Sun Microsystems and Hewlett-Packard are deepening their respective
strategic commitments to managed services, with Sun promising to
tie services tighter to core products.
HP is cementing its plans in managed services, citing its recent
merger with Compaq Computer as a major reason.
The moves come at a time when vendors are seeking to offer
customers a comprehensive set of enterprise-wide, managed services
offerings that bolster sagging margins in other areas.
Although Dell has kept quiet about its managed services intentions,
an integration deal reached with Jareva Technologies earlier this
year to incorporate the IT automation vendor's platform as part of
Dell's Systems Management Portfolio could prove a precursor to
future moves.
Sun, for its part, reinvigorated its services strategy in response
to user demands for improved value around solution delivery. The
company outlined plans to align its services division tightly with
internal product, sales, and partner initiatives via a shared
knowledge management system. To support its new mantra, Sun
unveiled a quartet of IP-based services offerings.
Focused solely on training and support of its own and partner
products, however, Sun has no intention of embracing an IT services
role, according to Patricia Sueltz, executive vice-president of the
services division. "We have not done outsourcing, nor will you see
us do outsourcing," Sueltz said. "We help [customers] in managing a
specific service."
Sun must rework its muddled services message or risk confusing its
customers, said Laurie Seymour, program manager xSP Research.
"It comes across that [Sun wants] to compete against IBM and HP in
professional services, but that's not at all what they're
offering," Seymour said. "They're hard-charging off into this new
realm, and they're confusing their customers instead of helping
them."
Part of HP's success, company officials claimed, is that many of
its larger customers are feeling more confident about the HP-Compaq
merger and the company's ability to offer a broader range of
services.
"A lot of users' investments tend to be around trying to get more
out of existing assets. Sometimes this translates into an
outsourcing deal for us or a lightweight technology refresh," said
Juergen Rottler, vice-president and general manager of
services.
Some industry observers agreed the combined company seems to be
positioned more competitively for the future and that it appeared
to be taking advantage of both HP's and Compaq's respective
strengths in the services market.
"I think [HP] has put a lot on their plate. They're trying to do a
little too much. The question is, What's going to suffer?" Seymour
asked.
"What I see HP trying to do is metamorphose themselves to compete
on a technology and services scale with IBM, which is incredibly
difficult to do, and you need another Lou Gerstner and team to pull
that off. Is Carly capable of being another Lou? I'm not sure,"
Seymour added, referring to IBM's chairman and HP's CEO Carly
Fiorina, respectively.