HP Offers Certification Discounts For SPs At HP World

Hewlett-Packard is offering training certification discounts and reduced admission to HP World for the first 100 solution providers that sign up for a special Integrity Server Linux solution class.

The special program, called the HP Certified Professional Partner 100 promotion, is available to the first 100 partners that sign up for the Accredited Pre-Sales Professional credential for HP Integrity Server Solutions-Linux and Windows, said Rich Gossman, manager of the Americas HP Certified Professionals program.

Gossman said there are about 45 slots still open for the training classes, which coincide with HP World, to be held Aug. 16-20 in Chicago. The cost to solution providers for the two-day classes held the two days prior to HP World and throughout the conference is $795. That fee covers admission to HP World, the class and the certification exam, Gossman said. Total savings to partners is $2,390.

Gossman said this is an easy way for solution providers to gain new certifications in order to move up to the Gold or Platinum levels of Palo Alto, Calif.-based HP's PartnerOne channel program. A solution provider must have five certified professionals to enter the Gold tier and 15 for Platinum, he said.

"Even if a solution provider is not Gold or Platinum, this is the presale portion of what [solution providers] need to be authorized to sell the midrange Integrity products," he said.