Hewlett-Packard has learned a lot of things in its 74 years of existence, one of them being the realization that a single company simply cannot provide solutions for all enterprise IT problems or requirements.
As widespread their resources are and as hard as first-tier companies such as IBM, Microsoft, Apple and HP themselves try, they will always require partnerships and acquisitions.
Realizing that it has some holes to fill in the mobile application management space, HP on Oct. 15 updated its solutions portfolio, but not with new software of its own.
The Palo Alto, Calif.-based IT giant introduced a new partnership group that will team up the strengths of HP and five other companies to help enterprises design, develop and integrate complex, end-to-end digital engagement packages.
The five new partners will work with HP to form integrated sales, marketing and delivery teams that offer skills and products for customers that HP couldn’t provide on its own.
A key feature of the partner ecosystem is the integration of competencies that encompass industry expertise, digital marketing skills, user-experience design and complex technology integration.
Here are brief outlines of the new partners.
—Critical Mass connects the dots across brand channels, mobile devices, marketing messages and touch points for the customers. Founded in 1996, Critical Mass has more than 700 people across eight offices and a client roster that includes top brands such as AT&T, Citi, Clorox, Infiniti and Nissan.
—Cynergy works with some of the world’s most recognizable brands to create digital experiences that drive customer and workforce engagement. Cynergy has experience and expertise in digital strategy, design, development and delivery.
—DigitasLBi is a global marketing and technology agency that spans insight, brand building, content creation and real-time distribution. DigitasLBi helps its clients close the gap between the traditional silos of IT and marketing that have previously been separated by organizational divides. With 40 offices in 25 countries around the world, DigitasLBi has more than 6,000 employees.
–With 20 years of experience in digital marketing, Organic brings a marketer’s mindset to technology problems as well as the ability to create connections between consumer behavior and business results. Organic, an Omnicom Group company, was founded in 1993 and is the world’s first Internet-based agency. Clients include Hilton Worldwide, Kimberly Clark, Pepsi, Procter & Gamble and Visa.
—Projekt202 is a design-led technology services firm that helps create and bring to market compelling experiences through experience research and strategy, interaction and visual design, application development and digital marketing.
“No single vendor can overcome the complexities of mobile engagement programs today,” Forrester vice presidents and principal analysts John McCarthy and Ted Schadler wrote in a recent report. “Each kind of vendor comes with its own baggage and biases, hard-earned in the pre-mobile era, complete with single-channel skill sets, waterfall development processes, and a focus on one buyer, either IT or the business. But firms need something more.
“A mobile engagement provider has a complete portfolio of engagement competencies and management skills to help you build and deliver great mobile experiences at global scale.”
Additional information about the new partner ecosystem, including the option to sign up for more information, is available here.