HP: "the channel saved us last year"

HP's Asia Pacific PSG channel vice president Luciana Broggi said the channel is the only reason the company was able to survive last year.

At this week's global partner conference in Las Vegas HP unveiled several significant products designed to reinforce its commitment to the channel, however Broggi acknowledged there's still a way to go.

"I don't think it fixes [last year's mis-step], but we are showing day in and day out we are there, we are commited, we are working closely with our channel partners, and we are delivering on our promise," Broggi said. "Like with everything else, when you put concerns in people's heads and challenge the trust, by then showing you are true with what you do, you can get the trust back."

The August announcement by then-CEO Leo Apotheker that HP would sell its PC business sent the company and its partners into a tailspin and spawned months of uncertainty as the PC maker grappled with the fallout.

Many Australian partners were left wondering as HP fired Apotheker and brought on former eBay head Meg Whitman to get the company back on course and decide the fate of the hardware group.

Hardware partners and customers were able to relax when late October brought confirmation HP's founding business would remain.

"I think HP has never been very good at big communications, and having been in the channel for the last 15 years, I think it really saved us last year," Broggi said. "And it's not the first time in HP's history."

The partner reaction to HP's acquisition of Compaq in 2002 was much the same, with criticisms of a choppy transition hitting the company.

"When we merged with Compaq it was a tough time for us, and our channel helped us all the way," Broggi said. "They smoothed out a lot of issues we had in the integration, and I think last year, especially in the consumer and SMB segments where we don't have the direct touch with customers, if we didn't have the channel I don't think we would have survived."

Broggi acknowledged Apotheker's announcement had particularly affected exclusive HP partners.

"They had a tough time, they had to face their customers and explain when they didn't really know what was going on," she said. "It was a big challenge for them, and they took a big risk. But they stayed behind us and that's something we have to be very grateful for."

HP is hoping its "revolutionary" Z1 desktop released this week will reaffirm its status as the number one PC maker globally and assure partners of its ongoing commitment to selling through the channel.

"All the partners I've talked to in the last couple of days will get the Z1. The feedback was very positive."

Allie Coyne travelled to Las Vegas as a guest of HP.