The New HP
The merger of Hewlett-Packard Co. and Compaq Computer Corp. at the beginning of May created a new company that is now a leader in five key technology markets important to education: infrastructure solutions, IT services, digital imaging, digital publishing and mobility.
According to George Warren, former director of K-12 education for Compaq who is now a part of HP, this merger means the new consolidated company will be able to concentrate on schools. "It's a matter of scale and focusing our resources, not only on the products, but on the services as well," he says.
While HP looked over other businesses in the market and what they focus on, "nowhere is the idea of innovation more necessary than in our schools," says Warren. "We've put a great deal of technology into schools and we're proud of that, but we've not seen the kind of return on investment that I think we're all looking for. It's not going to take a consolidating industry, it's not going to take more efficient delivery of products, it's going to take innovation."
This is an exciting time for HP and education, says Warren. HP has $5 billion focused on research and development in innovation, not only for products, but also for overall systems, he says, and we're taking that work and focusing it in the classroom. "Educators can expect to see not only more resources, but different implementations of technologies in schools - helping educators make decisions based on data with the appropriate system set up to deploy it," says Warren. "There's also a matter of designing an overall system, a system that the school district is empowering them to make decisions on."
According to Warren the most important thing to remember is that in this time of change, the basics are still the same. "The person you have trusted at HP or at pre-merger Compaq is still the same person you go to," he says. "And all of the same products that you're familiar with from both companies will still be available to the customers."
To help customers understand the new HP, the company has released product roadmaps for its hardware and software offerings, available at www.hp.com/hpinfo/ newsroom/press/07may02b.htm. Below is a summary of the HP product roadmaps:
Servers. HP will become the master brand for all server products, while keeping product families representing both companies.
Personal Systems. Both HP- and Compaq-branded consumer PCs and notebooks will be available. In the commercial PC and notebook product categories, the Compaq brand will be retained and the HP brand will be dropped. All other products, solutions and services will carry only the HP brand. HP's Jornada handheld products will be phased out and replaced by Compaq iPAQ handhelds, which will be re-branded. In addition, HP will continue the Compaq line of thin clients, which will also be re-branded.
Imaging and printing. The HP imaging and printing categories and product lines remain the same, while the Compaq-branded products will be phased out. HP and Compaq digital projectors will be combined into a single product line over the next year under the HP brand.