HPE points distribution to everything as a service

HPE has held its virtual distribution conference, rolling out a number of enhancements to help drive the everything-as-a-service approach and provide the channel with the tools to sell into the SME customer base.

The vendor shared its messages with more than 1,000 attendees, representing 300 distributors across the globe, with the focus on measures being taken to help those partners drive even more services business.

HPE said an average of 80% of its indirect business goes through distribution, and in some markets that rises to 100%. The vendor holds its distribution conference annually, but this year it comes at a time when the firm is on course to commit to all of its offerings being available as a service by 2022.

The firm has been encouraging the channel to sell its GreenLake offering and at its Discover event in June, it updated those cloud services to include machine learning, container management, virtualisation, infrastructure as a service, data protection and connectivity as a service.

“The initiatives we’re announcing today stem from key partner feedback and aim to better enable distributors and all of our channel partners to monetise their as-a-service strategy,” said George Hope, HPE Worldwide head of partner sales.

HPE used the event to make a number of announcements aimed to make life easier for those in the channel pitching to the SME market. The decision to give distributors access to smaller starting capacities for GreenLake should meet that requirement, with it now possible for a starting offer to begin as low as $70,000.

HPE is also increasing the support it gives those that are selling GreenLake and storage portfolios with more high-level support available and access to HPE’s “Storage Rangers”, experts who have high levels of industry and technical knowledge.

The vendor also discussed its SMB FlexOffers programme, which is designed to give distributors the option to customise their built-to-order (BTO) products to meet customer needs.

Distribution has always played a key role in growing the channel and HPE has also improved the onboarding experience, with the disties now the key point of contact for newly onboarded partners.

Finally, the vendor is also improving its Pro Series virtual learning offering – HPE Tech Pro, HPE Sales Pro and HPE Marketing Pro. Starting in its FY21, the firm is giving partners the chance to earn sales certifications via the HPE Sales Pro Learning Center.

“We see our distribution partners not as an extended sales force, but rather as team members,” said Hope. “As HPE advances along our journey to becoming an edge-to-cloud platform-as-a-service company, we see an opportunity for our distributors to strengthen relationships with our shared partners and become their trusted advisers, helping them embrace and accelerate HPE’s as-a-service business.”