11 December 2008

Microsoft and HP have announced a joint initiative to enable value-added resellers (VARs) to benefit from a software-plus-services business model by providing new revenue streams and helping them become strategic advisors to their clients.

The two companies plan to equip VARs with comprehensive tools and guidance that will enable them to offer ‘private label’ Microsoft solutions that are hosted by managed service providers. As a result, they can generate new revenue streams by offering small and midsize business (SMB) customers a greater choice of solution delivery methods.

Microsoft and HP are also providing solution configurations based on HP BladeSystem, HP ProLiant and HP StorageWorks products. This will make it easier for customers and partners to plan for and deploy hosted Web services. These solutions can be sold to managed service providers looking to expand their hosting business by deploying the Microsoft virtualisation platform and management tools for the optimised delivery of Windows-based workloads.

By allowing VARs to evolve their business model and benefit from a recurring revenue stream, we are opening up new opportunities in a challenging economic climate

Janet Pretti, HP In addition to generating a software-plus-services revenue stream for supplying customers with private-label Microsoft solutions, VARs also can provide value-added services such as integration, customisation and remote provisioning to managed service provider customers. This initiative expands on HP and Microsoft’s existing strategic Frontline Partnership to help increase the adoption of HP data centre infrastructure and Microsoft technologies by managed service providers.

“For VARs that want to be successful in the cloud and software as a service marketplace, HP and Microsoft are the first major technology vendors to deliver the programme, products, training and sales tools necessary for them,” said Janet Pretti, vice president of marketing in the Solution Partners Organisation at HP. “By allowing VARs to evolve their business model and benefit from a recurring revenue stream, we are opening up new opportunities in a challenging economic climate.”

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