Hurd: HP Will Win In Servers With High Software Quotient
"It's important we grow, but it's important we grow the right way. The software mix, not just our software business, but the mix of our software," asserted Hurd. "Optimizing that portfolio, will be just as important as the revenue growth you see for the company. Being able to get this done is not just about technology. It isn't showing up with a blade. It isn't showing up with a techno-approach to the problem. It's a business problem. For us it's being able to align the business opportunity with a technology."
Hurd also reinforced the company's commitment to the channel at a meeting on Tuesday with securities analysts in New York City. When asked whether Dell's channel maneuvering would have any impact on HP's mix of direct and channel sales, Hurd told analysts: "We're putting more focus on the channel, not less It's not a statement of direct vs. indirect."
If anything, Hurd said, HP is "probably increasing [channel] friendliness with more resource, more capability than we've had in the past. Channel to us equals good."
Hurd took a swipe at Dell's channel ambitions, emphasizing HP's long-standing channel relationships and strategy. "It's taken us as a company 20 to 25 years to mature our channel programs and channel relationships and it is a huge commitment. Not just money. Not just people, but time and listening."
The vendor's network of 140,000 partners taking HP's products and services to market will be integral in helping it grow to take advantage of what Hurd said is a $1.2 trillion IT market opportunity next year and HP's channel commitment runs deep. "There's no change in that commitment if not more energy and more focus."
