Annuities lift margins in revamped HP service program

Partners to get more technical, sales and marketing help.

November was shaping up to be the start of a year of increased margins for HP resellers when the computing company started its refreshed channel program, ServiceONE.

The extension to its "Always On" support will make technology services such as hybrid clouds and desktop deployment, consulting and basic maintenance more available to partners.

HP said it was a new specialisation within its PartnerONE program for resellers grow their services divisions or brand with HP. Partners, who would be graded as specialists or experts, could also use HP’s redesigned metrics and rewards to raise more revenues and reduce risks.

“With ServiceONE, HP is expanding partners’ business opportunities by enabling them to deliver high-value services while capitalising on HP sales, technical and marketing resources,” said Nathan Wappet, HP South Pacific general manager of technology services.

“Partners want to boost their bottom line by delivering innovative services that address every customer need, whether it’s data centre design or every day support.”

He said resellers will also have access to annuity services and HP Care Pack Services.

And they could work more closely with HP to close the gap on deals that hinged on marketing or technical issues while, for existing customers, strengthening customer loyalty by attaching support services to infrastructure solutions to deliver a reliable, consistent experience, the company said.

Frontline Systems national sales manager Chris Ford said the changes reflected resellers' investment in HP and would offer his business "clear differentiation".