25 Scenes From HP's Americas Partner Conference

25 Scenes From HP's Americas Partner Conference

More than 2,000 HP partners came together in Las Vegas from March 28-30 at the Aria Hotel in Las Vegas for HP's Americas Partner Conference under the banner "Believe In The Numbers." The Believe in the Numbers mantra served as a rallying cry for partners to look closely at the market opportunity to further invest in their partnership with HP. Among the other clarion calls from HP: "Believe in The Portfolio (Sell the Full HP product and services portfolio) and "Believe In Partnership" (Engage In the Field With HP Sales Reps).

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The HP PartnerOne Payoff

Stephen DiFranco, vice president and general manager of Solution Partners Organization, Americas, who acted as master of ceremonies for the BIG event, told partners that the Americas channel sales were up 20 percent in 2010. What's more, he said, HP added 263 more active partners and the company's PartnerOne channel program drove an additional $50 million in financial benefits to partners. "More revenue, more active partners, more PartnerOne dollars," said DiFranco. "These are signs of a healthy growing community between HP and our channel partners."

New HP CEO Leo Apotheker Pledges Partner Commitment

In his first keynote address ever before HP partners, HP CEO and President Leo Apotheker stressed that the company is "100 percent committed" to partners calling the channel one of HP's "greatest competitive advantages." HP partners responded with loud applause and plaudits for the new CEO's channel commitment and technology vision.

HP's Enterprise Power

HP Executive Vice President Enterprise Business Ann Livermore said that HP partners on a worldwide basis account for 55 percent of HP's server sales or about 2.75 servers sold per minute. What's more, she said, that over 50 percent of HP's networking revenue was driven by partners. In the software business, HP partners influenced 60 percent of sales. And in the services business, she said 500,000 events, either warranty or Carepack, are delivered annually by partners.

HP Enterprise Server, Storage, Networking -- By The Numbers

Dave Donatelli, executive vice president and general manager for HP's enterprise servers, storage, and networking (ESSN) business (ESSN), told partners that they accounted for more than 50 percent of HP's ESSN sales in the Americas. What's more, he said, ESSN partners experienced incremental revenue growth with HP of $1 billion. "It's about growing and winning in the marketplace together," he said.

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HP Lashes Out At Oracle

HP lashed out at one time partner Oracle in the wake of the database software giant's decision to stop developing for Intel's Itanium line which is used in HP systems. HP CEO and President Leo Apotheker called it a "rather clumsy attempt by Oracle to try and prop up a failing and deteriorating Sun server business." And then Dave Donatelli, executive vice president and general manager for HP's enterprise servers, storage, and networking business (ESSN), asked partners and customers to pressure Oracle to reverse the decision.

HP Software Chief's Peanut Butter And Jelly Play

Bill Veghte, executive vice president of HP Software, urged partners to add HP software to their portfolio. Veghte said that only 12 percent of Americas partners have sold software licenses for HP. This in a business where partners that are selling software experienced a 26 percent compound annual growth rate over the last four years. Veghte said that HP has the peanut butter and jelly (that's what is in the paper bag to the right), but it tastes a whole lot better with white bread that can be supplied by sales hungry partners.

HP Technology Services -- By The Numbers

HP Technology Services Senior Vice President and General Manager Gary Budzinski said that 50 percent of HP's Carepack services sold at point of sale were made by HP partners. He said HP has 1,026 U.S.-authorized support partners that helped grow the business five percent in the Americas year over year. "That is 2X market growth in the Americas," he said applauding partner's services commitment.

One-On-One With HP PSG Chief Todd Bradley

HP Personal Systems Group Executive Vice President Todd Bradley, who oversees a $42 billion business, answered questions in a one-on-one format with Rick Chernick, CEO of Camera Corner Connecting Point, a Green Bay, Wisc. HP partner. Noting that there were 93 tablets introduced at the Consumer Electronics show earlier this year, Bradley said HP is taking on all comers with its HP WebOS TouchPad Tablet this summer. "We’re going to fight everybody," he said. "This is not an Apple and HP scenario."

HP's Cloud Aware Printing Offensive

HP Executive Vice President Imaging and Printing Group Vyomesh (VJ) Joshi, who oversees a $24 billion business for HP, thanked partners for their printing-imaging sales commitment. Joshi said that HP will have 20 million cloud aware and Web-connected printers in the market this year and approximately 130 million by the end of next year.

HP Senior VP DeWitt Inspires Partners To Take The High Ground

Stephen DeWitt, the fiery senior vice president and general manager Americas for HP's PSG group, inspired partners with a pledge that the computer giant is prepared to invest in partner relationships to become number one in fast growth markets like tablet computing, "We are making the necessary changes at HP to speed up our business to match the opportunity in front of us all," he said.

Seidl Says Selling The ESSN Portfolio Pays Off

Randy Seidl, who leads the enterprise server, storage and networking (ESSN) business in the Americas, urged partners to sell the complete HP product portfolio. Seidl announced a new Enterprise Business Portfolio Incentive, which runs from April 1 through Oct. 31, that rewards partners for including multiple ESSN product categories within a single customer order. The incentive gives partners a three percent discount for selling products in two ESSN categories and a five percent discount for adding three ESSN product categories to a deal.

HP Americas Sales Boss' Call To Action

Here are the ESSN Americas top priorities as layed out by hard driving HP Americas Sales Boss Randy Seidl. The 25-year sales veteran has put into place what he calls a legendary sales culture transformation at HP that puts heavy emphasis on sales fundamentals including "showing up everywhere" and following up every sales call with an e-mail. Going forward, Seidl said Americas channel sales reps will make a minimum of 2 joint calls a week with partners.

