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eewiz
Pre-loading WebOS HP PCs is very smart move. Customers who are hesitant to try ...
goafrit
Cloud is going to become fragmented industry like the utilizes with undue ...
HP plans cloud, WebOS on PCs
Rick Merritt
3/14/2011 5:11 PM EDT
SAN FRANCISCO – Hewlett-Packard will launch its own cloud service marketplace, pre-load WebOS on its PCs and printers and roll out system for business analytics using software it is acquiring from Vertica Systems.
"We intend to be the platform for cloud and connectivity," said Leo Apotheker in his first major strategy speech since being named chief executive of HP in September 2010.
"HP intends to build and run an HP cloud," Apotheker told an audience of financial analysts and press at the Yerba Buena Center here. "We will launch a public cloud offering in the near future" hosting HP and third-party apps and services, he said.
The cloud service will be based on HP's own systems and will include an application and services store, spanning needs of consumers and businesses. HP also plans to roll out middleware for cloud services, he said.
Separately, HP could ship as many as 100 million systems using the WebOS it acquired last year from Palm. The company plans to load WebOS along with Microsoft Windows on all its PCs starting sometime next year.
HP demonstrated a half-rack system integrating real-time business analytics software it is in the process of acquiring from Vertica, a deal announced in February. A family of systems running the software are now in the works and will be delivered within weeks of when the deal is expected to close, roughly in June.
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alan.varghese
3/14/2011 8:44 PM EDT
The benefit of Cloud computing is that you can store info in the cloud, and access it from anywhere, with any device. But HP’s WebOS and Cloud computing strategy seems to require the consumer use an HP device. This strategy may work for the enterprise which uses all HP laptops, WebOS as their Cloud computing strategy, and HP handhelds for the workforce. But, it’s not possible to use an operating system/Cloud computing to force consumers to buy a certain device.
In addition the performance of applications is tied to the capabilities of the underlying chipset & processor platform. Applications written for WebOS on a PC platform, may not function as well on a handheld device. A third issue is that increase in Cloud-based computing could move users to smaller devices, affecting HP’s strong laptop business. (This is not a concern for competitors such as IBM or Oracle).
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rick.merritt
3/15/2011 2:36 AM EDT
The world is going to smartphones and cloud services in a big way. HP is not trying to lead this so much as not be left in the dust--and if it tries to tie its WebOS devices to its cloud services, it would not be the first attempted vendor lock in.
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goafrit
3/15/2011 2:30 PM EDT
Cloud is going to become fragmented industry like the utilizes with undue regulations.The more it diffuses, the more few players will be in it.
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eewiz
3/16/2011 1:37 AM EDT
Pre-loading WebOS HP PCs is very smart move. Customers who are hesitant to try WebOS, will get a free copy when they buy an HP notebook. They try and play with it and if they like it they can go and buy an HP tablet/smartphone. Also more motivation for web-os app developers due to the large market size.
Where does it leave Windows & windows phone 7?
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