Partner First and Partner Ready will be the new partner programmes for HP Inc. and Hewlett Packard Enterprise respectively.
Reseller and Channelnomics reported on the launch of the new partner programmes, which are said by HP to “build upon” its PartnerOne programme “to help partners of both new organisations capture and capitalise on opportunities through customer-oriented, solutions-led sales”.
Partner First is said to signify a “shift from products”, with Vincent Brissot, HP’s Vice President of Worldwide Channel Marketing in its Printing and Personal Systems department, stating that “we are gradually moving away from the product specialisation, focusing toward solution-oriented aspects that resonate much more with our customers […] and getting much more advanced into verticals and the way a customer is looking at the partner. It’s not an HP inside-out view. It’s a customer outside in approach that we’re taking on the solution track”.
In turn, Partner Ready “does not introduce any radical changes”, because partners are “already challenged by changes brought by the split itself”. Patrick Eitenbichler, HP’s Director of Marketing for PartnerOne Strategy, noted that “we wanted to keep as many other things stable. Right now we wanted to keep it as familiar as possible so it doesn’t create additional uncertainty and predictability”. Partner Ready will see a “significant” focus on alignment “over the next year or two”, he added.
Dion Weisler, future President and CEO of HP Inc., added that “with more than 80 percent of our revenue coming through the channel, partners are critical to our success. Separation is a catalyst. As we create a new HP, we have a focused strategy that will enable our partners to provide innovative products and solutions that amaze customers”.