HP Australia extends channel business

HP is realigning the focus of its sales team to ensure more accounts are serviced through its current channel partners.

Christoph Schell, vice-president for imaging and printing for South Pacific at HP told CRN: “This is a very simple thing, but it will have a major impact. Previously we had two sales teams, one selling direct and the other selling indirect. We will now have one sales team and it will be up to the sales rep to decide to go direct or indirect.”

Schell said the decision to go indirect or direct will also largely be decided by the customer.

“Engagement with customers is becoming more services based and often customers already have these service relationships with partners. Partners are able to add value in three distinct ways: change management, fleet consolidation and by offering a service-led business model,” he said.

Schell insisted he is content with the amount of partners for HP’s local imaging and printing business alongside the skills these partners bring to the market.

“This change is an attempt to route more business through our current partners, rather than just going out and recruiting further partners.”

More than 90 percent of HP’s local imaging and printing for the enterprise market already goes through the channel and Schell believes the changes will help increase HP’s market share with more partners looking to work with HP rather than a rival brand in their product stable.

“We have launched it with partners and the feedback has been very positive,” added Schell.