HP aims for bigger chunk of cloud transformation pie
HP on Monday rolled out a series of services and systems designed aimed at enterprises looking to revamp data centers for cloud computing.
The effort highlights how large enterprise technology vendors are talking cloud. Many of these vendors, however, are pushing the hardware, or the arms dealer, part of the equation. IBM last week launched its platform-as-a-service model. Other cloud efforts to date revolve around selling hardware.
Ian Jagger, worldwide technology consulting manager for HP Technology Services, said that "all clouds reside somewhere in the data center." Jagger also referred to the data center as the "cloud in the ground."
Oracle has made similar arguments as it tries to sell more Exadata integrated machines.
HP's main pitch is that its bundles can revamp data centers with shorter planning and implementation periods. HP is also taking its best practices by allowing planning, design and build processes to run at the same time.
Frances Guida, manager of HP's cloud solutions and infrastructure unit, said that customers will increasingly design their data centers to deliver cloud computing internally or externally as a service.
HP executives said that the latest bundle of CloudSystem components are separate from the company's cloud services currently in private beta. It's unclear whether these dots will be connected.
Among components:
- Consulting services for data center strategy, operations and continuity planning.
- A larger HP CloudSystem---integrated data center building blocks---portfolio and cloud research centers.
- Financing packages where HP will lend up to $2 billion for cloud projects. The aim here is to lower upfront costs and have customers pay off the loans as the data centers ramp up.
- HP VirtualSystem for Microsoft and one for Superdome 2 and HP-UX. These systems are designed to be turnkey. The Microsoft systems are integrated and configured for SharePoint, Exchange and SQL Server. The Superdome/HP-UX systems are designed to run CRM, ERP and financial systems on HP's Integrity server line.
Recent cloud moves among the tech behemoths: