Changes To HP VAR Council Raise Eyebrows

Solution providers and HP confirmed that Rich Baldwin, president CEO of Nth Generation Computing, San Diego, was removed as enterprise VAR council president late last year after serving just one year of a two-year term. Baldwin was replaced by Steve Morrison, executive vice president of products and emerging opportunities at Net Direct Systems, an HP solution provider in Apex, N.C. Morrison previously had been vice president of the council.

In addition, solution provider sources said and HP confirmed that Baldwin was subsequently removed from the council altogether a few weeks later. Baldwin declined to comment, and Morrison could not be reached for comment.

Most distressing to solution providers, who requested anonymity, was that Palo Alto, Calif.-based HP apparently had a hand in the changes to the VAR council charter that installed Morrison as president.

“My concerns are that the changes seem to have been rushed through without a proper vote,” said one solution provider who is not a member of the council. “It&'s impacting who&'s on the council and who&'s off, and a lot of the changes that were pushed through don&'t seem to be in the best interest of the VAR.”

HP VAR council members contacted by CRN either declined to comment or didn&'t return phone calls.

But solution providers with close contacts to council members said that changes to the charter, including limiting the president&'s term to one year and the formation of a membership committee with power to influence which VARs serve on the council, were crafted in part by HP and were introduced in the final hours of a council meeting late last year. Solution providers said some committee members felt there was little time to discuss the changes and that they were hastily enacted.

But John Thompson, HP&'s vice president and general manager, Solution Partners Organization Americas, dismissed the concerns. “It&'s much [ado] about nothing,” he said.

Thompson said the enterprise VAR council has worked very well and that it has served as a valuable vehicle for HP to gain partner input for piloting and testing marketing and product strategies as well as channel programs and strategies. The council provides “very independent feedback” to HP, he said.

“We have to make sure it is fresh and keeping up with trends in the marketplace,” Thompson said. “We want to modify and iterate as we go forward to make sure we are keeping pace with the market. As with any council, you need to have rotation of members.”