HP-Lenovo Face-Off

When it comes to helping solution providers close sales with valuable co-op funding, Hewlett-Packard gets it, and Lenovo is a distant second. That's the way Rick Chernick, CEO of Connecting Point Computer Centers of Green Bay, Wis., sees it.

STEVEN BURKE Can be reached at (781) 839-1221 or via e-mail at sburke@cmp.com.

Chernick, a member of both the HP and Lenovo reseller advisory councils, was at HP's Houston facility last week with a large client for a demo that could lead to big sales for him and for HP. Chernick is confident HP will help him with the funding. "It's exciting to work with a company like HP that is easy to work with," he said.

At the same time, a frustrated Chernick was still in the midst of chasing Lenovo for a $6,500 payment on a booth that the international notebook kingpin took at Connecting Point's annual trade show eight months ago. "It leaves a bad taste in my mouth," Chernick said.

Stephen Mungall, Lenovo's vice president of worldwide and Americas channels, said the Connecting Point situation is an "isolated incident" that he moved to fix once it hit his desk two weeks ago. He said the check is in the mail, and Lenovo is committed to fostering improved communication between itself and partners. He also said that Lenovo has even invested in a new partner relationship management tool to advance this effort.

That communication is critical with a partner like Connecting Point. Within Green Bay circles, Connecting Point is viewed as the trusted adviser source for all things technology. What's maddening is a thriving partner vendor relationship was put at risk by a $6,500 payment dispute. It's amazing that no one at Lenovo had the ability to simply write a check that would have quickly solved the problem.

There is more at work here than an unpaid debt. It has to do with culture—the trusted adviser culture that runs long and deep at Connecting Point and a big-company culture marked by the inability to act quickly. You can't believe how often multimillion-dollar relationships are put at risk by relatively small funding disputes that ultimately lead to a loss of trust and confidence.

Lenovo may well be able to fix this. But it is clear that damage has been done. And that's a shame because Connecting Point has a huge amount of influence with its clients. And right now that influence is in HP's favor, not Lenovo's.

WHICH VENDOR DO YOU CHOOSE? HP OR LENOVO?
Contact Steven Burke at (781) 839-1221 or via e-mail at sburke@cmp.com.