insights from this data are output into software solutions

that HP and service providers use.

This enables organizations to act quickly and effectively, through both remote remediation and by deploying a

service technician to replace a part or perform a preventive repair.

HP has amassed a large ML base and telemetry base of both current and select legacy connected printers for

certain use cases.

Figure 7. HP SDS Design

Source: HP and Enterprise Strategy Group, a division of TechTarget, Inc.

Why This Matters

Improving employee productivity is paramount whether they’re working in offices or elsewhere. Organizations’ endpoint device strategies include improving employee productivity (55%), fortifying cybersecurity (44%), improving the employee experience (44%), and supporting hybrid/remote work (41%).

Enterprise Strategy Group validated that HP Premium+ Support saves organizations significant time and effort in support of end-user devices. AI-powered insights, proactive pop-up alerts, and automated ticketing streamline support actions and speed response. When an HP technician needs to provide in-person support, the AI-powered insights inform the technician as to what part needs to be replaced so they are dispatched with the right supplies on the first attempt.

Technical Validation: Enabling Predictive IT Services with HP Premium+ Support

HP SDS for printers provides a spectrum of insights across the entire incident lifecycle, from traditional descriptive

and diagnostic analytics—“What happened and why did it happen?”—to more valuable predictive and prescriptive

insights like “What will happen in the near future and what should I do about it?”

It’s important to note that HP SDS does not access or track individual users. SDS only tracks device ID and

telemetry data. Customer names, user data, and job content are not collected to protect personal identifiable

information or other confidentiality issues.

Why This Matters

In Enterprise Strategy Group’s 2024 Endpoint Device Trends survey, the operational cost of IT staff is the most common business challenge with respect to endpoints reported. Considering the importance of improving employee productivity as the top business priority and reliability and serviceability in the top five purchase criteria, a solution that can anticipate failures and offer remote remediation with tools to diagnose and fix issues remotely feels like a great fit. HP SDS for printers is designed to enhance device operational time with cloud-based ML and proactive notifications to remotely diagnose problems and provide effective resolution actions that help reduce service visits.

Technical Validation: Enabling Predictive IT Services with HP Premium+ Support

Conclusion

Employee productivity is important, but so is the employee experience. According to Enterprise Strategy Group

research, 44% of organizations cited employee experience as a top business priority. The relationship between an

employee’s experience and their productivity shouldn’t be ignored.

HP Premium+ Support can have a significantly positive impact on employee productivity and employee experience.

Predictive analytics accelerates problem diagnosis and remediation on HP devices, often before the device issue

affects users' productivity. Automated case generation streamlines support and minimizes disruption by facilitating

the right remediation—whether parts or service technician dispatch—before the device goes down.

• HP Premium+ Support provides predictive, proactive analytics that give IT administrators insight into the condition of every HP device in the fleet and can quickly identify and resolve issues, often before failures occur.

• HP SDS uses predictive AI and remote remediation to provide detailed diagnostic service information for printers and enables partners to service their customers faster, more efficiently, and more effectively.

Enterprise Strategy Group validated that HP Premium+ Support saves organizations significant time and effort in

support of end-user devices. AI-powered insights, proactive pop-up alerts, and automated ticketing streamline

support actions and speed response. When an HP technician needs to provide in-person support, the AI-powered

insights inform the technician as to what part needs to be replaced so they are dispatched with the right supplies on

the first attempt.

If your organization needs to minimize downtime in a blended work environment by identifying, preventing, and

resolving endpoint computing and printing device issues everywhere, Enterprise Strategy Group recommends that

you take a close look at HP Premium+ Support for PCs and HP Smart Device Services for printers.

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