HP and NetSuite, a provider of on-demand business applications, including customer relationship management (CRM), accounting/enterprise resource planning (ERP), and e-commerce solutions, announced that they're partnering to offer NetSuite's software as a service (SaaS) solutions to small-to-midsized business (SMB) customers through HP's network of 15,000 VARs. The announcement comes several months after Google and Salesforce.com's announcement of Salesforce for Google Apps, the first fruit of Google and Salesforce.com's one-year-old strategic global alliance.
HP and NetSuite executives say the partnership will benefit customers by making an enterprise-class integrated business management solution available to SMBs while letting them avoid the large startup and management costs typically associated with investing in an onsite solution. The partnership will benefit HP and NetSuite by helping the companies increase their penetration into the SMB market. "This collaboration with HP will accelerate our penetration of the SMB market worldwide and demonstrate that the channel can play a major role in delivering cloud computing solutions," said Zach Nelson, chief executive officer, NetSuite.
HP channel partners will be able to offer "value-added management and implementation services" related to the NetSuite solutions as part of HP Total Care. Additionally, NetSuite will provide HP resellers with sales support resources, such as a sales and training portal and a toll-free hotline.