Exclusive Or Not? You Decide

A couple of weeks ago, CRN Editor/News Steven Burke reported about Hewlett-Packard CEO Mark Hurd's strident call for loyalty from his channel. Hurd said he would encourage his team to wield an iron fist against partners that didn't get deeper with the vendor's products--across the board.

We've all heard that adage: You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours. It's certainly understandable for HP to look at creating channel programs to reward the solution providers that work hardest on developing complete solutions using multiple HP products. It's why this industry invented the whole notion of tiered channel programs in the first place.

And let's be honest, it's easy for us to cite examples of VARs who have built themselves a tidy business by limiting their focus to just one or a couple vendors. But that doesn't necessarily mean the partners that have a more specialized, best-of-breed approach should be penalized.

Frankly, it's a short-sighted strategy on HP's part. For one, it will miss out on the deep expertise and, often, vertical discipline that specialized partners bring. Remember, volume doesn't always equal value--especially in the customer's eyes.

And let's be brutally honest, you don't see HP committing to just one partner in every region, do you? Until it does, how can it possibly ask the same of its partners?

But I'm picking on HP unfairly. We all know there are more vendors out there quietly requesting the same allegiance. That's why we're asking you to take a moment and vote in this special online poll (see "Cast Your Vote" at the top right), which will be part of a news story exploring this whole controversy.

Please take a second and vote; your response matters. And please send specific notes and comments to [email protected].