Seeking to reduce its dependency on the weakening PC market, Hewlett-Packard is rolling out a set of use case-optimized converged server and storage solutions for the enterprise. Pre-integrated systems are gaining traction among CIOs as information continues grow faster than the ability of traditional data center architectures to accommodate it.

The new ConvergedSystem for Virtualization, unveiled just ahead of HP Discover’s kick off in Barcelona, is 25 percent cheaper than VCE’s competing VBlock 100 and can support as many as 1,000 VMs. ConvergedSystem 300 for Vertica offers even greater cost savings, with a price per terabyte that is up to 70 percent lower than legacy data warehouses, according to the company. The two appliances are joined by a virtual desktop platform that is described as capable of delivering six times faster graphics performance than alternatives.

HP announced the new systems in conjunction with a major update to its storage portfolio. The StoreOnce family of backup solutions has been enhanced to provide “more than four times the backup performance and up to 10 times faster recovery” than the nearest competitor, while StoreAll Archive is now better suited for use in cloud and Big Data environments.

The 3PAR StoreServ Storage line also got an upgrade to smooth out “service-level inconsistencies.”

Stepping up the pressure

Hewlett Packard is stepping up the pressure on market stalwart EMC, which is looking to move beyond mechanical disks with a new all-flash array based on technology it gained through the acquisition of XtremeIO. The product drew criticism from several prominent voices in the industry, including HP Storage marketing boss Craig Nunes.

In an interview on theCUBE at VMworld 2013, Nunes detailed how his firm competes in the storage space and outlined what sets its products apart from the pack. Asked specifically about 3PAR, the exec told hosts John Furrier and Dave Vellante that:

“The approach with 3PAR … brings the administrators a reason to not have to understand what’s going in with all the hardware on the infrastructure. 3PAR delivers you that experience within the array, you don’t need to worry about where you’re provisioning, [or] where your snaps are. You forget about the hardware, you think about what you try to get done in your data center for your business.”

Staying competitive

Hewlett-Packard boasts an expansive portfolio of enterprise solutions, but it remains to be seen if CEO Meg Whitman can leverage her company’s assets to secure a footing in the fast-moving IT landscape. She faces the dual challenge of reversing the financial damage wrought by her predecessors and reining in the perfect storm of disruption that’s sweeping through the industry, our own Bert Latamore observes.

To meet her goals, Whitman must achieve corporate unity and throw HP’s full weight behind the cloud, mobile, flash storage, software-defined infrastructure, and globalization. This requires a carefully crafted plan that not only needs to be effectively implemented on an organizational level, but also justified to Wall Street.

There are tough choices ahead. Whitman needs to refocus on high-growth businesses and scale back less profitable divisions, keeping some and potentially selling others. Despite the faltering demand for desktops, HP’s PC group falls under the former category because it constitutes an indispensable pillar of the company’s sales channel, Furrier asserts.

In the enterprise, Whitman will have to determine whether to keep HP’s hardware mojo and adapt to the rapid commoditization of hardware, or allocate a large amount of resources to pursuing higher margin opportunities in software and services.