HP increases channel support for EaaS approach

HP is responding to a changes in the go-to-market models to ensure it remains relevant with a greater push on the everything-as-a-service approach.

The vendor has been beating the drum on EaaS at its Reinvent event with a firm belief that customers are shifting to a Netflix subscription approach to pay for IT equipment and it needs to arm the channel with more tools to respond.

To help partners get there the vendor is launching a multi-vendor finance model, more services training and a revamp in the vendor's sales approach.

Mary Beth Walker, global head channel at HP, said that it had to change its approach and bring partners with it to make sure it was in a strong position going forward.

"Our industry right now is experiencing several large factors driving change. First of all the emergence of one life as the consumer and commercial worlds merge into one another," she added "Second the digital economy is bringing increasing transparency and buying options for consumers. It is becoming easier for a customer to change suppliers at a moments notice."

"We are battling new emerging channels with customer experiences and propositions that are targeted specifically at millenials and generation Z decision makers...The combination of these three trends are giving a rise to everything-as-a-service," she added.

Many of the vendors resellers are still selling on a transactional basis and the vendor has urged them to change.

"Their business will look dramatically different in a few years and needs to look dramatically different. The buying expectations are changing and disrupting business models and entire industries and our channel is no different," she said.

"Our mission is clear and remains unchanged: It is to enable our partners to drive profitable revenue growth, streamline costs and deliver incredible innovation for their customers and help future-proof customers. it is critical to our success because nearly 90% of our business goes through the channel," she said.

The finance changes will see HP go in with a multi-vendor approach to try and tempt more resellers to use leasing and financing to underpin their deals.

On the services training front the vendor launched its 'Wise for channel' support tools in October and has made sure that the platform works on mobile devices and delivers enhanced video training tools.

Gary Simms, head of Americas channel programmes and enablement at HP, added that it was also reminding partners of the tools in the HP University and it had added more EaaS training there along with a greater level of security focus to respond to customer demand.

The final change being announced was the merger of the firms Sales Central and Partner First portals to make it easier for partners to find information.