HP prepares to add to PPP
Hewlett-Packard launches new Preferred Partner Programme initiatives
Hewlett-Packard (HP) is attempting to woo resellers with two initiatives aimed at increasing Preferred Partner margin.
The initiatives, launched at the Cannes Film Festival last week, are bolt-ons to HP’s Preferred Partner
Programme (PPP), launched last year (CRN, 28 November). PPP comprises nine specialisations that VARs can become accredited in, including mobility and networking. Just under 5,000 European partners have joined the scheme.
The first initiative – Partner for Growth – is aimed at resellers that specialise in DataCentre and StorageWorks. Under the scheme, partners are given a six-month ‘deal window’ which means no rival VARs can touch the deal once it is registered on HP’s Smart Portal web site.
Once the deal is approved, HP provides additional discounts ranging from 10 to 20 per cent, depending on the size and future value of the deal, as well as the types of products and services sold.
Jos Brenkel, vice-president of Solution Partner Organisation at HP, told CRN: “Reinvention has not been easy, we have lost some partners, but we now have a healthy channel. We are very optimistic about our channel strategy and our Preferred Partner Programme.”
HP’s second initiative, the Software Solutions Programme, could see partners doubling their earnings and receive cash rewards on software sales, as well as gaining access to education, support and promotion tools.
Keiran O’Connor, sales director at HP Preferred Partner ACS, said: “We are really happy with Smart Portal and our general HP business, but we are yet to learn about these latest initiatives.”
HP also added a Workstation specialisation to PPP, bringing the total number of specialiasations to 10.