HP's one-stop solution for customers

By K. T. Jagannathan

CHENNAI, JAN. 12. Quickly spotting the change in the market dynamics, Hewlett-Packard has decided to transform from a pure product company into a solution provider.

The metamorphosis is sought to be achieved by an e-smart initiative. Spearheaded by Hewlett-Packard, this is an Asia- Pacific wide initiative.

E-smart is a platform or consortium of vendors. The objective is to provide solutions and not just products to end-customers.

According to Mr. Rajkumar Rishi, Country SMB (small and medium business) Manager, Hewlett-Packard India Ltd., ``there is a mismatch between what a customer is looking for and a vendor is offering.'' The e-smart initiative is primarily aimed at addressing this issue and provide a `one-stop shop' sort of solution to end-customers.

The initiative will offer the solution a customer needs. Typically, HP will tie up with `alliance partners' to buy application softwares. HP can pre-load these softwares into its machines. ``Using our channel partners, we will do the networking,'' says he. In case of problems, a customer can go to an HP service centre. ``We have a back-to-back arrangement with third party partners who train our as well the channel engineers,'' he says. This way, a customer need not go from one vendor to another rather he can get solutions from a single point.

In India, HP-driven e-smart initiative is expected to go a long way in mitigating the miseries of small and medium businesses who don't have an IT (information technology) departments of their own and rather depend on assorted vendors to take care of their needs. ``Vendors give products to them. They may have to look to others for solution,'' points out Mr. Rishi. This is not a palatable exercise, he feels. This void is what HP is seeking to fill or exploit.

Having been on top in many of the product categories it has been manufacturing - from personal computers to laser printers and inkjet printers and what not, HP, having understood the customer, has now chosen to move into the service provider domain as well.

HP has already launched e-practice solutions for doctors and lawyers. These will automate and streamline processes to facilitate professionals in these categories to work with far more felicity. For medium-sized customers, it has launched mail messaging solutions. At the moment, the Windows NT-based solutions are offered at entry level. HP is negotiating with e- Soft of the U.S. to offer Linux-based mail messaging solutions with additional features. The company is also looking at providing call centre and hospital management solutions. Besides, it is also toying with the idea of providing solution for commerce portal.

The country manager has indicated that the diversification into service field will augment revenue by a tenth from solution in the first two quarters of the current year. According to him, nearly 65 per cent of HP's Indian business is from SMB segment which is the largest growing area at about 60 per cent, well above the industry growth rate of 30 per cent.

Since SMB is a mass segment, HP, is ``doing mass customisation''. ``We can do further customisation within verticals,'' he says, ruling out one-to-one customisation of solution. HP is hoping to spread the e-smart initiative and reach out to SMBs and self- employed professionals through a combination of road-shows across the country and seminars.

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