HP has completed its acquisition of Electronic Data Systems
Corporation (EDS), creating a company that will provide hardware,
software, services and outsourcing to both private and public
sector IT departments, in competition with IBM.
The $13.9 billion acquisition provides HP with EDS' capabilities
in health care, government, manufacturing, financial services,
energy, transportation, consumer and retail, communications, and
media and entertainment.
Businesses who have previously bought outsourcing services from
HP's Technology Solutions Group (TSG), will now be managed by EDS
in Texas, HP said.
TSG will focus on servers, storage, software and technology
services, such as installing, maintaining and designing technology
systems, plus consulting and integration services.
HP is looking to
target the largest users of IT - both existing HP customers and
non-HP customers - with a suite of products and services.
Speaking to Computer Weekly last week, Stephen Gill, UK managing
director of HP, said, "We have invested in our sales organisation
and will be targeting the top 5,000 companies that spend the most
on IT. HP UK will be looking at the top 50 businesses."
HP will continue to offer hardware, software and services to
users. Ian Severn, general manager of HPUG, the HP user group, said
that it would be looking at ways to improve its technical education
seminars to reflect the changes taking place at HP. Today it sent
an email to members asking for input and feedback on the type of
information they wanted from HPUG.
Shane Mills, interim head of ICT at Newham Borough Council,
which has a strategic partnership with HP, said, "It is encouraging
to see that HP is going to be able to offer software and other
things to help Newham achieve its strategic objectives."