Compaq last night wrapped up its national channel partner road show with a presentation in Johannesburg on the new changes to its channel partner programme.
The changes include the introduction of two new partner categories and new rebate structures as well as the introduction of Compaq`s online procurement application.
Gary De Menezes, director of Channel and CRM at Compaq, said the company is "trying to create a business model where it is easier to do business with Compaq".
Introducing the two new partner categories - Ruby and Diamond - De Menezes said the new structure "created a huge amount of differentiation between the programmes".
He added that many partners did not fall into the high-end Gold and Platinum categories based on their sales and it was decided to introduce a new category that was more inclusive. Ruby status includes a $250 000 minimum reseller criteria and only requires a nominated Compaq contact person within the company. Rebates include a 0.5% Compaq-held development fund that is available to partners for development projects.
The new Diamond programme is targeted at black empowerment companies. De Menezes said companies that fall into this category must be at least 60% owned by previously disadvantaged individuals. Compaq sales limits must exceed $500 000 but not be more than $1.5 million. He said the upper limit was created because it was felt that companies exceeding this limit were able to compete on an equal footing with other companies. Rebates for Diamond partners include a 1% Compaq-held development fund. De Menezes noted that Diamond partners would also be given access to black empowerment leads.
Of the merger between HP and Compaq, De Menezes said "both are channel focused and will remain channel focused". He added that he didn`t expect the Compaq brand to fall away, although he was unable to give details of changes that can be expected by channel partners. De Menezes said that once merged, the company would be "one of the strongest brands in the world".
Compaq also unveiled eProcure, its Web-based procurement tool for partners. De Menezes said eProcure was built around the Compaq supply chain and offered partners a number of interfaces to suit different needs. Partners are able to track stock and prices, and generate quotes as well as being able to create client-specific interfaces that allow them to generate their own quotes.
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