HP repackages hardware image

Hewlett Packard is aiming to shed its hardware-based image and will join its disparate business units together as Electronic World, in an initiative to provide customers with complete internet-based e-commerce systems.

The manufacturer has had problems organising and marketing itself as a co-ordinated company, despite its innovative ideas in on-line security, software and hardware.

HP chief executive Lew Platt launched the idea under the name Electronic World to HP's staff last week, and to the public at Spring Internet World held in Los Angeles.

Jane Wither, director of internet business development, admitted that Electronic World should also improve poor communication internally and externally at HP. 'HP's reputation is in printers and servers, but there is a bigger picture. We just don't do a good job of articulating it.'

Wither said HP has all the technologies - the infrastructure, e-business tools, online software for consumers and e-commerce applications, despite its conservative reputation.

'We are changing our technology from being just cool additions to supplying a whole digital economy.'

One example, Wither said, was HP's Change Engine software framework, which helps companies smoothly manage the migration from one middleware application to another by maintaining the logic in applications from vendors including Baan, Peoplesoft and SAP.

Other parts of the system include Openview Smart Internet - a management tool for internet service providers, encryption technology HP acquired when it bought Verifone - Virtual Vault Internet security software, Open Pix home digital photography products and Jet Send, a technology to include embedded Web servers in other products.