HP flexes muscles at UK Gold Partner Forum
New schemes in hardware, software and services as vendor calls on VARs to help plug skills gap and drive economic growth
HP was in bullish mood at its biannual Gold partner get-together this week, as it eyed market growth and new products and channel initiatives in the software, hardware and services arena.
Nick Wilson, UK and Ireland managing director of HP, opened the Gold Partner Forum in West London yesterday by reminding about 300 reseller delegates that the vendor and its channel have access to "80 to 90 per cent" of the £56bn UK IT market.
HP currently accounts for about 11 to 12 per cent of UK IT spend, claimed Wilson, in a market set to grow 3.5 to four per cent over the next year and a half. The vendor wants to do its bit to fuel UK economic growth during that time by committing to increase the use of SMBs in its supply chain.
By September 2013, the vendor wants to boost the number of SMB suppliers it uses from 600 to 750, and increase its spending with them by 50 per cent.
The vendor is also aiming to provide the UK IT industry with 20,000 certified professionals in the next three years through the HP-backed creation of a number of degree courses. Three are already up and running at various universities: the University of the West of England; De Montfort University; and Buckinghamshire New University.
Wilson called on each of the resellers present yesterday to take on one graduate from the HP degree schemes each year, and "help get the IT industry a bit more buzzing". He also encouraged partners to tell HP what they would like to see incorporated in the degrees.
"This is a big investment for us to get you some of the skills you need to grow," he told attendees. "Whether you need technical resources or sales resources, it is early enough for you to have influence, and I'm more than happy to take input from you."
Sam Routledge, solutions director at Softcat, claimed that being able to bring in graduates already possessing relevant skills would be of real benefit to his firm.
"We are absolutely delighted HP is investing in the techies of the future," he added.
Servers
After two years and a $300m R&D investment, HP released its Generation 8 ProLiant servers recently. Paul Kember characterised the launch as the vendor's biggest move in the server space since it unleashed the c-Class BladeSystem in 2006.
He told delegates that resellers could lead sales efforts with the fact that the technology can provide a return on investment within five months.
Iain Stephen, UK and Ireland country manager of HP's Enterprise, Storage, Servers and Networking (ESSN) division, told ChannelWeb the Gen8 launch has put HP "back on the front foot" in the server market.
Stephen stated that rivals - in particular Dell and Cisco - have been increasingly aggressive in the last couple of years. But HP offers a more consistent channel experience, he asserted, and its history as market leader makes it an easier sell.
"We have invested a lot, and channel partners have invested a lot in us," said Stephen. "A lot of channel partners have made their business [on HP infrastructure] - it has been the bedrock. Why would they want to throw that away? We have a natural pull because of our leadership."
Software and services
In the software channel, HP is shaking up its go-to-market model and looking to identify 10 key partners with which to develop and sell vertically geared propositions.
Paul Toffis, UK and Ireland director of channel and alliances for HP Software, claimed the 10 firms could come from the service provider, system integrator or traditional reseller community. Several plans are already operational, and Toffis explained the remainder could be decided based on either key markets or strategic partnerships.
"It is about identifying the key initiatives," he said. "But we are not neglecting our traditional reseller business."
In the services arena, HP is opening up a chunk of its enterprise storage services for the first time through its ServiceOne programme. Under a pilot programme of about 20 VARs across EMEA - of which a handful will be in the UK - partners can deliver own-branded services around HP's P4000, P6000 and 3Par storage modules.
Paul Early, channel manager at HP Technology Services UK, claimed the new programme spoke to HP's desire to grow its storage business and open up higher-end opportunities for the breadth of its partner base.
"Where partners have a significant storage capability themselves and want to enhance that with their clients, they can imbed HP intellectual property around software patches and firmware upgrades," he added.
Daniel Teacher, managing director of Teacher Tech, was pleased to see a big focus on cloud and services at the event. The London-based VAR's business is increasingly geared towards services, he explained.
"In our last few bids, we have put different options on the table and people keep going for the managed services option," explained Teacher.
HP UK boss Wilson reminded delegates yesterday that the vendor wants partners to diversify from its roots and examine the breadth of HP's portfolio.
"We want you to sell our entire portfolio to your client base. If [your customers] buy a PC, we want them to buy a printer too," he said. "Maximise the wallet share in what makes you good, but look at expansion."