HP to ProCurve Partners: We’ll Show You More Love
No doubt, Hewlett-Packard values channel partners that specialize in such areas as servers, storage and virtualization. But HP appears to have a special place in its heart for VARs that know how to sell ProCurve networking solutions heads-up against Cisco’s networking gear. Here’s the latest on this love fest.
Sure, HP announced a range of updates to its PartnerOne channel partner program earlier today. The efforts included new “elite” designations that specialize in virtualization, data centers, point-of-sale solutions and IT services.
HP’s BFF
This line from the press release was most telling: HP says it will offer “special compensation opportunities for partners delivering HP ProCurve networking solutions.”
Hmmm. Admittedly, The VAR Guy is short on details about the compensation opportunities. But HP’s statement comes at an intriguing time for the networking industry.
HP and Cisco Systems are locked in a network infrastructure war that has included intense price competition. (Anybody else remember this quote from Cisco’s Chuck Robbins?) At the same time, HP hopes to continue taking market share from the former Nortel’s enterprise networking division, which Avaya recently acquired at auction. (Though the Avaya-Nortel deal could face government review.)
HP leapfrogged Nortel’s enterprise networking business in early 2007. And now, HP hopes to further accelerate ProCurve sales with new compensation opportunities for partners. Hmmm. Perhaps The VAR Guy should put out his hand, too.
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