FACT: DATA PRO TECTION SOLUTION VENDOR EVAULT INC. HAS OPENED A NEW WORLDWIDE PARTNER
PORTAL, THE EVAULT PARTNER COMMUNITY. VISIT WWW.EVAULT.COM/PARTNERS TO LEARN MORE.
scheduled courses from the IBM Training
Catalog’s software category qualify for the
discount, provided tuition is $2,000 or
greater. Classes from the Lotus, Microsoft,
Tivoli, and Linux curricula are excluded from
the offer.
To collect your price break, simply sign up
for an eligible class online and reference priority code 6N2KJO4W. To access the IBM Training catalog, visit www.ibm.com/services/us and
click “Training.”
Also from IBM:
New Credit Offering
IBM Global Financing and distributors such
as Tech Data are teaming up to help resellers
acquire inventory more easily. The new IBM
Flexible Credit program enables VARs to acquire products from more than 100 author-
ized suppliers, distributors, and manufacturers through a revolving line of credit. The program is ongoing and open to credit-qualified
resellers in the United States. Based on their
credit rating, VARs are eligible for credit lines
up to $500,000 and no-interest financing
periods of up to 60 days.
For more information and to apply for
membership, visit www-03.ibm.com/financ-
ing/us and look for the link to information
about “flexible credit.” •
Channel Program User’s Guide:
The US HP PartnerONE SMB Network
Understanding HP’s key partner program for the U.S. SMB channel.
By David Geer
According to Tom LaRocca, vice president of partner development and programs for HP’s The Basics
Solutions Partner Organi-
zation Americas, the
mantra of HP’s Part-
nerONE channel program
is to help resellers grow
their top and bottom
lines—and to reward
partner performance in
the process. TOM LaROCCA
In pursuit of those
goals, the US PartnerONE SMB Network offers
several opportunities and rewards to partners
who serve the SMB market, including:
are a hidden benefit of the program, according to Liz Skolaski, vice president of sales,
support, and operations at Madison, Wis.-based Inacom Information Systems, a technology management and integration services
company and PartnerONE member. SMB
Network representatives proactively initiate
calls and emails to update partners on ways
to take advantage of the program, she says.
“They reach out to us and ask our opinion
about what would be beneficial to our clients.
That’s unique out there,” Skolaski argues.
Skolaski also hails PartnerONE’s pricing
structure. “They come up with some nice programs, like with leasing, to benefit clients
and to get them into some equipment without
a lot of cash layout,” she says.
• Priority for SMB customer leads
• Inclusion in SMB partner search results in
HP’s partner search engine ( http://hp.via.in-fonow.net/locator/us_partner)
• SMB-specific offers and promotions
• Demand-generation benefits, including Campaign Central subsidies and reduced rates for
purchase or rent of HP product demo units to
help speed sales efforts
• Sales and technical training, tools, and support designed to help partners further accelerate sales and increase sales success in high-growth SMB markets
• Communications and special training, in-
Official program name:
US HP PartnerONE SMB Network
Membership: While HP doesn’t break
down SMB Network numbers, it
has 154,000 registered partners
globally, 20,000
in North America,
and 15,000 in the United States, according to channel exec Tom LaRocca.
Who should join: Pretty much anyone
who sells HP products and services to
SMBs (which HP defines as end users
with fewer than 1,000 employees).
Dues: None
For more information: See
https://h20198.www2.hp.com/partner/
smbnetwork.html
cluding newsletters tailored to SMB partners
that cover the latest HP technology, promotions, training, and events
PARTNER CONFERENCE:
WORTH THE EFFORT
According to Skolaski, HP Americas Partner Conference, an annual gathering that
includes SMB Network partners, is worth
attending. “It is a good opportunity for us
to hear about the direction of the corporation and about new products and services,”
she says. •
MEMBER INPUT: COMMUNICATIONS
AND PRICING ARE KEY
Those aforementioned “communications”
DAVID GEER is an Ohio-based technology
writer. Learn more about his work at
www.geercom.com.
DID YOU KNOW: PARTNERONE MEMBERS CAN EARN DOUBLE REBATES ON CERTAIN SERVER-RELATED DEALS LOGGED IN HP's NEW BUSINESS OPPORTUNIT Y TOOL. SEE W WW.HP.COM FOR DETAILS.
