HP Inc. Ups Services Offensive With New PC-Printing Partner Program

HP Inc. is setting the stage to drive more services growth with a new commercial partner program that will take effect once the company is on its own Nov. 1.

The program, which includes a new Value Track, is aimed at driving more business around managed print, mobility services and even "everything-as-a-service," while at the same time maintaining momentum on transactional PC and print products.

"We felt HP Inc. needed to help partners ramp up their solution-selling skills," said Vincent Brissot, vice president of worldwide channel marketing for HP's Printing and Personal Systems business. "This is all about helping partners move from a transactional model into everything-as-a-service."

[Related: HP Unveils Partner One Alliance For PC-Printing-Enterprise Partners]

The program will consist of four tracks: Value Track, which HP said provides partners with incentives to "build and develop practices around services, mobility and vertical solutions; the Alliance Track for ISVs and systems integrators; the Transactional Track for PC print and supplies; and the OEM Track for HP OEM customers.

Sam Haffar, CEO of Houston-based Computex Technology Solutions, No. 123 on the CRN 2014 Solution Provider 500 list, said he sees the stepped-up services emphasis from HP Inc. and Hewlett-Packard Enterprise driving more channel sales growth.

"HP has been a great partner and we think the split is going to allow both of the individual companies to focus on their core strengths," Haffar said. "We think it makes both companies stronger and more nimble. We continue to grow the business and with the split we think it is going to give HP Inc. more focus on the devices and printing and Hewlett-Packard Enterprise more focus on enterprise infrastructure."

Brissot, said he sees the Value and Alliance tracks re-energizing the HP Inc. channel. "Our bet is to grow through the Value and the Alliance tracks," he said.

"We have de-emphasized the revenue aspect to put much more of the value-add and competency and skill set into the Value Track," said Brissot. "If you are a smaller partner, but highly competent, that is the track that is going to benefit you the most. The Value Track is going to be massive."

Brissot said he sees the Value Track and even the Alliance Track driving investments around breakthrough HP Inc. offerings such as 3-D printing and the new Sprout immersive computing platform.

In fact, he see the Value Track, in particular, allowing smaller, more nimble partners to use Platinum branding against transactional behemoths. "This is going to be sized not toward huge volume, but to competency," he said. "It is our way to go to the market and say, 'Big matters, but competency matters as well at the same level.’ It is our way to go attract younger, smaller-scale partners."

In the past, those Value Track partners would not have received the same recognition as the transactional giants. "The evolution of the partner program will be a very strong refresh that shows you don’t have to be big to matter to HP Inc.," he said. "We feel like we are going to re-energize the whole channel and that will help us get more resellers."

Platinum, Gold and Silver levels will be included across all four tracks, according to HP.

HP also is unveiling an HP Financial Services subscription offering that provides the device, service and a technology refresh under a single technology contract. That new subscription offering goes into effect May 1.

"Now you can sell the customer a device that is updated every year, two years or three years depending on the offering plus the service," said Brissot.

In addition, HP is launching a mobility certification that provides access to incentives around vertical solution sales expertise in health care, retail and education. That mobility certification also goes into effect May 1.

PUBLISHED MARCH 16, 2015