HP dumps ProCurve, 3Com brands, cuts cost of training

HP has revealed it will go to battle under the HP Networking brand in its quest to own networking the data centre and ditch long-standing ProCurve and acquired brand 3Com.

The choice in branding was based on market research that found that HP Networking was best recognised, Darren Read, director, HP Networking, Australia and NZ, said.

Read said existing ProCurve and 3Com stock would continue to be sold. The 3Com range had been given HP Networking part numbers already.

Although the acquisition had been formally signed on 1 June, a lot of integration had been done before then, Read said.

HP Networking was split into four categories; the A Series, for enterprise customers; the E Series was for traditional mid-market ProCurve customers; the V Series targeted small business; and the S Series covered the Tipping Point security appliances.

Read said the Tipping Point brand would still be used in Australia and New Zealand, and the H3C brand would only be used in China and Hong Kong, where it had taken a large share of the market.

HP had spent time covering 3Com customers with HP partners and discussing "the portfolio that's available to them", Read said. 3Com staff had also been successfully integrated into HP, he added.

"It's been really exciting to see the passion in the team that I have. We've spent quite a bit of time together, and the message I'm getting back from customers and partners is that it's quite evident."

HP woos Cisco partners

HP has put together a three-step approach to help HP partners dump their current networking vendors and start selling HP Networking instead.

"We want to be more efficient for [partners] to do business with. It won't cost some massive amounts of money and funding to have certifications that other vendors have in place. We don't plan to profiteer from our channel," Read said.

The first is a new certification program due in November. HP has priced these certifications far below the price of similar grades from Cisco.

"Proportionally we expect to be half the cost of the market leader. For our partner community I comprehend the cost of doing business with a vendor and it's our endeavour to become best in class for networking and to reduce those barriers," Read said.

HP has also sweetened its HP Rewards scheme to encourage sales people to expand their certification to include HP Networking. Through its partner portal resellers could receive "nine times" rewards for completing training.

HP has trained partners in its networking range already, in the past two months in each capital city.
The vendor was also making available more a product pool for proof-of-concept and demonstrations for its enterprise A Series to help drive demand.

Similar product pools have existed for the E Series and S Series, with the latter including a 30-day trial program.

Read refused to reveal the value of the A Series equipment now available to partners but he said it was the first time it had been introduced to Australia and New Zealand.

Read said he had formulated this approach after taking advice from partner principals on how HP could reduce the costs of doing business with its reinvigorated networking division.