HP makes 'tweaks' to PartnerOne
Vendor moves to simplify accreditation process
Hewlett-Packard (HP) has altered its PartnerOne scheme in a bid to target specific areas and simplify accreditation.
From 1 November the vendor will make three main changes: to accreditation, enterprise sales and planning framework times.
"One of our partners' most significant concerns has been us challenging them to constantly invest," said Tom Yeates, director corporate and enterprise partner sales, solution partners organisation EMEA at HP.
"These [changes] are tweaks as opposed to a wholesale reworking of our programme."
Yeates said the firm is "reducing accreditation overlap" and introducing web-based learning and online certification tools.
HP will also launch an assault on the enterprise sector, with more targeted partner compensation, he said. Finally, the firm will swap its quarterly business schedule for a six-monthly scheme.
But the changes received a mixed reaction from partners.
Donal Madden, business manager for HP enterprise products at distributor Bell Microproducts, said: "Speaking from a storage point of view, these changes will have a significant effect on our business by reducing our HP income. We are waiting to hear how exactly this benefits us.
"One baffling thing is HP terming SANs as 'entry-level'. There is a lot of work involved switching direct-attached storage users to SANs, and it is a little insulting to be told that. In the entry-level storage network market we will be thinking carefully about how we work with HP."
But Darren Sculley, commercial director at VAR Nexus Open Systems, said: "HP supports us a lot more than other vendors. I understand that it has to change its model. It would be easy for it to switch to a direct model, but it is sticking with the channel."