HP Helps VARs Promote Blade Solutions

Hewlett-Packard is adding demand-generation programs for VARs that participate in its BladeSystem Solution Builder Program.

The program is slated to be detailed Wednesday at the same time HP, Palo Alto, Calif., is expected to unveil modular blade servers.

VARs in the HP program can now participate in demand-generation promotions and are given sell sheets, which HP calls "Blue Prints," that have a space for VARs to customize with their own company information, said Mike Kendall, manager for HP's BladeSystem Solution Builder Program.

HP's budget for the demand-generation portion of the program is "in the tens of thousands of dollars per solution," said Kendall.

HP's BladeSystem Solution Builder Program, which includes vendors, ISVs and VARs, develops and certifies solutions for the BladeSystem platform. A number of vendors have certified their hardware for BladeSystem, including Cisco Systems, Brocade and VMWare.