HP launches CRM-enabled servers for SMBs
update SINGAPORE--Hewlett-Packard released Tuesday a slew of products it said were designed to help small to midsize businesses (SMBs) reduce cost, improve security and better manage customer relationships.
The IT vendor launched two HP ProLiant servers, as well as the market's first quad-core AMD Opteron processor-based x86 systems.
At the regional launch today, HP also unveiled an expanded customer relationship management (CRM) software portfolio, new Linux-based management tools and remote access technology, which customers can choose to purchase with the new servers.
Priced from US$1,199, the HP ProLiant BL260c G5 is aimed for deployment in branch offices and remote sites with small or virtualization-enabled environments. It supports CRM, enterprise resource planning, database and Web applications, as well as file/print services and high-performance computing.
The new single-processor HP ProLiant DL120 G5 rack-optimized server, priced from US$699, features the latest Intel Xeon technology.
The vendor also integrated next-generation server and storage technologies into HP-approved midsize Microsoft Dynamics CRM configurations and Oracle Siebel CRM Professional Edition configurations, promising midsize companies an affordable and easy-to-manage option, HP said.
Its newly announced HP Secure Remote Access is designed to provide midsize businesses convenient and secure access to critical business information from anywhere, the company said. It interfaces with other HP devices, such as PCs, notebooks, handhelds and smartphones.
Tony Parkinson, HP's Asia-Pacific and Japan vice president and general manager for Industry Standard Servers, explained the vendor's line-up were the result of extensive research on, and customer interaction with, midsize business customers.
"As a result, we can deliver customized, affordable and effective technology designed specifically for them," Parkinson said at the launch. "From licensing to capability, we have built the product down up for the mid-market, while enabling them to scale up as the companies grow."
The vendor also introduced five HP-approved Oracle database configurations for HP BladeSystem and ProLiant systems running on Linux. These provide support for 75 to 400 users, reduce time to deployment and lower costs for midsize businesses, HP said.
Today's launch also included the HP Insight Control Environment for Linux, a Linux management tool featuring Linux cluster technology that the vendor said would help improve application performance.