HPE says IT resale just as important as digital transformation

HPE's channel boss pledges commitment to traditional partners at technical summit

HPE has said its traditional resale business is just as important to it as embracing new trends such as digital transformation.

Speaking at a press briefing at its Technology and Solutions Summit in Cannes, HPE outlined its three-step channel strategy: IT resale, value-based IT, and consumption of IT - in that order.

HPE's EMEA vice president for channel, service provider and SMB Carlo Giorgi told press at the event that HPE knows it must commit to ensure its traditional partners have access to the right programme, competitiveness, pricing, availability and enablement.

He cited analyst figures which claim that half of IT spending will be on digital transformation by next year - a trend he said encompasses the latter two strategic points.

But he insisted that resale is still a huge focus for the firm.

"It's still a priority," he said. "As I said about the consumption of IT, by 2018 50 per cent of IT spending will be on consuming IT. But we're talking about 50 per cent continuing to be traditional IT business. We continue to be very focused on that and to make sure we are a preferred vendor for partners, with best-in-class ease of doing business and overall programmes, compensation, portals, competitiveness, pre-sales support, technical support, enablement and certification.

"This continues to be our focus because there is still a lot of businesses which will go through these traditional resellers."

He said SMB is a prime example of a sector which is still strongly demanding traditional IT resellers, although he did admit this sector of the market is declining.