Enrique Lores discusses his plans for improving HP's channel partner infrastructure.

Hewlett-Packard's new global channel chief says he is looking to simplify the company's existing channel programs to make it easier for partners to place orders and get paid.

Enrique Lores on April 15 was named senior vice president of worldwide sales for HP's Personal Systems Group and head of its Solutions Partner Organization, serving all HP businesses worldwide.

"HP's channel business has been growing the same or faster than the overall growth of the corporation," Lores told The Channel Insider. "We want to maintain that level of growth," particularly during the current environment of economic uncertainty, he said.

On the agenda is identifying HP's best partners and looking to do more business with them. In addition, HP will find the areas where it doesn't have coverage in emerging countries and look to fill those gaps, he said.

The company will also take a look at the tools and processes for partners—how they order and how they get paid—with an eye to simplifying them to make the partner experience an easier one, Lores told The Channel Insider.

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The simplified IT system for partners follows HP's internal redesign of its own IT infrastructure to unify the company, an initiative that began three years ago when Mark Hurd took the helm of HP. Previously the three divisions within the company each had had their own IT organizations and infrastructures.

Now, with all under one umbrella, HP plans to take those same benefits out to its partner organization, Lores said. While there's no road map in place yet for the changes, Lores said he anticipates that the new system will strongly benefit partners. For example, it can help partners with pricing configurations, enabling them close deals more quickly.

Lores said all the information will be added to the company's partner portal.

A nearly 20-year veteran of HP, Lores has worked with the company's channel organization for the past seven years, managing both the direct sales force and the channel organization. Over that time the overall channel has changed, but not dramatically.

"When I was managing the European business, it was during the integration of Compaq and HP," Lores said. "What I've seen in my few weeks I've been in this new role is HP continuing to provide good support to channel partners in an uncertain economic environment."

Lores said the company will continue its commitment to the channel and its investment in its partners.

"Channel business has been a key component of growth in past at HP and we are willing to invest to make sure it continues to grow in the future and help partners to grow their businesses," Lores said. "Their success is our success."

Lores will be commuting between his current home in Barcelona, Spain, and California's Silicon Valley until July, after the school year in Barcelona ends and his family will be able to join him in the San Francisco Bay Area.

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