The break-up trend among large IT industry vendors shows no signs of slowing, but channel partners are split on whether that's a good thing for their business.

Splits like those being carried out by HP, which plans to separate its PC business from its enterprise business, as well as separations at IBM, Symantec and others clearly help large companies put less successful or less lucrative businesses in quarantine while boosting profitable operations, increasing shareholder value and increasing flexibility for their strongest units.

Without the burden of managing large, disjointed businesses whose synergies are perhaps a thing of the past, a large vendor's cash is freed up for strategic moves, like mergers and acquisitions.

Still, it's hard to find two channel partners who agree on whether the industry is better off with a larger number of somewhat smaller vendors, or with a few large vendors. Splits, especially HP's, were a hot topic of conversation at the Channel Company's Best of Breed Conference held last week in Orlando, Fla.

Few solution providers say vendor splits are bad for channel partners, but they worry about whether the process could be chaotic. Sure, there will be uncertainty and confusion, but savvy solution providers should recognize the opportunities that presents.

"We're not going to help create fear, uncertainty and doubt," said Bob Venero, president of Future Tech Enterprise Inc. "Partners, smart partners, want to embrace this, take customers through it. It's another touch point."

Splits like HP's give solution providers a golden opportunity to show customers, "I'm on the pulse of things. This is what's happening, and this is what it means to you," Venero said. "It's an opportunity to show value."

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