A renewed commitment to the dealer channel, major investment in partner platforms, its broadest MFP line to date, and an expanded Synappx ecosystem, took centre stage at Sharp Inspire Expo 2026. Michelle Ryder reports
Sharp Europe used Inspire Expo 2026 which took place January 14 to 16 in Lisbon, to reveal the next phase of its transformation journey, showcasing a unified, forward looking vision that reshapes how organisations engage with technology, services and digital innovation.
The event served as a clear signal of the direction Sharp intends to take in the years ahead. Speaking about the new One Sharp ecosystem which brings together IT Services, AV, workplace technology, and digital solutions under a single, cohesive strategy, for the first time in the company’s history, Joe Tomota, President of Sharp Europe said: “We are in step with your future. “Inspire Expo 2026 marks a defining moment for Sharp in Europe.
Over the past five years, we have deliberately transformed our business, expanding our IT services capabilities, fully integrating AV, and unifying our business units. Now, under One Sharp we are bringing everything together to serve businesses in a more holistic way. Delivering meaningful digital experiences that help firms become more human led, and AI powered.”
Partners play a central role
While the event showcased Sharp’s broad technology portfolio, from an expanded Synappx cloud solutions offering, to the very latest in LFDs and dvLED solutions, energy-efficient ePaper technologies and next generation MFPs, the strongest narrative running through the event was that partners play a central role in its growth strategy.
For dealers, this shift translates into new tools, new opportunities and a more streamlined, collaborative relationship with Sharp than ever before. Sharp emphasised that its success depends on the strength of its dealer network.
Every major announcement from MFP innovations to software enhancements, was framed around how partners can sell more effectively, deliver more value and grow more sustainably. The integration of Sharp Display Solutions into the core business was a prime example. For enterprises, it means a single partner capable of designing and managing complex, multi technology environments.
For dealers, it opens the door to expanded revenue streams in dvLED, LFDs and emerging technologies like energy-efficient ePaper. Similarly, Sharp’s refreshed A3 and A4 MFP portfolio, including the new BP mono range, the upcoming MX428 A4 mono desktop device, and future high speed colour and entry-level mono A3 MFPs, provide an opportunity for dealers to differentiate in a competitive market.
SharpOne partner portal
The centrepiece of Sharp’s partner investment strategy is the SharpOne partner portal that has been rolled out across all 17 Sharp companies. Developed as part of the company’s wider digital transformation, SharpOne replaces two legacy platforms, PartnerNet and the original SharpOne.
The simplified new platform unifies sales, marketing and service resources together in a single, modern environment, providing dealers with faster access to accurate information and tools that support their growth.
SharpOne provides a gated, role- based environment where dealers and Sharp employees can access product data powered by Sharp’s new Product Information Management from Inriver, ensuring information is accurate, consistent and up to date across markets, as well as sales and marketing materials including co-branding tools and brochure templates.
The platform also includes personalised dashboards that users can configure to suit their role, with the ability to bookmark frequently used content, and a global search function, designed to make it easier to locate information quickly.
Charles Nartey, Marketing Technology Programme Manager at Sharp Europe, said: “SharpOne is a significant step forward in how we support our dealer community. By bringing sales, service, and marketing resources into a single intuitive platform, we’re making it easier for partners to find the information they need, collaborate with Sharp teams, and ultimately do business with us more efficiently.”
Built for continuous improvement SharpOne has been designed with the dealer channel firmly in mind. Partners can now submit pricing requests directly through the platform, access consistent, up to date product information, collaborate more easily with Sharp teams across regions, use co-branding tools to create professional, customised materials and navigate a streamlined, modern interface that reduces administrative friction.
The platform also integrates with Sharp Academy and PartnerShop, with single sign-on (SSO) via Microsoft Azure coming soon. Sharp has already mapped out the next phase of enhancements, including an AI-powered chatbot for instant support, deeper integration with Sharp Academy, expanded news and events sections tailored by business unit and Sharp branded widgets that surface key information directly from the platform. The roadmap also includes future support for additional product categories, including displays.
Sharp Academy
Training and enablement were another major focus at Inspire Expo. Sharp Academy, the company’s digital learning gateway, has been expanded to support deeper product knowledge and more effective sales engagement. Partners can access interactive learning modules, use the integrated configuration tool to build MFP setups, export configurations as PDFs for customer proposals, refresh product knowledge on the go via the configurator app, download supporting assets and earn certifications by completing modules and exams.
A more efficient way to do business
Sharp also showcased PartnerShop, PRINTITRESELLER.UK a single, streamlined platform where partners can order parts, consumables and products from across Sharp’s portfolio in one place. Baskets can be mixed to speed up checkout and simplify day to day transactions. Partners also have full control over their account settings, with the ability to add or remove users and adjust roles and permissions as their organisation evolves.
A dedicated My Orders page offers real time visibility of all past and current orders, with access to invoices, order confirmations and available tracking information. To further improve efficiency, dealers can upload CSV templates or quickly add entire product families to their basket within seconds. All product information displayed in the web shop is live, ensuring partners always see up to date availability and pricing aligned to their agreed price lists.
AI-driven innovation
Beyond hardware and partner platforms, Sharp used Inspire Expo to preview significant updates to its Synappx solutions ecosystem. New solution highlights include enhancements to Synappx Cloud Print. V1.7 features embedded scanning and seamless connectivity to all major cloud storage services, expanded IdP support and improved print and scanning workflows.
The company also previewed Synappx Cloud Capture, its first software solution built entirely around AI and designed to automate document capture and processing, and Synappx Manage, its next-generation cloud-based remote monitoring and management platform, Inspire attendees saw Sharp MFPs live and fully connected to Synappx Manage, demonstrating real-time monitoring, management and secure operation across the portfolio.
This unified approach simplifies IT administration, reduces operational costs, and ensures organisations can EVENTS scale their printing and workflow capabilities efficiently, while maintaining strong data security, optimising energy use for sustainability, and leveraging seamless connectivity across devices and cloud services.
Equipping partners with the tools they need
The expansion of the Synappx ecosystem reinforces Sharp’s goal to become a fully integrated digital solutions partner while giving dealers new recurring revenue opportunities for scans and document services.
The company’s investment in SharpOne, Sharp Academy and PartnerShop represents one of the most comprehensive dealer support programmes in the industry. Combined with a strengthened product portfolio and an expanding digital solutions ecosystem, Sharp is equipping partners with the tools they need to thrive in a rapidly evolving market.
