SPAIN
SME & CONSUMER NEWS
HP brings back old programme...
Westcon testing IP
EUROPE
services white label
our partner strategy more than ever. Our channel
HP has plans to upgrade and expand its Preferred commitment is defined by business results, and UNITED KINGDOM
Partner Programme from 1 November, by updating we are investing heavily in partners that share that
the Gold Partner Programme within the EMEA vision, while making it simpler and more rewarding HOSTED communications provider iHub, and
channel. The changes, which aim to drive growth to work with us.” Westcon Group will be offering 4SureConnections,
and market leadership, will surprise EMEA partners, This will encompass the company’s cutting a hosted telecommunications solution as a white
as the programme was removed last year. edge server, storage and network technology and label platform. It means Westcon resellers can
It will allow those able to qualify a remote client solutions. Preferred partners can be provide hosted services—helping increase their
greater differentiation, with a higher level of included from either the Personal Systems Group overall value proposition and allowing them
compensation, market funding and access to (PSG) or the Enterprise Servers and Storage (ESS). predictable annuity revenues.
the HP Gold logo. Partners who wish to attain Partners have been promised further details 4SureConnections, which will be available
Gold status must have completed 12 of HP’s on 5 May. The deadline for applications is 10 through a dedicated Westcon programme to be
certifications, including the new virtualisation September 2008. unveiled this month, is a scaleable hosted IP service
specialisation, and Office Printing, Office Printing
OUR ANALYSIS
tailored for SMEs, providing access to carrier grade
Solutions and Storage work. and corporate functionality at a lesser cost than
Sean Gallagher, Director of Solution Partners This puts HP back in line with the three-level traditional PBX solutions. CEO of iHub, Mike Webb,
Organisation at HP said at the conference: “We scheme used elsewhere. The specialisations are an believes there is an opening for a significant part of
decided last year it was not the right time and we important element, but the idea of piling them up the SMB space to go hosted: “In this environment
went back to the drawing board. Now is the time.” like Scout badges to get twelve in a row for Gold there is an opportunity for resellers to provide
Through a statement, Antoine Barre, VP of status would seem to make it the property of only significant incremental value in the management of
Solutions Partners Organisation said: “We believe in the largest channel players. LANS, WANs, provision of hardware, and so on.”
Simon Thompson, European services director
...and strengthen links with Microsoft
at Westcon, says the distributor had been looking
for a partner to bring a VoIP offering to market.
“It’s a very nice marriage – iHub is relatively new to
EUROPE
Mark Hurd, CEO and President at HP said at the market and not carrying any baggage around in
AT THE San Francisco partner conference, HP the conference that the deal was not necessarily terms of channel conflict, we have a very sensible,
announced an extension with Microsoft in its in gaining more partners, but enabling those mature approach to the market and clearly the
Frontline Partner Programme, to benefit joint who could help in a stronger position. “This new attraction to both Nortel and iHub is that we have
resellers within its EMEA channel. programme is leveraging the existing HP and tremendous reach across Europe,” he says.
Those that qualify will be able to use the Microsoft agreement that dates back 10 years. The Thompson says the increasing number of
Frontline Partner logo. Other benefits include programme is going to be highly exclusive with the resellers looking to offer hosted services have
joint co-marketing services, including demand- top partners from the HP and Microsoft side.” a choice: “Resellers can either select one of the
generation campaigns and demonstration “It is about getting more help for our partners, carriers and get a pre-fixed solution, or they enter
materials, and free or not necessarily more the risk game and work with some of the new
discounted training on key partners. ” entrants that aren’t as financially secure or haven’t
solution areas. From November been around as long as us.”
HP will deliver a 2008, the initiative will be Westcon is looking to sign up a limited number
margin increase for new available to all HP Gold of resellers to join the 15 - 20 currently offering the
Frontline customer deals, Preferred Partners. By June service following a soft launch last year.
and Microsoft will offer 2009 both companies are Nortel maintains that the hosted solution
Frontline partners sales expecting 500 Frontline is an alternative to its current BCM range for
rebates for each new Partners across EMEA. SMBs. “That build-it-yourself part of the market
Certified Communication HP has also is something we’re still very much focused on,”
deal. These benefits will be just linked up explains David Perry at Nortel’s carrier marketing
accessible to partners who with Microsoft by (left) division, who says that the vendor is also targeting
subscribe to a Frontline integrating its ProCurve “the other part of the market that doesn’t want to
registration portal. access control solution do it themselves.”
All EMEA partners who are currently Microsoft with Microsoft’s Network Access Protection
westcongroup.com
Gold Certified or have the accessibility to be, and (NAP) . ProCurve Identity Driven Manager (IDM) is
OUR ANALYSIS
HP’s preferred Preferred partners with at least one compatible with Microsoft’s NAP technology. The
enterprise and storage specialisation will be able NAP solution is part of Windows Server 2008 and This is arguably the first distributor to offer a
to enrol from May. This represents less than 4% offers a locked down security system with every hosted telephony solution. While it may be UK-
from Microsoft’s EMEA partners and around 10% of device authenticated. More next issue. only at present there may be plans to take it to
HP’s Preferred Partner Group.
www.hp.com Europe.
10
02 MAY 2008
It0808 - 8-11_SME_news.indd 10
Metro co
GERMANY
30/04/2008 12:06:39
OUR ANALYSIS
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