On July 15, HP announced its new channel partner program Amplify that will replace the previous PartnerFirst program as of November 1, 2020. It will become a global offering (excluding China) that will become simpler and more rewarding for partners that bring value. There will be two main categories of partners: synergy (entry level) and power (advanced). The power category will have a sub-segment called power services for partners active in services. The program is open now for channel partners to implement from November 1, 2020 and will extend to cover retail partners until May 2021.
Collaborate on Insight
As the name suggests, Amplify represents an expansion building on the best parts of the previous program and aims to move to a better and bigger experience, with a focus on what HP refers to as a “segment of one”. Implying that data is the new currency, HP will focus on the customer and their needs, and will get to greater customer insight by building the Amplify program to include collaboration as one of three pillars that relates to the partner sharing data and insights with HP. In addition to collaboration, the other two pillars are performance and capabilities—more traditional forms of measuring partner levels, which will include registration volume, sales value, customer retention, service delivery capabilities, and omni-channel experiences. The collaboration component in this case is about partners getting more from HP, such as training or more digital skills; however, it also means that the partner must give its customer insight to HP in a bigger, deeper way. It’s a huge difference for the indirect channel, who are generally very protective of their customer data. Those partners that don’t want to share can transact with HP, but no more than that in future.
| Core Pillars of HP’s Amplify Program |
HP Shifts Focus to Remote Workers
As the world becomes more transparent through online interaction, HP sees that customers are not only buying more online—they are also researching more online and making more choices online. In addition, HP is acutely aware of workers transitioning their work location to the home. Amplify will actively address not only B2B, but also B2C workers as well as Millennials who are gaining footprint in the workforce. HP believes that they are in a unique position to serve all types of users regardless of their location and is looking now to engage partners in the home opportunity which they have previously not focused on.
Global Program
Amplify will be a global program (except for China) and will integrate all previous routes to market, removing complexity and making it easier for partners to take advantage of many benefits and engaging with customers on a deeper level. Amplify will address partners across all previous go-to-market programs, merging the B2B with B2C and partners with retail plus the range of managed service providers. In addition, Amplify IMPACT will be a separate voluntary program where partners can choose to join the HP sustainability pledge, which covers planet, people, and community.