HP boss enjoying Whitehall harmony in new spending talks

Nick Wilson says government now on a more collaborative journey after initially giving suppliers "a cudgel round our head"

HP's UK boss has claimed the government is now working in a more "collaborative" way with the giants of the IT world after the initial shock of a "cudgel round the head" for its big-ticket suppliers.

The Cabinet Office has hit the headlines in recent months for the increasingly fractious nature of its relationships with some of its leading technology and services providers, including CSC, Fujitsu and BT. But HP UK and Ireland managing director Nick Wilson told ChannelWeb that his firm is one supplier to have found a "harmonious" way of working alongside the government and helping it deliver its cost-saving agenda.

"There is another round of spending [discussions] going on, but I think it is now being done in a far more collaborative way. For a lot of suppliers, the first round was a little bit of a cudgel round our head, but now it is a lot more collaborative," said Wilson.

The HP UK boss explained that the vendor effectively has two relationships with the government: one as a supplier, and one as a corporate citizen with an obligation to help kickstart the UK economy.

Wilson (pictured) has earlier pledged his commitment to ensure 10 to 15 per cent of HP's supply chain comprises SMB organisations. An update on HP's progress to this end will be given in a few weeks' time, he said.

The vendor has also placed a big focus on education in recent years, and has teamed up with institutions including De Montfort University, the University of the West of England, and Buckinghamshire New University to put together and deliver HP-centric degree courses.

Wilson claimed all existing courses had been fully booked for the new academic year, and that two new partnerships - with the University of West Scotland and Coventry University - have recently been signed.

"In addition to the spending stuff, [the government] want investment from us, in putting SMBs into our supply chain, and they want us to help graduates. We have a very good relationship," he said. "Uptake from the universities is very good, and several partners have stepped forward [to take on graduates]; we have had a pleasing level of commitment."