Whitman: HP must 'hit ground running'

Whitman tells Global Partner Conference in Las Vegas of need to keep up momentum following split

Meg Whitman, HP's chief executive, declared the need for the company and its partners to "hit the ground running" after the firm's split, which is scheduled for November.

Addressing an audience of more than 2,000 partners at this year's Global Partner Conference in Las Vegas, Whitman delivered a speech which reiterated HP's focus on the channel, and how the split into two companies – a PC and printing business, HP Inc; and an enterprise and services company, Hewlett-Packard Enterprise – will help with the firm's turnaround.

"We intend to hit the ground running when we launch these two companies in November, which means we need to have our partners running in step with us," she said.

"At the same time, we need to be just as aggressive in driving our FY15 results – so we want to accelerate growth now and after the separation. The more momentum we build, the more successful we will be together."

Whitman's speech comes just weeks after HP announced its latest financial results, which saw its net revenues drop five per cent year over year to $26.8bn (£18.08bn) for its Q1 FY15, figures which it blamed on the strong performance of the dollar.

Whitman also addressed the need for the split, and said it was essential for the company to move away from its past failings.

"I can tell you with pride that HP has turned the corner. We have done much of the hard work needed to keep us at the very forefront of the industry. Our R&D spending is up – just last year FY14 over FY13, we increased R&D spending by 10 per cent," she said.

"Separating HP into two companies is absolutely the right step in the great turnaround story to further build our reputation as Silicon Valley's founder."

To help with the split, HP revealed a refresh to its channel programme at the conference, with the introduction of its Partner Navigator Programme and Partner One Alliance.

Looking forward, Whitman said HP is excellently placed to benefit from the evolution of technology.

"This past decade was about how technology transformed consumer experiences and in my view the next decade will be all about the fundamental transformation of businesses and governments by technology, and this is our sweet spot," she said. "No other company is better positioned to win in this environment."