Meet the HP Server

Reblanding on back of Itanium launch

By John Leyden, 29th May 2001

Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Backup/Recovery

Hewlett-Packard is re-branding its servers under the single moniker HP Server with the launch of hardware based on Intel's Itanium processor.

The strategy is designed to allow multiple server platforms (based on either Intel or HP PA-RISC processors) to integrate across a range of operating systems including Windows 2000, HP-UX and Linux. To help customers HP has said it will provide a single point of contact for its customers.

HP, which according to the latest figures from Dataquest ranks fourth worldwide with revenues of $7.16bn, has stated a bold ambition to become the number one server vendor in the UK.

Indeed HP seems to harbour this ambition outside our shores because the title of its press release it sent us is "Single HP Server Brand Signals Intent To Become Number One Server Vendor in Europe/Country" (our emphasis). Looks like someone forgot to edit the headline then. But we digress.

As part of the strategy, HP's current server portfolio, which extends from entry-level, IA32-based NetServers to high-end, PA-RISC-based platforms, such as Superdome, will be effectively re-branded under a single HP Server brand. Servers will be positioned under one of five categories: server appliances, blades, towers, rack optimised and super scalable.

The strategy, which will be supported by HP's services operation, makes sense (especially by simplifying sales for resellers) but seems uncannily similar to IBM's re-branding of its server portfolio under the eServer brand, which was introduced last year.

Maybe this is a sign that with the launch of Itanic, HP is supporting almost as many processors and operating systems as Big Blue... ®