MANAGED SERVICES
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with NEC products now rebadged to Sharp, came into our business on the first of April this year. At the time, we had two trading entities in the UK. We had the core business and we had the IT business, Sharp IT Services. On the first of April we also took the decision to merge them together, creating one UK entity – a technology partner with a fresh brand, including that NEC business, coming together as one business, one team.” Stuart says the move has simplified things for clients, who were previously dealing with two Sharp trading entities,
work with us and introduce us to their clients. But we’ve been unable to find enough interest to invest in a channel for IT services. Despite trying hard and talking to lots of our resellers, IT services is entirely a direct offering,” points out Stuart. He adds that Sharp has spoken to a lot of print resellers but says they tend to be more interested in telephony or AV than IT services, partly due to the level of complexity and investment needed, but also for fear of losing some control over the client. Growth areas Meanwhile, Sharp is continuing to invest in IT services to capitalise on two areas where it sees real growth potential. “For many years, we have had a business applications team that uses the Microsoft suite of products, such as Business Central, to do process engineering within clients to help drive their business forward. That mid-market space where we have lots of existing clients is a really exciting part of the market. “Alongside that we have AI consulting services. We have Copilot consulting, connecting people and technology, showing how people can use Copilot to make them more efficient and, as we move into the agentic AI age, we’ll be helping people to use AI agents alongside their workforce. Those are the areas we are investing in for the future.” Stuart also has big plans for Sharp’s AV business. “The business that came to us on the first of April was a channel business, and during the joint venture time, maybe it didn’t get the investment that it needed. Now it’s come into the country we can clearly see opportunities to strengthen that team, strengthen the potential with resellers to go out there and gain more market share. One thing that business has, which we want to beef up, is an end user team that engages with major corporate and enterprise clients, so that when they’re in the buying phase and looking to refresh the AV for their business, which could be now or in five years’ time, Sharp is right at the front of their minds and able to pass that business on to a reseller to fulfil. That’s a Rolls Royce service for the channel: finding clients that want to deal with Sharp and passing them on to channel partners.” Stuart adds: “Sharp DV LED technology is perfect for that enterprise and corporate market space that wants to buy quality solutions that will last many years with a
company like ours to back them up. It’s not just the quality of the DV LED product, but also how we’re able to build to order for projects where the client wants something with a bit more wow or to accommodate a specific shape or layout. When a client is willing to pay extra for something that’s more bespoke, we can move into a build‑to-order phase and take care of those needs. “That Pro AV channel has only been with us a few months, but I’m really excited about what we can do with them.” Silver lining Like all businesses, Sharp UK is having to contend with significant challenges, mainly relating to global uncertainty and its knock-on effects on business confidence in the UK. But even here Stuart finds grounds for optimism. “It’s a cloud and a silver lining situation for us. Firstly, people are taking longer to make decisions. A lot of what we do is a major investment for a client, and they’re much slower than they were at committing. Then, our cost base continues to increase, whether through the price of diesel or inflation or taxation or the NIC increase. It’s a tough environment, but then it is for everybody. The silver lining for us is that a lot of what we do for clients is to make them more efficient. I’ve never seen people more open to conversations about what we can do to reduce their cost base.” The next five years So, what are Stuart’s plans for Sharp UK for the next five years? “We feel as though we’ve just managed to sit down and take a breath after everything that’s happened. So, firstly, we’re looking forward to a period of consolidation, making sure that now we’re one business and one team, all is working as it should for our clients; that with our new brand we start to be known as that technology partner, which we haven’t traditionally been; that the businesses are integrated properly; and that we really focus on those investments that I’ve mentioned, in business applications, AI and the channel business around our AV offering,” he says. “The next two or three years will be about making all that work for us, because we’ve done the hard work. After that, hopefully we’ll be looking at more acquisitions in the UK. Whether they are in the IT security space or the AI space, I don’t know. But we will want to keep strengthening, as we have done over the last 10 years.”
with different contracts and different invoices, adding that it has brought internal teams closer together and provides a fitting conclusion to changes implemented over the last 10 years. “In that time, we have grown to just over £150 million, from about £90 million, and acquired the pieces of the jigsaw to turn us into that technology partner,” explains Stuart. “April 1 felt as though it was a key staging post on a journey before we again look to the future.” Channel or direct Not everything Sharp UK has tried in the last 10 years has been a success. While its IT services business has grown, Sharp has been unable to productise its IT services offering for channel partners to resell, meaning that that side of the business remains exclusively direct, unlike print and especially AV. “The print channel is now around 60% direct and 40% dealer. The AV business is almost entirely through the channel. The workplace design business is 80% direct and 20% through resellers who want to
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