HP to back resellers with cash

Hewlett Packard is to embark on a major channel drive this year and is prepared to invest cash in its resellers to achieve its goals.

Hewlett Packard (HP) is to embark on a major channel drive this year and is prepared to invest cash in its resellers to achieve its goals.

The investments, dubbed 'collaborative market funding', come as part of an overhaul to HP's Office Centre partner scheme.

David Smith, small business manager at HP, said: "Resellers need to be more competitive than ever if they are to prosper in 2001, and HP is taking action to help them. It is vital that we equip partners with everything that they need, and if HP thinks they could benefit from collaborative market funding, the company will make that investment."

Smith also said that resellers would be examined on a per-case basis for all funding.

The vendor's Office Centre scheme has also been expanded to include business 'surgeries' where HP will regularly invite resellers to visit the firm and work together on individual marketing, sales and business development plans.

In addition, HP is set to launch Actibrand, an online customisable catalogue where resellers can list product specifications and develop marketing letters that come with HP branding.

An E-Centre portal will also be installed on all corporate desktops and laptops to link a customer with its reseller.

The manufacturer has also introduced co-branding to its small to medium sized enterprise product ranges following contracts signed last year with third-party vendors including BT, Microsoft, IBM, Intel and Lotus.

Meanwhile, HP has been hit by the departure of channel development manager Dave Griffiths. He is the second senior channel manager to quit the company this month, following the resignation of David Cullinane, chief director for partner business.

However, the vendor has moved quickly to replace both men. Graham Long, formerly business manager for HP large-format printing, will replace Griffiths, and David Poskett, who has spent nearly 20 years at the company, is to take over from Cullinane.

First published in Computer Reseller News