Fiorina backed up her unity pledge with additional channel funding to finance attack programs against IBM and Sun. HP also launched a PartnerOne Unified Support Network that allows HP partners to either resell HP services or integrate them with their own services under the partner's own brand. Finally, HP's highly profitable printing and imaging group launched what it is calling its Rolling Thunder Output Strategy aimed at getting partners to act as consultants that can significantly reduce printing costs for clients.
HP's new IBM Attack program has pinpointed more than 3,000 older mainframes that could be replaced by HP server lines, including Superdome, said Jim Milton, managing director, Americas, and senior vice president of the Enterprise Systems Group. "We are going to go after IBM in the core pool of its profits," he said, noting that HP has already displaced 75 mainframes. HP's Sun program, referred to as Sun Eclipse II, meanwhile, has identified $147 million and 300 partners that could potentially be converted to the HP camp.
On the services front, HP's new Unified Support Network lets solution providers use HP call centers and related infrastructure in place of their own.
Ann Livermore, executive vice president of HP Services, who will lead the company's new Technology Solutions Group effective May 1, said the nature of the partnerships will range from the resale of HP services SKUs to becoming an authorized services management partner to evolving into an HP Services business solution partner. "The partner chooses the nature of that relationship," she said.
HP partners welcomed the strong channel message from Fiorina and HP's executive team, including Kevin Gilroy, newly named vice president and general manager of HP's new Solution Partners Organization for the Americas, effective May 1.
Subsea cable alternatives can provide a level of comfort for those concerned about disruptions. Realistically, they will continue to play a small, but critical role in the short term.
Maintaining existing network infrastructures often incurs huge technical debt before newer technologies are adopted over time.
Amid ongoing regional uncertainties, telecom infrastructure in the Middle East has expand to include terrestrial low-latency network infrastructure, which offers resilience and agility in navigating political complexities without relying solely on undersea networks.
