Channel wants extra HP help
Partners hope to receive more attention as vendor reshuffles resource allocation
Hewlett-Packard (HP) is to reshuffle resources allocated to some areas of its business and resellers are hoping they will benefit from additional attention as a result.
HP recently made a US regulatory filing claiming "expenses for workforce reductions" in the first half of its 2005 financial year will total $200m. The company said the cuts are part of "ongoing cost structure management" by its businesses.
The vendor said: "We have expanded our workforce over the past year from 142,000 to 150,000, and it is likely that we will continue to expand our overall workforce. As we do, however, there will be a reallocation of resources in different areas to reflect trends and patterns in our business."
Shaune Parsons, managing director of Computer World Wales, said HP needs to pay more attention to its smaller partners.
"You always do business with the people you talk to the most. [HP] needs more resources out in the field, and to revisit the grassroots," he said.
But Sue Richards, managing director of VAR EBM, was "very optimistic" about the vendor. HP lost some focus on its partners during the merger with Compaq, but now everything is "back on the fast track", she said.
Richards said more marketing was coming through from HP and the vendor is also setting up more partner meetings.
"It has a new [digital printer] product range that looks good. [HP] is talking. It has had to listen to its partners," she said.