HP to double ESSN sales staff in SME push

Vendor to add channel sales heads and launch lead generation scheme for ESSN partners

Follow my lead: HP will work alongside partners on SME opportunities

HP's Enterprise Servers, Storage and Networking (ESSN) unit plans to double its channel sales force across EMEA as part of plans to create more SME business for partners.

The vendor aims to increase the amount of leads delivered to partners and provide beginning-to-end support for all opportunities. HP promises to work with one VAR only on each lead.

Opportunities will be picked out by the vendor in the SME space. Sales efforts will focus on providing evidence of a lower total cost of ownership for smaller firms' IT assets. HP will then work jointly on the opportunity with a Preferred partner that holds the ESSN specialisation.

ESSN channel director for the region Ahmed Mouldaia said: “SMEs are benefiting from converged infrastructure, particularly in today’s uncertain economic climate. HP is committed to help SMEs while driving business growth for its partners by providing the necessary tools."

The vendor's Territory Sales unit in EMEA is also set to be doubled, with the aim of making HP more responsive to VARs' queries. Jonathan Valdes, senior sales manager of Gold partner Kelway, saluted the work of the team.

“Working with the HP Territory Sales team allows for a level of professionalism and product knowledge seldom seen from other vendors,” he said. "The investment by the HP team with our account managers has radically altered the way in which we deal with HP as a whole. Above all, this process has been positive and has increased sales.”