HP recruits staff to focus on its partner program

The company announced a new Channel Partner Accreditation Program eight weeks ago and has now finished putting together its plans for 2009 which start on 1st November.

According to Paul Robson, channel sales director, HP is focusing on specific technology that it wants to bring to the market and how its partners can work with them.

Robson said the areas it was looking to grow next year are product solutions around Blade computing, a new mobile thin client, Blade storage solutions, and multi-function printing devices.

“Over the last two to three months we have added eight people to my team to deepen our focus on our premier business partners,” said Robson.

“We are leveraging the announcement we made eight weeks ago about restructuring the organisation’s channel levels.”

HP’s channel partners now qualify for one of three accreditation levels: HP Registered Reseller; HP Business Partner; and HP Premier Business Partner.

Under the program, all partners that meet the criteria are eligible for accreditation.

“We have put in place a more streamlined program that provides very clear levels between each tier and rewards our partners as they as they progress through the different levels of support,” said Robson.

He would not discuss the recent job losses at HP claiming he was not aware of any job cuts in Australia or to his division.

HP is shedding 24,000 jobs to cut costs and streamline the company’s structure.

The cut represents seven and half percent of its global workforce, with half of those jobs in the US.

The restructuring program is expected to take three years and save US$1.8 million. As well as cutting jobs, the company will consolidate real estate, IT and procurement services.