Klaudia Ciesielska, Brandsit: Sharp is a brand with over 100 years of history of innovation. What made you decide just now to bring together three previously separate worlds – printing, visualisation and IT services – in such a fundamental way? What was the key impetus for this integration?
Rafal Szarzynski, Sharp: A key factor has been the change in the way we work. Companies today operate in an environment where it is not just the hardware that matters, but the entire digital architecture – secure, flexible and intuitive. Our customers want a partner that understands their processes and can support them, not just supply devices. That’s why we created the ‘Sharp Digital Experience’ concept, which brings together print, visualisation and IT services into one seamless ecosystem.
This is a really well thought-out change – we have been preparing for it for years. We have invested in developing our IT competencies, acquiring companies in the UK, France and Switzerland, and in November we completed the final stage of our merger with Sharp/NEC. Today, we have more than 500 IT professionals in Europe and state-of-the-art support platforms that allow us to design work environments that meet the challenges of digital transformation. This makes Sharp a digital world company that makes a real difference to the way customers work.
K.C.: Joe Tomota announces a move away from a transactional model to long-term strategic partnerships. Given that in Poland Sharp is mainly associated with reliable hardware – how does this change redefine your model of cooperation with the business? Does ‘One Sharp’ represent a shift from being a technology provider to being an advisor responsible for architecting and optimising the digital working environment?
R.S.: This is a fundamental change in the way we look at customer relationships. Until now, the market has often been based on simple transactions – purchase the device, install, end of process. Today, companies expect something very different: a partner who understands their business objectives and can design the working environment to support efficiency, security and growth.
“One Sharp” is the answer to this need – it is a philosophy in which technology is just a tool and the real value is in consulting and building strategies together.
An example? Increasingly, we are talking to customers not about which screen or printer to choose, but how to integrate communication in a hybrid team, how to secure data in the cloud, or how to optimise document processes. Our role is not just to deliver hardware, but to create a cohesive ecosystem that addresses real business challenges. This is the essence of ‘One Sharp’ – partnerships that give you an edge in the digital world.
“One Sharp (…) is a philosophy in which technology is just a tool, and the real value is in consultancy and joint strategy building.”
K.C.: CIOs are increasingly asking not ‘if’ but ‘how’ to ensure security. With the integration of cyber security competences into Sharp’s structures: can devices such as printers or screens become elements of an organisation’s first line of defence? What does such a security model look like in practice within the ‘One Sharp’ ecosystem?
R.S.: Definitely yes. Today’s working environment is distributed, and any device connected to the network can be a potential access point. That’s why, at One Sharp, we treat security as an integral part of the design of the entire ecosystem, not an add-on. Our devices – from printers to displays – are equipped with data protection mechanisms, encryption, access control and integration with identity management systems. This makes them an active part of your security strategy, not just passive hardware.
In practice, this means that documents are stored and transmitted securely, access to devices is controlled and communication in meeting rooms takes place in an encrypted environment. Additionally, with our IT services and management platforms, we can monitor and respond to threats in real time. This approach gives the CIO the confidence that every piece of infrastructure – even the printer – is supporting the organisation’s protection, not undermining it.
“Our devices – from printers to displays (…) are becoming an active part of the security strategy, not just passive hardware.”
K.C.: ITpoint and Apsia brought agile software and services expertise to Sharp. How does the combination of hard hardware engineering with cloud and IT know-how change the final value perceived by the customer? Can the Polish market expect new hybrid services combining these worlds?
R.S.: This combination opens a whole new chapter in the way we support customers. Until now, technology has often been seen as a set of separate elements – devices, applications, infrastructure. Today, we integrate these areas into a single ecosystem where hardware and software work together seamlessly and securely. With the expertise brought by ITpoint and Apsia, we can design solutions that not only work, but realistically simplify processes, automate tasks and increase productivity.
In the Polish market, this means access to hybrid services that combine our expertise in hardware engineering with modern cloud platforms. Examples include cloud-based document management solutions, integration of audiovisual systems with collaboration tools or IT services supporting security and business continuity. Customers gain not just a product, but a complete service – from consultancy to implementation to ongoing support. This is the true value of ‘One Sharp’.
