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HP Snares Senior IBM Channel Executive
Turnabout is fair play.
Just
weeks after losing a top channel marketing manger to IBM ,
Hewlett-Packard has returned the favor by snaring a senior IBM channel
executive. Kevin Hooper, IBM’s vice president of worldwide business
partner strategy is leaving the company to join rival HP as general
manger for Americas commercial SMB, according to sources.Sources inside
HP said that Hooper will work with HP’s Technology Solutions Group
Americas, the direct sales side of the company headed in the U.S. by
Jack Novia, but will have close contacts with solution providers
partnering with TSG. Sources said Hooper will report to Randy Runk,
senior vice president of U.S. sales for TSG.HP is expected to
announce Hooper’s appointment on Monday, sources said.The move comes
just weeks after Louise Bishop, then HP’s channel marketing manager for
its worldwide partner organization, jumped ship to join IBM’s global
business partner organization.IBM channel veteran Hooper previously
served as worldwide director of channel marketing for IBM Global
Services and held a channel SMB role within the vendor’s software group.Hooper
did not return phone calls seeking comment early Friday morning. IBM
and HP executives could not be reached for comment.The executive
shuffle between the two technology behemoths underscores the intense
battle for the solution provider driven SMB market place. HP, IBM and
Dell increasingly see growth in their direct enterprise business
slowing in comparison to the opportunity in SMB. Dell has backed away
from its direct posture and is publicly courting the channel for the
first time. And IBM and HP have both made SMB a top priority for 2008.
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