HP Networking Sets Sights On Cisco

By The Business Solutions Network

During the general session of the second day of SYNNEX' (NYSE:SNX) National Conference in Greenville, SC, Craig Hinkley, VP & GM of HP (NYSE: HPQ) Networking Americas shared his company's vision for the near future. Hinkley's message was repeated many different colorful ways, but what it boils down to is an aggressive focus on winning business away from Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) and giving it to SYNNEX VARs. Here are just a few sound bites from Hinkley's energetic presentation:

• HP's new Velocity Program gives VARs aggressive rebates and SPIFs and makes doing business with HP easy.
• HP's new Boomerang Program will allow the company to be "ferocious in the marketplace, particularly with our competitors [e.g. Cisco]"
• "Cisco VARs are like the seagulls in Finding Nemo, with many fighting over a single deal."
• Cisco customers are in a strait-jacket and “being extorted by Cisco."
• On Nov. 4, keep your eyes peeled for HP Networking’s new enterprise program announcement. According to the HP executive, “Disruption is guaranteed. This announcement will allow us to win, dominate, and destroy our completion."

I can't remember a channel executive being as candid and outspoken as Hinkley. Will HP follow through on these promises? We'll see.