Meg Whitman Silences HP Critics; Can She Impress the BoBs?
Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) CEO Meg Whitman maintained a careful balancing act on Oct. 9, conceding that the technology giant remains in turnaround mode but assuring analysts just enough to lift HP’s stock nearly 9 percent. Next up, Whitman will address the BoB conference (home of Bob Faletra and Bob DeMarzo) via video connection. Can she impress BoB, Bob and Bob? Hmmm…
First, the facts: During an analyst meeting on Oct. 9, Whitman suggested that HP’s revenues are stabilizing and expressed confidence that the company is on track for a turnaround. At the same time, HP has been working hard to win back channel partners — especially in the SMB market and in the enterprise, where some channel conflicts had emerged.
So what’s next? Whitman appears set to speak at the BoB Conference (Oct. 15-17, Tampa, Fla.), organized by The Channel Company (the company formally known as UBM Channel and Everything Channel). The agenda suggests Whitman will link in via video conference. (The VAR Guy assumes Cisco TelePresence won’t be involved.) Surely, Whitman will provide more assurances that HP has corrected its partner program missteps, while pointing to recent initiatives like the Just Right IT partner program for SMB customers.
What will channel veterans Bob and Bob (no relation to Slydell and Porter) potentially ask Whitman? The VAR Guy will be standing by for details…
In the meantime, “the pleasure’s all on this side of the table. Trust me.”