HP

Cloud Computing 101: New HP offering for schools offers lesson in innovative cloud solutions

Hewlett-Packard had a mega-briefing this week about thin client and client virtualization technology that I will be reporting on in greater depth, but one of the “products” that the company’s partners should consider studying most closely is something called HP SchoolCloud.

As you might gather from the name, this is an offering that ascribes to the cloud philosophy of aggregating applications and IT services in a central server location. In this case, it is a private cloud that a solution provider can assemble for a K-12 school using HP servers, thin client hardware and a service called ClassLink that serves out applications and data to students, administrators and teachers.

The touted benefits include cost savings in terms of management, better visibility into what students are actually doing with their assignments, and the ability to accommodate more individualize learning needs. Remote access support allows the same audience to grab information from their home computer (ANY home computer, even a Macintosh).

The Hudson Falls Central School District, which is one of HP’s poster accounts for this technology, went from managing 1,400 computers to running their applications off 10 servers. Here’s a video with more information about the account.

And here is more information about HP SchoolCloud.

Some of the solution providers that I speak with in the course of my journalist and analyst life question their role in cloud computing, suggesting that they’ll be cut out of the equation. HP SchoolCloud is a great example of why thinking might be short-sighted. The real opportunity isn’t in selling cloud to your existing customers. Yes, you may lose some of them. The magic lies in all the new prospects you’ll be able to reach through innovative applications of the cloud concept.

HP to buy 3Com: Make it stop!

Dear lord. Hewlett-Packard says it’s buying 3Com for $2.7 billion. The rationale is that 3Com’s networking hardware would augment the HP ProCurve lineup.  Really? Isn’t there considerable overlap?

 HP must be really, really serious about beating Cisco.

Marius Haas, senior VP of HP ProCurve Networking, and Ron Sege,  prez and COO of 3Com,  will preside over this evening’s inevitable teleconference.

I guess this paves the way or someone, anyone, (Oracle? Anyone?) to snap up Brocade Networks. Juniper Networks anyone? Bueller?

With Cisco-EMC pairing, what’s up with VMware?

The HP vs. Cisco/EMC/VMware hype fight this week re-emphasized that Cisco and EMC (and its subsidiary VMware) are joined at the hip in their aggressive grab for data center share. 

Recurring rumors have Cisco giving up all pretense at some point (John Chambers: ” Ah heck, let’s just get this over with!”) and buying EMC outright. Continued »

Vblock done, Cisco to launch new unified collaboration attack

Cisco and its best friends forever EMC and VMware finally came clean about their Vblock plans on Tuesday.

Now watch for Cisco next week to shift gears–a tad–and unveil a slew of unified collaboration gear from phones to new unified communications servers–or is it now collaboration servers?  Big news on deck on that front for Nov. 9 when Cisco CEO John Chambers will talk up the products. They will probably also include additional new ISR G2 routers on the infrastructure front.

But back to vBlock: Don’t expect HP and IBM to lay down. In fact, you won’t have to wait long for them to up their  competitive responses to Cisco’s aggressive data center push. HP will talk up it’s “converged infrastructure” approach and will say–truthfully–that it, unlike Cisco or EMC–has all the pieces for a converged data center system. Servers? Check. Networking hardware? Check, check. Storage? Check check check.  It’s already down the road with some converged products and probably put pedal to the medal after Cisco’s first unveiled its Unified Computing Systems news last spring. 

Cisco is now opening up its UCS servers to channel partners which is bound to further incite HP .

Check out more IT channel news on SearchITChannel.com.

HP to add storage to converged server/switch

Inquiring minds really want to know when HP will add storage to its converged hardware offering.

The answer appears to be as soon after Jan. 2, 2010 as possible. Continued »

The Oracle conspiracy

For those who attribute Machiavellian motivations to everything Larry Ellison does, here’s a doozy of a theory.

Continued »

Oh wait! There’s more

Still more news from HP just as folks were trying to digest the juicy tidbit that it’s about to meld its printer and PC businesses into one. 

This news is official, however. HP  brought in a former Sun exec to run sales for its  big storage, server and networking business in the Americas. Gee, I wonder what brought that on?  Randy Seidl will be senior vice president of Enterprise Servers and Storage  (ESS) and Networking Group, reporting to executive vice president Dave Donatelli. Continued »

Huge HP changes on deck

Whoa.

Is HP really going to converge its once-sacred printer business with the PC group? Yes, according to a Wall Street Journal report (password required) today. Continued »

HP, Microsoft moves irk partners

Hewlett Packard channel partners were unpleased to learn this week that HP will make them foot the bill for new compliance training.

HP wants all its parters to comply with the U.S. Government Foreign Corrupt Practices Act by year’s end. And said compliance will set them back $120 which they will be required to front on their credit card upon registration.

The goal is to make it “easy and affordable..for our channel partners to comply,” according to HP. The problem is, the FCPA is for “U.S. firms seeking to do business in foreign markets” and many of the affected HP partners are not authorized to sell HP products outside the U.S.

Well, at least they can charge it. Microsoft ERP partners were unpleased to learn that, starting in November, tehy won’t be able to fund their software license purchases with credit cards–corproate or otherwise. The reason? Microsoft was sick of the associated charges so now VARs must pay by check or PO.  The news was first highlighted in Bob Scott’s Insights last week. 

Check out more channel news at SearchITChannel.com.

Big changes for spawn of Perot

Wow.  it was quite a week for the IT brainchildren of H. Ross Perot.

On Monday, Dell announces a $3.9 billion buyout of Perot Systems to bulk up its enterprise IT services against nemesis Hewlett Packard. Two day later, that same HP drops the venerable EDS moniker it acquired a few years ago for a cool $12 billion and change. Continued »