HP unveils automated services tools

US tech giant HP has bolstered its service offerings with a suite of new software and services to help customers transform their IT operations and automate the management of business operations.

The HP Automated Operations 1.0 offering is a set of products that automates IT operations, eliminating labor-intensive tasks and ad hoc, error-prone manual processes. The company says the product dramatically lowers the day-to-day cost of IT operations.

The HP Automated Operations 1.0 software suite is composed of IT Service Management, Business Service Management and Business Service Automation solutions.

It also launched its HP Business Service Automation software, a single platform to automate all IT processes and drive change across applications, servers, networks, storage and clients.

“We have been aggressively expanding our software portfolio in the last two years to broaden and deepen our capabilities to help customers improve their top and bottom lines,” HP’s Software senior vice-president Tom Hogan said.

IDC Enterprise Management Service research director Stephen Elliot said business service automation was an opportunity for IT organisations to more closely align with business objectives such as compliance, security, and cost reduction, and the delivery of innovative products.

“The legacy manner in which many IT organisations execute enterprise infrastructure management processes is quickly becoming obsolete as they are too static, take too long to execute and lengthen time to market cycles,” Mr Elliot said.

“IT organisations must mature toward processes and technologies that enable a more dynamic, business-driven impact.”

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HP cranks inkjet print speeds

HEWLETT-Packard has unveiled a swag of hardware and software printing products, including two colour inkjet-based multifunction office devices it says can print up to 70 pages per minute.

The company said its HP CM8060/CM8050 Colour MFPs are the first to use the HPs new EdgeLine technology, which the company said brings to market a powerful new engine to based on its $1.4 billion (A$1.7 billion) investment in scalable printing technology.

HP says the new multifunction devices gives enterprise and SME tools to improve productivity and cut costs through high-speed performance, reliability, excellent output and intuitive useability.

HP Imaging and Printing Group executive vice-president Vyomesh Joshi said the Edgeline technology would transform the industry, “providing customers a multifunction printing solution with unprecedented ease of use that can improve productivity and lower colour operating costs by up to 30 per cent.”

The company also unveiled Web Jetadmin 10, a major upgrade to HP’s printing fleet management software solution, as well as a new HP Universal Print Driver 4.0 for Windows, which is compatible with Windows Vista.

HP said it was aiming to capture a significant portion of the US$147 billion enterprise printing market which it has pursued with renewed vigour since October last year when it first announced the Edgeline technology.

The company claims the total market opportunity for Edgeline Technology is expected to be more than US$30 billion by 2009. The CM8060 and CM8050 Colour MFPs announced yesterday are designed for the customers who print in high-volume and offer the combined benefits of ink and laser in a single device.

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HP targets NAS market with acquisition

HEWLETT Packard has given itself a leg-up in the enterprise network-attached storage (NAS) market, acquiring a US-based storage software innovator PolyServe.

The acquisition gives HP leverage to better compete in the enterorise NAS market with industry leader EMC.

Specifically, the PolyServe software will let HP extend its NAS technology to blade systems, the fastest growing segment of the storage market.

The acquisition also lets HP offer customers a powerful consolidation platform – including energy saving blades – for databases that require high performance and resilience.

PolyServe has been an HP business partner for two years. HP has sold the PolyServe software with its ProLiant servers and its portfolio of storage arrays to consolidate and virtualise NAS in Linux and Windows environments.

The PolyServe software lets information from file or database servers be consolidated into a shared pool of scalable storage.

Founded in 1999, PolyServe is based in Oregon with 117 employees and boasts about 500 customers from industries including finance, energy and technology.

The companies did not reveal the financial terms of the acquisition. PolyServe was founded on venture capital funding. It’s fourth-round funding of US$20 million brought its total VC funding to about $70 million since it was set up.

“Our two-year relationship with PolyServe has convinced us that its technology will help accelerate HP’s growth and complement our HP StorageWorks, ProLiant and BladeSystem businesses,” HP senior vice-president Bob Schultz said in a statement.

“The combination of PolyServe software and industry-standard HP hardware can help customers consolidate individual silos of storage, reduce complexity in their IT infrastructures, increase agility and lower IT costs,” he said.

The transaction is expected to be completed within 60 days and will be consolidated into the StorageWorks division of HP’s Technology Solutions Group.

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