Few Details Available On HP Channel Plans

Still, the Palo Alto, Calif.-based computer maker has leaked out some elements of its thinking in the form of a presentation for solution providers that shows how it might segment the market and identify partner opportunities, according to sources within the channel.

The segmentation calls for the top 250 regional and global accounts to sit atop the food chain. In these accounts, the company will seek to have solution providers resell HP global services, sources said.

According to the presentation, HP's structure will provide solution providers with more flexibility within 19,000 commercial and enterprise accounts, as well as in SMB accounts.

HP executives declined to comment, saying there is still sand remaining in the 90-day hourglass that was flipped over when the company officially merged with Compaq on May 7.

Most channel executives contacted by CRN over the past week said HP has given them little, if any, information about how it will assign channel representatives or handle channel-related processes under the forthcoming new structure.

"HP is doing a pretty darn good job getting information from their partners," said Michael Grainger, president and COO of distributor Ingram Micro. "They asked us for the best of HP, the best of Compaq, and they'll try to put it together."

Joe Burke, vice president and general manager of midrange business at Arrow Electronics, doesn't think HP will meet its self-imposed deadline. "We're still engaged with meetings. To the best of my knowledge, major decisions have not been made," he said.

Complete details, including HP's Hard Deck rules, aren't expected for at least a couple of weeks beyond Aug. 7, said a number of the vendor's solution providers.

One source said he was told by HP that the new programs might not be in place until the close of the fiscal year in late October.

HP announced account managers on July 26 and is now structuring its sales teams, said Rich Baldwin, president and CEO of Nth Generation Computing, San Diego. "I suspect they are a few weeks behind," he said.

Baldwin said he sees HP becoming more open to having its services delivered through partners.

"Even the Hitachi [Data Systems storage array. They already have partners in a pilot program for it," he said.

SCOTT CAMPBELL and JEFF O'HEIR contributed to this story.