Hewlett-Packard Co says it will announce a major partnership in the customer relationship management field over the next four to five weeks. According to executive VP Bill Russell, the deal has been done, and the details are now being finalized. HP launched its Front Office initiative back in June (CI No 3,685), using its own web-based front-end software and forming alliances with Rubric Inc for e-marketing applications and Broadvision Inc for its e-sales module. Verifone’s modular e-payment processing system is another component.
Earlier this week, HP signed with Oracle Corp to embed its e-speak e-commerce brokerage services technology within Oracle 8i. It’s possible that HP will also go to Oracle for customer relationship management, or risk offending its new partner by going instead to its bitter rival Siebel Systems Inc.
Russell said at HP World on Wednesday that HP had changed its policy over strategic partnerships. Instead of taking what he called the Switzerland approach where it signed up as many partners as possible, all on an equal basis, HP now favors complete solutions knitted together through closer partnerships with one or two companies. He cited HP’s $100m investment in BEA Systems Inc and $37m investment in Broadvision as examples. Both deals, and the Oracle Corp relationship, involve co-development deals that will result in products optimized specifically for HP.
Other recent deals have been struck with strategic procurement firm Ariba Inc and supply chain management firm i2 Technologies Inc. Russell said that HP has got a lot quicker negotiating and finalizing such partnerships. Its applications hosting deal with Qwest Communications International Inc, announced back in May (CI No 3,659) was set up from start to finish within 90 days, he said.
