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Hewlett-Packard Co. is growing the parts of its hardware product lines that use processors from Advanced Micro Devices Inc.
HP on Wednesday is outfitting several new and existing servers with AMDs dual-core Opteron chips. In addition, the Palo Alto, Calif., company is rolling out its first commercial laptop powered by AMDs Turion 64 processor.
The moves come amid HPs celebration of selling its 10 millionth ProLiant server, which was delivered to Continental Airlines. As part of that, HP also introduced a factory express configuration and services for its BladeSystem servers.
The Opteron-based systems will be a key for HP as it continues to grow its ProLiant offers, said Paul Miller, vice president of marketing for HPs industry-standard servers and BladeSystems.
“Its customer choice,” Miller said. “Were giving customers choices that make sense.”
HP and Sun Microsystems Inc. have both fully embraced AMDs 64-bit technology. IBM also has Opteron-based offerings. Of the top four server vendors, only Dell Inc. is staying away from the AMD platform.
HP is launching its four-way ProLiant DL385, which it first talked about in April, when AMD launched the dual-core Opterons. The company also is rolling out its DL145 G2, the second generation of its 1U (1.75-inch) system armed with Opteron Series 200 chips.
Two of HPs blade servers, the BL25p and BL35p, will be upgraded with the dual-core Opterons.
All the new and upgraded systems are available immediately.
HP also is expanding its BladeSystem offerings through a Factory Express configuration program. Through the program, customers can choose everything from the operating system to applications, networking and storage offerings, and have HP package them together before shipping the system to the customer, Miller said.
The program makes it easier for customers to get the systems up and running, he said.
“When the servers come in, they power it on, the work begins and theyre good to go,” he said.
In addition, installation and startup services are now offered to the BladeSystem customers through HPs Care Pack services.
HP is aiming its new Compaq nx6125 notebook at SMBs (small and midsize businesses), said Steve Schultis, acting director for notebook product marketing at HP. An HP-sponsored customer survey found that “of all the technologies, notebooks were the top technology [in demand] for SMBs,” Schultis said. A third of those surveyed said they will be buying notebooks this year.
The thin-and-light nx6125, which weighs 2.4 pounds, is the first commercial mobile PC from HP with AMDs 64-bit Turion 64 technology. It also comes with added security through an integrated biometric fingerprint sensor, part of the companys ProtectTools portfolio of security offerings.
“It combines both security and convenience,” he said. “Its about replacing passwords. … We certainly see this graining traction in the SMB market.”
HP also is offering as an option an integrated smart-card reader, and provides further security through its Credential Manager, which offers a single sign-on password technology. It is available now, starting at $999.