HP Targets SMBs with Range of New Products and Services

Hewlett-Packard is renewing its focus on the small and medium business market with a range of new products, services and financing options. Based on reports published on eWEEK and InternetNews.com, a picture of the various offerings has emerged.

I list some of the most significant ones:

• On the storage front, HP introduced the StorageWorks X3000HA network storage system for SMBs and the X500 Datavault for "very small businesses." According to HP, the selling point of the X3000HA is its "simple interface" and unified storage capabilities.
• For networking, the ProCurve 1810G switch comes with either 8-port or 24-port configuration with Gigabit performance. The switch also supports being powered via Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) for greater flexibility and silent operation.
• The 13.3-inch ProBook 5310m laptop that the company claims is the thinnest full-performance laptop around at 0.9 inch. The touted 7 hours of battery life looks enticing to me, though it remains to be seen whether that claim is  close to reality.
• Through its HP Financial Services unit, the company is offering 36-month purchasing plans until the end of October.
• Finally, HP is offering cash back on purchases of the company's LaserJet, Officejet Pro and Scanjet hardware when recycling old printers through its trade-in program.

In a statement, Kathy Chou, vice president of worldwide small and midsize business strategy at HP, explained this latest move by HP:

By investing in new IT solutions now, SMBs will be in a stronger position to seize growth opportunities and thrive as the economy rebounds.

It's clear  that HP has put much thought into its offerings.  Key areas such as storage, computing and networking are addressed - and not with second-grade offerings or as an afterthought either.  As it is, small and medium businesses looking to upgrade their existing equipment for growth will be pleased with the financing options available.

Interestingly though, it appears that HP has not come out with any new desktops.  Is this another confirmation of the impending demise of the desktop,  perhaps?