HP: We are NOT channel's services enemy

Unveils raft of cloud services...

HP claims a slew of cloud computing initiatives launched today proves that it has been "unfairly" branded a services threat to the channel.

The types of HP services flogged by dealers were generally relatively low value maintenance contracts and warranty upgrades with enterprise services available only to the internal direct sales teams with the scope is widening, it said.

The tech titan is rolling out a bunch of cloud-based programmes for service providers but some resellers are also likely to get in on the act, it said.

The Cloud Agile Service Provider programme is formally launching in EMEA with UKFast, Attenda, Centric and Eshgro and follows a pilot with Savvas. HP is to pay out MDF and soft rebate for selling Cloud System based on the company's Converged Infrastructure.

Kevin Matthews, ESSN channel boss for the UK and Ireland, said the level of channel firms with the skills to sell its cloud solutions was mixed.

"There are some partners that clearly are out of the blocks and offering cloud solutions," he told El Reg, "and there are a raft of resellers looking to companies like HP for guidance".

The firm is unveiling a bunch of ExpertONE certification tracts including the Accredited Solutions Expert Cloud Architecture, the ASE Cloud Integrator and a Master variant, "facilities to raise skills", said HP.

It is also opening Cloud Discovery Workshops via the channel in the next three to four months allowing resellers that have gone through training to deliver sessions Cloud Roadmap and Cloud Start-up services to users.

The Cloud System Matrix is receiving an update to version 7.0 that allows users to "burst out" from a private cloud to a public cloud solution if additional capacity is required from the service provider.

"Our competitors have unfairly criticised us for having a services organisation that is a potential threat to resellers but we have a services organisation that is helping resellers position themselves as cloud experts," said Matthews. ®