Like Oscar Wilde's Salome, Dell is revealing its plans for the channel bit by bit, layer by layer.   Chris Bates, who heads up Dell's previously sub rosa channel program, has been making the rounds, highlighting Dell's new direction.  Interestingly, in the process, Dell has revealed it's been taking about eleven percent of Americas revenue from the channel, mostly in sales to public-sector customers.  It looks like Dell's program will have the usual accoutrements, with Michael Dell and his lieutenants speaking of deal registration, a logo program, reseller financing, etc.  Of course, Dell has a reputation for acting poorly with channel partners, so the company will probably have to be cleaner than clean on program execution.  Dell is apparently looking for a head of its channel effort (be sure to return all your favorite headhunters' calls), and that choice will set a tone with channel players.   Legions will be watching.

In the other corner, we have HP, where Mark Hurd recently took the opportunity of the announcement of HP's strong quarter to praise his channel partners for their contribution to the company’s success--Adrian Jones got some high-level help there.  HP is on a roll, on track as it is to hit $100B+ in revenue this year.  Was Dell’s impending entry into the channel a catalyst for the praise?  We wonder.

Damon Darlin at The New York Times believes there’s evidence to show that design innovation has been an important part of HP’s recent success against Dell, and we agree.  This complicates Dell’s life considerably, as the company has never been known for compelling design.  (In this regard, we see Samir Bhavnani’s characterization of the HP/Dell difference in Darlin’s article as being particularly knuckleheaded—Mr Bhavnani should feel free to join the rest of us in the 21st century.) 

Is Dell up to the challenge of adding a channel and becoming an innovator simultaneously?  As Margo Channing appropriately telegraphed, “Fasten your seat belts, it’s going to be a bumpy night.”  We’ll keep you ahead of the curve, and are thinking of forming a pool to reward the channel maven who comes closest to picking the day that Dell becomes HP.