Hewlett-Packard is rolling out a host of new solutions, services and
financing options designed to help SMBs take advantage of the anticipated
rebound in the economy.
The new offerings, announced Sept. 29, touch on SMB needs around such
issues as security, risk management, productivity, cost reduction and energy
efficiency.
The offerings are part of HP’s Total Care portfolio for SMBs.
“By investing in new IT solutions now, SMBs will be in a stronger position
to seize growth opportunities and thrive as the economy rebounds,” Kathy Chou,
vice president of worldwide small and midsize business strategy at HP, said in
a statement.
HP is offering a risk mitigation solution by offering customizable
configurations of servers, storage devices, and networking and security
products, which officials say can reduce outages by up to 85 percent.
HP also is rolling out two new storage offerings—the StorageWorks X500 Data
Vault series and X3000 high-availability bundles.
In addition, the company unveiled the ProCurve 1810G Switch series, which
gives SMBs Gigabit Ethernet connectivity that is easy to install and manage,
given the small IT staffs SMBs tend to have. There are a number of options
around fanless designs, mounting choices and network security capabilities.
Another product is the ProBook 5310m notebook, an ultra-thin laptop that
offers 7 hours of battery life and the HP QuickWeb capability, which enables
users to quickly access the Internet even if the notebook is shut down.
On the printer side, HP is introducing the Color LaserJet Professional
CP5220 series in Asia and Europe.
The printer is part of HP’s “Professional” series, a branding device aimed at
SMBs. Larger businesses can go to the LaserJet “Enterprise”
products to choose a printer.
HP also is offering templates for brochures, fliers and business cards
through its MarketSplash by HP Web service for printer and PC customers in the United
States. Starting in October, MarketSplash
also will offer a print fulfillment option, which gives customers the ability to
choose a local print service provider.
In another step to help SMBs market themselves, HP and Yahoo are teaming up
to offer a number of special offers—from Web hosting to custom design services.
On the financing side, HP, through its HP Financial Services unit, is
offering the Economic Recovery Lease program, which offers 36-month purchasing
plans with fixed-price options through Oct. 31. HP also is offering cash back
on purchases of LaserJet, Officejet Pro and Scanjet, while recycling an old
printer through HP’s trade-in program. That deal is good through Dec. 31.
In addition, HP is offering channel-only products and channel-led Managed
Print Services programs.
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