Marking an evolution in its business model and an international change of identity, HP South Africa has debuted its end-to-end solution offering under the single `invent` brand and introduced its new managing director, Jos Nickmans.
Coming in the wake of an international drive to position HP as a pioneer of the evolving e-services economy - and to rekindle the spirit of invention around which the company was founded - the local moves are significant for partners and customers alike.
"HP has long been known as a company with strength in a number of specific areas - printers, servers, workstations, storage, software or consumer goods for example. However, as a result, our partners and customers have been doing business with us as if we were separate companies focused on those solutions," says Nickmans, the newly-appointed MD at HP South Africa. He takes the reins from outgoing MD, Franz Lorber, who retires at the end of the month.
"The difference now is that they will be dealing with a single entity: one brand, one vision, one HP. Our sales and consulting staff will still focus on their areas of expertise but partners and customers will no longer have to scour HP for the right people - the total solution will be available to all through a single sales interface."
Nickmans admits that the range of products, services and solutions on offer is broader than most of the market is aware of. HP boasts strength in desktop PCs and workstations; mobile solutions; printing and digital imaging; storage from the desktop to the enterprise; departmental to enterprise servers; networking; software; e-payment gateways; business services; support and education; and, of course, e-services.
Nickmans, who hails from Belgium, was most recently responsible for HP`s server and storage business in Western Europe. He perceives his role in South Africa to be one of fueling HP`s reinvention in the local market and paving the way for a local incumbent once his own tenure comes to an end.
"This reinvention is a great deal more than a marketing move. HP created the first information appliance - the handheld calculator; and it was the first company to create flexible working hours on the factory floor. This is a company of radical ideas," he says.
"Our challenge now is to re-ignite this spirit - to find the right balance between preservation of the best and reinvention of the rest. And our challenge is to create an even greater community of partnerships so that the Internet can truly fulfill its potential."
`HP people will passionately deliver always-on infrastructure, information appliances and e-services solutions to ensure that South African partners and customers are successful in the new economy` - that`s HP`s local mission statement. "I do hope that our South African partners and customers will come to see that this is what HP stands for," concludes Nickmans.
Fact file
HP has appointed a new management team from the existing staff members to ensure that the spirit of invention penetrates the local market, consisting of:
Patrick Kuwana: network service provider business unit manager
Rui Mendes: extended manufacturing, retail, government and education sales manager
Gavin Nuenborn: financial services industries sales manager
Darryl Brick: SMB and partner & alliance sales manager
Mohamed Cassoojee: business development manager: e-services
Gordon Hayden: HP Consulting manager
Herbert Zierl: support services manager
Gary de Menezes: software business manager, Middle East and Africa
Sue Mogkosi: tele and web sales manager
Gerald Albertyn: technical consulting organisational manager
Eric Vulliez: finance and operations manager
Lyman Smith: support services sales manager
Wim Heuninck: marketing manager
Jos Nickmans: managing director
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