“Customers get not just a product, but a complete service – from consultancy to implementation to ongoing support. This is the true value of ‘One Sharp’.”
K.C.: Today’s IT departments are facing a huge fragmentation of suppliers and solutions. Is the ‘One Sharp’ strategy a response to the trend towards consolidation of services (vendor consolidation)? Apart from the convenience of a ‘single invoice’, what tangible benefits does a company gain by entrusting print, visualisation and IT to a single partner instead of three different entities?
R.S.: ‘One Sharp’ is a response to the growing need for simplification and integration. Fragmentation of suppliers means not only greater management complexity, but also higher risks – different security standards, inconsistencies in processes and difficulties in scaling solutions. Consolidating services under a single partner offers more than convenience – it’s all about technological and strategic consistency.
This gives the enterprise uniform security standards, faster deployments and the ability to centrally manage the entire working environment. Instead of three different integrations, we have a single ecosystem in which print, visualisation and IT work together seamlessly. This translates into lower operating costs, better control over data and greater flexibility to respond to change. In practice, this means fewer risk points, simpler processes and greater predictability – and this is the value that CIOs are looking for today.
K.C.: Digital transformation is not only about processes, but above all about people. How does the integration of IT services and modern visual tools affect the so-called Employee Experience? In Sharp’s vision, can a modern, integrated office be an argument in the battle for talent and a way to increase the efficiency of teams working in a hybrid model?
R.S.: Definitely yes. Technology only makes sense if it supports people in their daily work. That’s why the idea behind ‘One Sharp’ is to look at the working environment as a holistic experience that influences comfort, efficiency and organisational culture. Integrated solutions – from secure collaboration platforms to intuitive audiovisual systems – make meetings simpler, communication smoother and access to information immediate. This translates into a real sense of control and convenience for employees.
In a hybrid model, this is crucial. An employee who can easily connect with his or her team, share documents or give a presentation in a modern conference room feels part of the organisation regardless of where they work. Such an environment is today an argument in the battle for talent – it shows that the company is investing in tools that support creativity and collaboration. As a result, not only satisfaction but also the effectiveness of teams increases. This is our vision: technology that serves people, not the other way around.
“This is our vision: technology that serves people, not the other way around.”
K.C.: Poland is a fast and demanding market. How will the ‘One Sharp’ strategy be implemented locally? Can partners and customers in Poland expect new billing models and consultancy services to carry out a turnkey office transformation?
R.S.: Yes, Poland is a very important market for us and the implementation of ‘One Sharp’ will be complete here. We are developing local IT services in order to be able to offer customers comprehensive projects – from needs analysis to design to implementation and maintenance. We want the office transformation to be a simple turnkey process. When it comes to billing, we are introducing subscription models and ‘as-a-service’ services that make cost planning easier and give flexibility. This is a trend that meets the needs of Polish companies – predictability, simplicity and real value.
K.C.: Hybrid working, automation and increasing cost pressures – which business challenges do you think will dominate in the next 2-3 years? How is the ‘new’ Sharp prepared to help business leaders meet them?
R.S.: The coming years will be dominated by three trends: the consolidation of hybrid working, process automation and cost optimisation under economic pressure. Companies will be looking for ways to increase efficiency without compromising on safety and quality. This means that technology must not only be innovative, but also scalable and cost predictable.
“The ‘new’ Sharp is prepared for these challenges with its ‘One Sharp’ strategy, which integrates printing, visualisation and IT services into a single ecosystem. We offer solutions that support workflow automation, secure cloud collaboration and intuitive communication tools for distributed teams. Additionally, we are developing subscription models and ‘as-a-service’ services that allow companies to better control spend and flexibly scale technology. Our goal is for business leaders to be able to look to the future with the confidence that their working environment is ready for change – no matter how fast it happens.
This material was produced in collaboration with Sharp Poland.
