Under new management
The last thing HP partners need right now is more change
If it were not for the vast sums of money involved I would almost feel sympathy for the person who agrees to take on the much-discussed vacant position at Hewlett-Packard (HP).
After the demise, and consequent back-biting, of Carly Fiorina over the past couple of weeks, the gargantuan task ahead for the future chief executive can only be compared to the England football manager's job: the pressure to succeed is phenomenal, and eyes across the world will be watching their every move.
While it should be remembered that HP is one of the most successful companies in the world, with a renowned brand and a good product portfolio, the firm's relationship with the channel over the past couple of years has been rocky, to say the least. For whoever takes the job, it will be a case of damned if you do and damned if you don't, as far as the channel is concerned, anyway.
While most VARs met the news of Carly's departure with a mixture of fear and excitement, there was, and still is, an air of expectancy. The last thing HP partners need right now is more change. Most are already holding their heads in their hands because of new rebate programmes, new procedures, new contracts and new partner schemes.
More change could be the straw that breaks the channel's back. However, looking back, it is obvious that something must change to bring HP's once loyal and devoted channel back into the fold.
As CRN goes to press, rumours regarding who might take on the role are still flying freely across the ether. Some IBMers have been tipped, including John Joyce, head of IBM Global Services, as well as Michael Capellas, chief executive of MCI, and other rivals' bosses.
But HP has a reputation for promoting internally, and Vyomesh Joshi, executive vice-president of HP's Imaging and Personal Systems Group, and Ann Livermore, executive vice-president of HP's services organisation, must also be contenders.
Whoever takes on the role will undoubtedly make some changes. For now, the channel must wait and hope that whatever happens produces a winning team, not an own goal.