Despite Microsoft`s signing of a consent decree that prevents it from giving any one partner preferential treatment, it says it regards its association with Hewlett-Packard as its "deepest and widest".
This is a reciprocal deal that the companies also exploit in SA, most recently at Tech-Ed 2003, where smaller partners of both vendors were urged to jointly pitch for business.
Microsoft UK partner sales manager Stuart Curzon and HP EMEA director for the partnership, Hinrich Westerkamp, say examples of this closeness can be found in Microsoft`s use of HP systems to develop and test new products, HP`s early adopter status in Microsoft`s new product drives and the companies` "exclusive engineering" relationship.
The companies believe an upcoming high-level collaborative pitch in London this year along with Accenture provides the clearest evidence of the level of commitment from both executive teams to the partnership. At this event, called Swift.Net, Microsoft CEO Bill Gates, HP CEO Carly Fiorina and Accenture CEO Joe Forehand will together market a high-profile solution for the London Stock Exchange.
It`s come a long way
HP and Microsoft have been close for over 20 years. Microsoft, which sees itself as a software products company, does not have the high-level technical services of HP. Both have critical mass in terms of global reach, but can leverage off each other`s geographical spread and numbers when needed. Neither have the business process re-engineering skills of consulting firms, which explains the use of partners like Accenture.
At times, smaller independent software vendors and channel partners will also contribute to joint marketing and product development efforts.
The partnership has over the last 10 years come to be known as Frontline, in terms of which the companies co-develop, co-market, co-service, exclusively co-engineer and run systems for each other. From the most commoditised products, such as Compaq iPaq, through to services, Curzon and Westerkamp say the alliance "permeates everything".
As one of the longest running, most investment-heavy partnerships with the highest level of executive commitment, it has attained benchmark status, says Westerkamp.
In recent months, HP and Microsoft embarked on co-operative development of the Athens PC, a convergent device featuring wireless phone, 20-inch flat screen, wireless keyboard, digital camera, Flash-activated smart card authentication and more. Net Results is a collaborative effort to market Web services on the .Net platform. This project attracted $50 million in investment, and HP has dedicated a practice area to it, says Westerkamp.
The vendors used the recent Tech-Ed developer`s conference at the Lost City to urge smaller partners to jointly respond to requests for proposals.
Microsoft SA MD Gordon Frazer invited Westerkamp to address the closing keynote at this event, a first for Microsoft Tech-Ed. "It is unheard of at Tech-Ed to give a partner a keynote opportunity," said Westerkamp.
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