RE: HP Buys Compaq

[Jim Damato <jdamato@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>> Jim says:
>> Many folks still think of NT servers as PC's, however, the back-end
server
>> business has matured so much in the past few years.  Five years ago an NT
>> (or Novell) server really was a rack mounted PC with a bunch of hard
>> drives. Now we're running NT and Win2K on server clusters off a SAN.  I
>> agree with Leif that this is the type of technology that HP is after.
>>
>> -Jim

> Chris says:
>Well, I have to go with a "Yes and no" on this. HP's 3000 and 9000 servers
>already are in this arena, don't you think?

I'm not sure where you're going with your point about HP3000 and HP9000
servers.  No, I don't think they're in the same arena.  I had thought that
the 3000 line's claim to fame was MPE (but I could be wrong), and the
HP9000's run the range from entry-level a-class and l-class to high-end
SuperDomes.  At any rate the HP9000's are largely Unix servers, and I was
talking about back-end Windows servers.  I still think that one of the
reasons HP had their eye on Compaq was to fill in their Windows server low
to mid-range line.

Storage at that level could be a target as well.  HP's SAN solution, the XP
line, is a rebadged Hitachi product.  Previously HP had had a similar deal
with (shudder) EMC.  I wonder if HP wants a SAN of their own.  Also, I don't
think the XP line scales down to small to medium Windows server and server
farm implementations.

I'm a little bit out of my league on this stuff, admittedly.  I jumped into
this thread when Chuck referred to Compaq as a PC company.  I stand by my
remarks on that point -- Compaq is a lot more diverse than most PC
companies.

As for why HP wants to buy Compaq, for the moment we're both speculating
based on knowledge from different sources.  This all might be clarified in
future press releases.  Remember, HP is run by a woman -- maybe she just
decided to go shopping :)

-Jim

James P. Damato
Manager - Technical Administration
Dollar General Corporation
<mailto:jdamato@dollargeneral.com>