PSG back on track, says HP exec
It’s back to business as usual for HP’s PSG business, according to the vendor.
Last week HP (NYSE: HPQ) announced that, after much consideration, it would be hanging on to its personal devices business. Now, the firm says it’s onwards and upwards for its PSG partner community.
“From a UK and Ireland standpoint we have not lost a single partner,” says Trevor Evans, HP UK and Ireland PSG channel sales director, UK & Ireland (pictured). “The support from our partners has been exemplary.”
He continues: “We’ve managed, in a pretty fraught period, to gain some modest year-on-year share.”
The channel exec concedes the period after HP first announced a potential spin-off was an “uncertain” time. Echoing senior VP for PSG in EMEA, Eric Cador, Evans says: “I’m not going to skirt around the fact it was a hectic time. We all know now with hindsight we could have done a better job with our corporate communications, but that’s history.”
“It was an opportunity for our competition to suggest there was some uncertainty in having an HP strategy. That’s what happened, and to some degree, continues to happen. The best way to answer that is with our results. I’m not going to engage in a debate with our competition. But the period in which this was being undertaken, we managed to stretch our lead in the PC business in the UK and Ireland.”
According to Evans, last Thursday’s announcement has been “universally welcomed” by partners.
He urges: “Let’s get on with the job at hand and not get distracted by some of the uncertainties and insecurities we’ve all been dealing with. From a channel standpoint, I’m pleased we haven’t lost anyone on that journey.”
Evans went on to promise “deeper level of intimacy” with the firm’s PSG customers.
Speaking about PSG’s future, he says HP has introduced more than a dozen new models to its PSG portfolio since the first announcement in mid-August.
He also expanded on HP’s plans for the tablet market. Already in the tablet space on a Windows platform in the US, Evans says there are plans to introduce a Windows 8-based tablet to Europe “in the fullness of time”, although he didn’t specify a timeline.
“We recognise the requirement to be relevant in the tablet space and have an intention of being so,” he adds.
