HP Offers New Solutions to SMBs

Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) is putting even more emphasis on the SMB market with an expansion of its SMB solutions program, designed to help small and midsized businesses to utilize technology a ways of growing their market share while saving time and money on bundled solutions.

“HP is helping channel partners and business customers realize the vast benefits of bundling hardware, services, solutions, as well as offering them as a service,” said Enrique Lores, senior vice president and general manager, Business Personal Systems at HP, in a prepared statement. “The end results for our customers are worry-free, turnkey IT—and more time to ensure success for their core business.”

The program, called HP SMB Solutions, is available exclusively to HP channel partners and will give them access to solutions from HP, AT&T (ATT) and Google (GOOG). SMBs can order solutions through an HP portal, which will also help them to understand new technology trends and receive support for their devices. HP hopes that by empowering its channel partners, the vendor can improve profitability to SMBs while simultaneously increasing its own standing.

“Buying everything bundled from one spot will save them [resellers] time and money. What we are hoping to do is get partners into new markets with this as well,” said Billy Nerenberg, Director of Global Go-to-Market Strategy at HP, in an interview with eChannelLine. “Internally, this is something we have never focused on before. This can potentially be game-changing for VAR partners.”

Nerenberg also said that in addition to AT&T and Google, the company plans to announce several additional partners at launch, and will be expanding the program after it comes to market.

HP is also launching HP Business Helpdesk to support its SMB partners with around-the-clock technical support, including connectivity support for tablets, smartphones and printers.

While the main HP SMB Solutions are available now in North America and Canada through distributor Synnex, SMBs will have to wait until June for HP to begin rolling out the Helpdesk program in the United States and later in the year for other regions.

The company’s improved SMB offerings are an extension of HP’s entrance into the Google Apps Reseller program, which marked the introduction of HP’s SMB IT in a Box solution. The program allowed SMBs to leverage HP hardware with Google Apps for Business and integrate consoles for resellers.