7 April 2003 Hewlett-Packard yesterday announced it will re-align its high-end systems and services businesses around a concept dubbed ‘Adaptive Enterprise’.
In a direct swipe at rival IBM’s ‘on demand’ utility computing strategy, HP’s advertising tagline for the new set of products and services will be ‘Demand more’.
Adaptive Enterprise will incorporate a new set of products and services aimed at helping companies to get more out of their IT infrastructure investments. Its launch follows an internal reorganisation of HP’s Enterprise Systems Group, which handles servers, storage and software in a single unit.
HP has also created a new unit focused on more tightly integrating product sales with professional services. These services are based on a framework known as the ‘Darwin Reference Architecture’ – a set of design principles designed by HP but based on standard infrastructure products from companies such as Cisco and Oracle.
Together, these products and services are intended to enable businesses to build IT infrastructures that can adapt to changing needs. One product, for example, is the HP Virtual Server Environment, a new Unix server application that enables IT departments to monitor and balance their server resources based on business priorities.
According to HP, the Adaptive Enterprise already has a number of customers, including Alcatel, GCI Group and telecoms company Sprint.
Yesterday HP also finalised its $3 billion outsourcing deal with Procter &Gamble, citing the consumer goods giant as one of its first Adaptive Enterprise customers.
