Channel programs News

Slice of the Channel: HPE Takes On Dell, Lenovo Makes Gains In U.S. PC Market, Xerox Expands ConnectKey Apps

HPE CEO Antonio Neri and VMware CEO Pat Gelsinger sat down for interviews at the Best of Breed Conference in Philadelphia.

Neri discussed HPE’s innovation around the edge and IoT. He said HPE’s enterprise technology strategy is going to be, “edge-centric, cloud-enabled and data-driven. He also distanced HPE from Dell: “The difference between us and Dell is very simple: We have an edge to cloud strategy. They don’t have an edge.”

Security was the hot topic for Gelsinger, who said he wants to disrupt everything about the industry.A huge issue in the cybersecurity landscape is customers implementing hundreds of different vendor security products, causing confusion and difficulties when problems arise, Gelsinger said. VMware will build more security features directly into its own products in a push to cut down on the confusion he says currently exists in the market.

In Cisco news, channel star Andrew Sage will lead global distribution sales. The move comes as Cisco continues its effort to realign its leadership teams as the company’s emphasis on traditional hardware sales decreases. Instead, it’s focusing on the market’s shift toward software and services sold by subscription.

Lenovo continues to make gains in the U.S. PC market, according to third-quarter sales figures from research firm Gartner. Lenovo saw strong results in the U.S. PC market for the second quarter in a row, with the company growing the fastest of any PC maker during the quarter with unit sales up 22.2 percent year over year. Meanwhile, Microsoft has taken the No. 5 spot thanks to the company's Surface line of devices.

Xerox is making it easier for partners to sell and resell apps for Xerox multifunction devices with the Xerox App Gallery. Through its ConnectKey interface, Xerox aims to turn multifunction devices into a smart workplace assistant. Connect Key-enabled devices will now include access to key business apps such as Salesforce and QuickBooks Online.