HP creates Web services management unit

HP's chairman and chief executive officer Carly Fiorina made the announcement in a keynote speech at the BEA eWorld conference in Orlando.

One of the major goals for the new group will be making sure HP's OpenView management software works well with J2EE and .net software from various suppliers.

"HP is committed to working with BEA, other partners and many of you to make Web services a reality," Fiorina said during her speech.

"It is not something we are doing because it's the next big thing. It's something we are doing because it will help our customers achieve more cost-efficient IT, more responsive IT and more integrated IT."

HP wants to make it possible for both J2EE-based applications and .net-based applications to work together, Fiorina added. The company shelved much of its own Internet infrastructure software or middleware last year, deciding that partnerships with BEA and Microsoft would be a better option.

HP has also created a services practice dedicated to J2EE-based software, Fiorina said, which will have 1,000 staff by the end of the year.