Growing Sales By Teaming With HP Software

Mel Maxwell, co-founder and president of Genilogix, (left) an HP elite software partner headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pa., who took to the stage with software chief Bill Veghte, said he grew his HP software business by 100 percent last year. One of the keys, said Maxwell, was doubling his sales force in 2009. Maxwell called HP's software "one of the best kept secrets" in the computer industry. "HP has best of breed products," he said.

Sirius Makes A Big HP Software Bet

Sirius Computer Solutions, a $1.3 billion systems integration giant with 1,100 employees (300 sales specialists and 500 technical specialists) that dominates the IBM solutions market, has added HP Software to the portfolio. Here, Mike Fischer, vice president of sales for Sirius, tells HP Software Chief Bill Veghte that the question is not really why Sirius added HP, but "what took us so long. Quite honestly, it's the best decision we ever made."

A World Champion HP Partner

Rick Chernick, the CEO of Camera Corner Connecting Point, Green Bay, Wisc., which provides IT solutions for the Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers, introduces his friend and customer Wayne Wichlacz, director of information technology for the Green Bay Packers. Camera Corner Connecting Point, the Packer's trusted IT advisor, has supplied a wide range of IT solutions and products for the Packers including HP servers, laptops, and point of sale solutions.

The Packers Information Technology Champion

Wayne Wichlacz, director of information technology for the Green Bay Packers, took HP Americas partner conference attendees on an IT journey that began when he was hired as the first full-time IT Pro for the Packers in April 1993. Wichlacz has overseen a Packers IT revolution that has seen the team move from a Digital Equipment Corp. VAX environment to a fully virtualized data center infrastructure that includes a wide range of HP products. Here is Wichlacz addressing partners with a photo of himself in the background holding the Vince Lombardi trophy honoring the Packers as Super Bowl XLV Champions.

HP Channel Chief DiFranco's Power Player Toast

HP Vice President and General Manager Stephen DiFranco (far right) toasted his fellow HP Channel Chiefs during the final night award ceremony. From left to right: David Twohy, VP Americas, Channel Services; Steve Erdman, VP, HP Software; Adriana Flores, VP Latin America; John Camalleri, VP, Canada HP; Scott Dunsire, VP Imaging and Printing; Frank Rauch, VP Enterprise Business, and DiFranco.

AdvizeX Takes Home A Trophy

Marc Sarazin (center), executive vice president of sales and marketing for AdvizeX Technologies, Independence, Ohio, accepts the enterprise business award for cross portfolio revenue growth from HP VP Enterprise Business Frank Rauch (left) and HP Vice President Solution Partners Organization Stephen DiFranco. The HP honor follows a CRN Storage Tech Elite award for AdvizeX only last month.

Sequel Data Systems In The Spotlight

Chris Case (left), president of Sequel Data Systems, one of HP's top enterprise partners headquartered in Austin, Texas, accepts an award for personal systems group revenue growth from HP Vice President Solution Partners Organization Stephen DiFranco. Sequel's second generation Mobile Data Center truck, fully equipped with enterprise class HP hardware and software, is turning heads in Texas.

Denali Honored For Its HP Printing Prowess

Denali Advanced Integration, one of HP's top enterprise partners headquartered in Redmond, Wash., received an award from HP for Imaging and Printing Group sales growth. Here Majdi "Mike" Daher, Denali founder and CEO (center) accepts the award from HP Imaging and Printing Group Vice President Scott Dunsire (left) and Solutions Partner Organization Vice President Stephen DiFranco. Last year, Daher accepted an HP award for its community service recognizing Denali's philanthropic efforts for the Todd Stabelfeldt Foundation.

Compugen Gets Two Awards

Compugen, Richmond Hills, Ont., won two big awards: the Partner in Excellence award for growth with HP's Enterprise Business Canada and Power of Preserving our Ecosystem Partner in Excellence Award for its Green4Good program. Left to Right: HP Canada Channel Chief, John Cammalleri; Greg Larnder, vice president, Sales, Central Canada and VP Business Development of Compugen; Harry Zarek, President and CEO of Compugen; and HP Americas Channel Chief, Stephen DiFranco.

Jennifer Pointer -- A Job Well Done!

Jennifer Pointer, the director of communications for HP's SolutionsPartners Organization, the driving force behind co-ordinating the massive HP Americas Partner Conference sessions and festivities, received a bouquet of roses from HP Solution Partner Organization Vice President Stephen DiFranco for her hard work. Here Pointer hands out roses to members of her team.

HP Communications Power

HP's communications team, which helped drive home the central themes of the conference on multiple fronts, takes time out for a group photo on the final night of the conference. Starting from the bottom left and going clockwise: HP's Aaren Weidner; Keira FitzGibbon of Porter Novelli; Jennifer Pointer, HP Director of Communication, Solution Partners Organization; HP's Jennifer Pershall; and Carey Brock of Porter Novelli.

Raising A Country Ruckus

Darius Rucker, the celebrated country artist who once headed the rock band Hootie and the Blowfish, had HP Americas Conference attendees whooping and hollering with his collection of country hits including "Don't Think I Don't Think About It."

Thank You. Goodnight. See You At APC 2012.

Darius Rucker ends the HP Americas Partner conference with his hand held high thanking the crowd for a wild night. Rucker noted during his performance that it was pretty cool having a party break out during a business gathering. HP ended the conference with a promise to bring HP's Americas Partners together once again next year at HP APC 2012!