Chris Weber - HPE’s South Pacific Enterprise Group general manager of Technology Services
This had been a point of contention for HPE’s Enterprise Services division, which also covered many of the same areas handled by HPE partners.
However, with the Enterprise Services division set to come under the auspices of CSC when its so-called “spin-merger” with the business unit closes in April - resulting in a new entity named DXC Technology - it will see HPE focus solidly on channel-led engagements.
For his part, Weber stresses that although HPE is stepping up its focus on its Technology Services business with the launch of the Pointnex brand, it is not in order to fill the gap left by the spin-off merger of the Enterprise Services business – even if the merger with CSC is likely to free up resources for HPE to push its Technology Services portfolio.
According to Weber, the channel in Australia and New Zealand, and further afield, will remain a very large part of the Pointnext services portfolio moving forward.
“It [the channel] plays a very big role in the work that we do today,” Weber told ARN. “So, we have very close working relationships the bulk of [partners] and we have a dedicated services channel team inside HPE Pointnext, and even before it was Pointnext, helping to promote the services we have.
“One of HPE’s core values is ‘partner first’…enabling the partnership, so we’ll always take the focus to go with our partner community. The services and portfolio that we have will typically complement the skill-sets that our partners will have, rather than compete,” he said.
Although Weber conceded that are some new and emerging technologies that can only be obtained through HPE directly, the business will work with the partner to develop the skill-sets needed to take those products to market.
Additionally, Weber suggests that HPE’s revamped Partner Ready for Service Providers Program (PRSP) will help the business to avoid direct competition with partners.
“The PRSP is focused on making sure we don’t have that conflict moving forward, and there are a large number of partners that have already signed up to that platform…that is the key motivator behind the RSPS pledge, which is working very well,” he said.
