Tell me about how HP deal registrations work
-
I think that SuperMicro is the disruptor here because of the way that they work. You never deal with SM directly but with one of their larger partners. So even if you want SM but don't like how one partner is treating you, you have choices within the SM sphere.
-
@scottalanmiller said:
But the voter can still remove him. In a democracy it only fails because the voters don't care.
No different to the SMB market. Most SMBs don't care. The fact that I do isn't enough to change the VAR, just like the fact that I care about politics isn't enough to change politicians. So, for example, HP can get away with creating an industry around shifting SANs to SMBs that don't need them. HP are not passive in this, they don't manfacture SANs and just sit back and hope that customers will buy them through VARs - they are telling VARs that they have to shift X this quarter or else.
-
@Carnival-Boy said:
@scottalanmiller said:
But the voter can still remove him. In a democracy it only fails because the voters don't care.
No different to the SMB market. Most SMBs don't care. The fact that I do isn't enough to change the VAR, just like the fact that I care about politics isn't enough to change politicians. So, for example, HP can get away with creating an industry around shifting SANs to SMBs that don't need them. HP are not passive in this, they don't manfacture SANs and just sit back and hope that customers will buy them through VARs - they are telling VARs that they have to shift X this quarter or else.
That's totally true. But your goal isn't to change the vendor or the VAR, but to change things for you. You can choose a different VAR and vendor.
-
I could, but I feel they're generally all the same, so it would be a waste of time. Better to accept that VARs don't add value, and just do my own research. The cost (in terms of my time) of finding a good VAR, or a good vendor, outweighs any benefits I'm likely to get.
-
@Carnival-Boy said:
I could, but I feel they're generally all the same, so it would be a waste of time. Better to accept that VARs don't add value, and just do my own research. The cost (in terms of my time) of finding a good VAR, or a good vendor, outweighs any benefits I'm likely to get.
I would often agree with the second part but not the first. There are definitely good VARs that add value, xByte is a great example. They run their own research labs, they slash our costs, they get non-OEM drives tested and certified to drop costs even further, they do research on our behalf... but finding a good VAR like that can be difficult and you might burn a lot of time doing it.
-
But SuperMicro, for example, does not require VAR relationships. So it seems like that might be a decent choice.
-
@Carnival-Boy said:
I could, but I feel they're generally all the same, so it would be a waste of time. Better to accept that VARs don't add value, and just do my own research. The cost (in terms of my time) of finding a good VAR, or a good vendor, outweighs any benefits I'm likely to get.
Just to throw something in.
A good relationship with a supplier can make all the difference, for example with Ubiquiti gear.
Supplier A said the item was in stock.
Supplier A was wrong, their website listed it as in stock for next day delivery, when I ordered it, 6 week lead time.
Supplier B is better and the stock system updates automatically with the website.Little things like that make the difference.
-
Exactly, Breffni. That's why I wrote earlier "So one of my main criteria for a "good VAR" is that when I order something, the right product turns up at my door at the right time."
In many ways, I find the Account Manager more important that the VAR. A good account manager will do lots of chasing for you to make sure everything is ordered and delivered prompty, and know the right people to talk to if you have any queries or problems. Several times I've ditched a VAR because the account manager leaves and I don't like his replacement.
-
@Carnival-Boy said:
Exactly, Breffni. That's why I wrote earlier "So one of my main criteria for a "good VAR" is that when I order something, the right product turns up at my door at the right time."
In many ways, I find the Account Manager more important that the VAR. A good account manager will do lots of chasing for you to make sure everything is ordered and delivered prompty, and know the right people to talk to if you have any queries or problems. Several times I've ditched a VAR because the account manager leaves and I don't like his replacement.
The account manager IS the VAR for all intents and purposes. If they suck you tell them to piss up a rope and get you one that has a brain or you will take your business to a different VAR.
-
@JaredBusch said in Tell me about how HP deal registrations work:
@Carnival-Boy said:
Exactly, Breffni. That's why I wrote earlier "So one of my main criteria for a "good VAR" is that when I order something, the right product turns up at my door at the right time."
In many ways, I find the Account Manager more important that the VAR. A good account manager will do lots of chasing for you to make sure everything is ordered and delivered prompty, and know the right people to talk to if you have any queries or problems. Several times I've ditched a VAR because the account manager leaves and I don't like his replacement.
The account manager IS the VAR for all intents and purposes. If they suck you tell them to piss up a rope and get you one that has a brain or you will take your business to a different VAR.
And good VARs work hard to maintain good account managers, keep them with their clients and give them the tools to be successful.