Hewlett Packard Enterprise has made changes to the HPE Partner Ready programme to help partners advance their as-a-service offerings and drive sales growth in the small and medium sized business (SMB) segment.

The programme offers a personalised approach to learning to provide partners a point of difference in competitive markets.

Nearly 70% of HPE's annual sales are transacted through HPE's channel ecosystem, according to the company.

HPE's channel has also been a significant driver of as-a-service growth, and indirect HPE GreenLake orders have increased 85% YoY.

The programme updates include:

Partner experience

• AI-powered proposals and robotic process automation (RPA): Partners can leverage the Primary Storage Opportunity Engine (PSOE) to develop a proposal containing an approved quote, sizing and performance data, associated Infosight intelligence and more.
  This creates a proposal for partners to discuss with customers, and reduces the number of meetings involved in the sales cycle by an average of five.
   
• HPE FlexOffers: Partners can create customised built-to-order (BTO) product configurations at bundled-discount pricing, dispatched from distribution inventory.
  This new capability will be rolled out to distributors worldwide starting in November 2020, and built into HPE iQuote, HPE's quoting tool.
   
• Enhanced sales certifications: Accessible via the new HPE Sales Pro Learning Centre, sales certifications in FY21 will provide a modern, intuitive, mobile-friendly and interactive experience.
  “Learning checks” placed within modules and an assessment at the end allow partners to demonstrate content mastery and complete their certification entirely within HPE Sales Pro.
   
• Extended demo programme: HPE's demo programme includes new demo options, easier access to the HPE portfolio and allows partners to purchase their own demo equipment at a discount.
  Partners can also access new interactive demos on the HPE Demo Portal which offer clickable, simulator-based environments that enable users to “interact” with HPE solutions with zero risk of failing.

As-a-service

• Dedicated as-a-service enablement: In FY21, HPE is extending partner enablement related to HPE GreenLake with a new “HPE GreenLake Introduction and Business Planning Workshop” to help partners assess their as-a-service strategy and become proficient in selling HPE GreenLake.
  The workshop is composed of consultative sessions with HPE GreenLake experts who advise partners on opportunities for growth and the integration of HPE GreenLake into their service portfolios.
   
• Competitive compensation: The HPE Partner Ready programme rewards partners with 3x-5x higher compensation for sales on strategic HPE business areas such as HPE GreenLake, the HPE Ezmeral Software Portfolio and the HPE Storage Portfolio.

SMB

• Promotions and rewards: HPE will offer promotions and reward partners through geography-specific incentives and bonuses via the loyalty and incentive programme HPE Engage-Grow and HPE Financial Services.
   
• SMB and mid-market co-selling: HPE is expanding co-selling opportunities between solution providers and service providers.
  These new offers are available via the Cloud28+ platform and community.

“Each year we design our Partner Ready programme using partner feedback, thus providing our channel with an unmatched combination of sales and field enablement, and financial incentives and rewards, to help them drive joint success with HPE,” says HPE worldwide partner sales head George Hope.

“HPE's as-a-service strategy is establishing incredible traction through our channel, and so it remains critical to bolster our partners with the strongest programme framework and breadth of opportunities to optimise their experience, help them establish differentiation and grow their expertise.