HP global channel chief: Countdown to official split is on

Thomas Jensen, VP of worldwide channel sales and strategy for HP PPS (soon to be HP Inc), praises partners for their support and explains why the atmosphere is calm at HP HQ in the lead up to 1 November

With just over six weeks to go until HP officially splits into two separate entities, the waters are calm and the hard work has already been done, according to the vendor's global channel boss.

CRN caught up with Thomas Jensen, vice president, worldwide channel sales and strategy at HP’s PPS Group, who was full of praise for the way the split has been handled both internally, and by the vendor’s extensive channel network.

“We are in really good shape. We have done the bulk of the separation already in August, so the majority is already done,” he said.

Jensen – who will be channel boss of the newly named HP Inc – said the split has been handled with "hardly any problems", and any hiccups had been solved pretty much straight away.

“There are two things that have made a difference,” he said. “First, preparedness – I feel that we have done our homework – and secondly our Partner Navigator programme, which has proved to be the best investment we have done for a while. Our partners have asked us so many questions and given us so much insight into what can happen [during the process], that it has allowed us to be ready and prepared for what could happen.”

He added: “Now we are doing the last pieces and fine-tuning both with partners and internally, getting ready for the legal split in November. We are not aiming for a big disruption on 1 November."

Jensen said the emphasis was very much on looking ahead, beyond the split.

“We are now designing our partner programme and channel strategy for the new HP, and are looking to continue the momentum and traction that we already have,” he explained, adding there was still work to be done.

“We are also looking to improve and simplify – some partners are still telling us that we are difficult to work with and we have room for improvement. So we are working hard to simplify things for partners.”

He said the vendor is also working hard to make dealing with HP easier for specialised partners – those that focus on managed print or mobility, among others.

And the vendor is planning a heavy focus on system integrators, and is building a programme track specifically for them.

“We are looking to simplify our partner programme in terms of content and structure and also partner compensation,” he added. “We have also optimised our account management – strong account managers can focus on driving the joint business and look at how we can optimise the certification programme.”

Jensen singled out channel partners for helping HP to prepare for the split.

“Partners have kept us focused, and kept pushing when they needed information. They have helped us stay on top of priorities and to keep our eye on the ball.”

He stressed the split will make HP stronger as a company.

“As one company we were not getting the most out of our business opportunities or our partner community,” he said. “[HP is splitting] not because we are not doing well. We are splitting because we are doing well. It has revitalised our relationship with the channel and it gives us the capability to make changes.

“Three years ago we started focusing on ‘One HP’, but that was the doorway to ‘Two HP’. We would not have the PartnerOne platform if it weren’t for One HP, but we are bringing that to the next level. And now [for his part of the business] it is Partner First. We are still using the infrastructure we have built over the years to drive growth in the business.”

Jensen said the reduction of channel managers under the new structure will also benefit both sides of the company.

“In the past there were three channel managers,” he said. “We all had the right intentions and the company in mind but we did not have the same priorities. Now we can react to changes in the market and make the necessary changes to evolve in the best interests of company.”

He continued: “Also we have put more focus on innovation and bringing top-notch products to market, such as investment in immersive computing [Sprout and Sprout for Business] and also 3D printing.”

He concluded that HP has learned lessons from the past. “The other major change from the old HP is that when we are investing in new growth areas, we are keeping our eye on the ball and not losing focus on the core business. We are really focusing on incubating new business while focusing on the core business where we know growth and profit are, and we are getting more targeted. If we want to own the market, we need to evolve and set the agenda. It’s a lot easier to predict the future if you invent the future.”