HP is offering a new partnering model to help expand sales and service delivery opportunities through introducing the new ServiceOne specialisation.
The program will replace existing programs including support partner program, professional services partner and services contract, which will be rolled into ServiceOne.
Partners will have until November to make the shift to ServiceOne, HP TS South Pacific channel business manager, Sharon McNeil, told ARN.
“We’ve started talking to partners now and we want to make sure they’re ready to go by November 1,” McNeil said. “We’ll work with partners to put a plan in place to get them there.”
She said the new program builds on what partners have been asking for during the past few years.
“We’re looking to provide a channel-centric services model,” McNeil said. “We want to work more co-operatively together and complement each others skill sets.
“We want to make sure that partners can sell higher margin services in order to drive profitable growth, expand into new markets and attract new customers.”
Partners will have the chance to significantly expand their services portfolio or provide co-branded services with the vendor. As part of this, HP has also rearranged its metrics and rewards to help increase partner revenue opportunities.
“Currently, our rebate structure is very flat across all partners, but it will be different for ServiceOne vs non-ServiceOne partners next year and that includes access to marketing development funds, exclusive rebates and discounts,” McNeil said.
Under the new program, partners can deliver a wide range of technology services spanning professional and annuity-based along with HP CarePack Services. They can also jointly work with HP on sales opportunities helping to close sales, provide marketing services and solving technical challenges.
“We still have basic support services, but we’re really looking to expand into end-to-end solutions with our partners either from the datacentre, network integration and solution-oriented type services,” she said. “We’re not just looking at the up-front sale, but also looking at professional service you can build upon that as well as annuity services.”
ServiceOne will be split into Specialist and Expert categories, sitting within HP’s PartnerOne program, and is due to go live globally in November. At the Expert level, partners will have access to exclusive rebates, discounts and management tools.
Frontline Systems national sales manager, Chris Ford, said ServiceOne recognised its investment into HP, supplied significant business benefits and differentiation in the market.
