HP tools up for SME product drive
Hardware giant has unveiled SME-focused product line to help partners make more margin
Kevin Matthews: Aims to offer SMEs products that are cost effective to manage and run
HP has lifted the lid on its new SME-focused product portfolio, designed to help partners trap more IT spend from the sector.
The company’s Just Right IT portfolio features new server, storage, networking and printer offerings from the vendor that have been priced and configured to appeal to SMEs.
It includes additions to the vendor’s StorageWorks, Proliant server and OfficeJet printer ranges, which can be sold separately or in pre-defined bundles.
Kevin Matthews, HP UK and Ireland channel manager for enterprise storage, servers and networking, said: “SMEs are under the same economic pressures as enterprise customers and the portfolio aims to address this by providing them with products that are cost effective to run and manage.”
The launch of Just Right IT follows the rollout of HP’s channel-focused SME sales team in the UK sixteen months ago, which is headed up by Matthews.
He said the 30-strong team would use the products as a springboard to help partners win more business.
“With this announcement and the support offered by our sales team, I do not think there is any other vendor with the same focus on the SME market at the moment,” he said.
The team focuses on generating leads that are passed on to partners to follow up and to accrue extra margin by selling additional professional services on the back of them.
Matthews said the service is currently used by around a dozen VARs, but he is keen to involve more.
“There are always going to be partners who only want to focus on the enterprise. But there are a great number of others who are keen to move into other areas and these products and our support will help,” he said.
Scott Murphy, HP and Symantec divisional director at distributor Bell Micro, welcomed the vendor’s reinforced commitment to the SME market.
“A lot of their channel partners are already in the SME market and HP is offering them the ability to make more money from it, which is going to be highly attractive to them,” he added.