HP speaks out over SPO rumours

Poskett: SPO will look different to what it did before

HP has spoken out for the first time about the ongoing internal changes being made to its Solution Partner Organisation (SPO).

Although unable to reveal specific details, Dave Poskett, director of SPO UK and Ireland, told CRN that there were changes afoot.

It is commonly understood that divisions such as PSG, IPG, and ESS are now operating as separate business units, but rumours were widespread that SPO was due to get the chop.

Poskett stressed that despite the speculation, SPO was, in fact, remaining in place ­ albeit in a rather different form.

“SPO will look different to what it did before,” said Poskett. “It is still aligned to our PartnerONE programme. But where it had responsibility for HP’s overall partner business, now each separate business unit will be responsible for its own partner sales force, under a common partner umbrella. We are still doing everything we can at HP to present a consistent approach to our partners.”

Poskett was unable to be more specific about the management structure changes as CRN went to press, but reassured partners that all changes -­ internal and external - would be communicated to the channel before 1 November.

In a breakout session at CRN’s Channel Conference last week, Poskett said: “We have been working with partners for more than 25 years. It is very much recognised that we get many things wrong at HP, but that is not through a lack of trying.”