Info Tech: September 08, 2010 eNewsLetter |
Keeping micro- and small-businesses in mind, computer giant Hewlett-Packard) has introduced a portfolio that includes new server, printer and PC products designed and priced “just right” to deliver affordability and value to small businesses.
Part of the “Just Right IT” portfolio, the ProLiant Microserver provides an inexpensive alternative to blade or rack servers, said HP. In essence, according to HP, these products are aimed at cutting computing costs for small and very small businesses.
“While small to mid-size businesses (SMBs) remain cautious about the economy, they continue to look for ways to simplify operations and prepare for growth,” said Anil Miglani, senior vice president at AMI Partners, a strategy consulting firm. “HP, with the help of its channel partners, offers an expanded technology portfolio with realistic financing options that enable SMBs to manage data expansion, improve employee productivity and retain, as well as attract, clients,” he added.
According to HP, the quiet energy efficient ProLiant MicroServer is a small desktop unit featuring a dual-core AMD (News - Alert) Athlon II microprocessor with up to 8 GB of PC3 DDR3 memory. In addition, it comes with a Gbit Ethernet port, room for two half-height, half-length PCIe slots, and up to four low-form-factor 3.5-inch SATA drives. The list price with one 2-TB hard drive and no operating system starts at $329.
The portfolio also includes seamless printers, the HP Officejet Pro 8500A e-All-in-One series and HP Officejet 7500A wide format e-All-in-One, the world’s first wide-format all-in-one with web connectivity. These printers include HP ePrint and print apps, allowing users to send print jobs from any mobile device and directly access content from the web without a PC, said the manufacturer.
While Officejet Pro 8500A delivers professional color at up to 50 percent lower cost per page than laser printers, the Officejet 7500A offers the lowest cost per page versus in-class, wide-format inkjet all-in-ones and prints up to 13 by 19 inches.
Semiconductor giant Intel (News - Alert) has also talked about microserver concepts. In fact, last year at Intel Developer Forum, the company disclosed a microserver with server like capability in a small, power-efficient package. Intel has presented this design to PC makers.
