HP will target the biggest spenders in IT after it
completes its purchase of EDS later this month.
HP's UK managing director, Steve Gill, said HP will be meeting
with the top 500 biggest users of IT around the world over the next
year. Steve Gill has a list of 50 companies to target. Some might
have completely outsourced to IBM.
Gill added: "No-one has the breadth of products we do."
HP's $13.9 billion purchase of EDS is due to be completed at
the end of August. It will create the largest supplier of IT
products and services in the UK public sector. The company is
expected to compete with BT and IBM for business in the public and
private sectors.
EDS will form an integral part of HP's plans to transform IT in
end-user businesses and public sector organisations around the
world. Speaking to Computer Weekly this morning, Francesco
Serafini, HP's vice-president for EMEA, said: "EDS will boost our
software business, which is the fifth biggest software company in
the world."
Businesses usually outsource their IT to big suppliers like EDS
to cut the operating costs associated with their IT department.
Francesco Serafini said the acquisition of EDS along with the
software it acquired with Mercury in 2006, will enable HP to offer
users tools, services and outsourcing.
HP's software business began with its popular OpenView network
and system management suite, and grew with the
$4.5bn acquisition of Mercury in 2006. This gave the company
an
enterprise resource planning (ERP) product designed to help IT
directors run their departments better. Serafini said he wanted to
grow the software business over the next 12 months "as fast as
possible".