HP's SaaS Cloud Shrinks -- And Expands

As Hewlett-Packard shuts down Upline — an online storage service — some pundits may wonder if HP is retreating from cloud-based computing and software as a service (SaaS). Certainly not. Rising from Upline’s ashes, HP is set to announce a new SaaS industry relationship within two days, The VAR Guy hears.

Alas, The VAR Guy can’t say much about HP’s forthcoming SaaS deal. But loyal readers should expect some news on March 4.

In the meantime, HP rivals and media are weighing in with views on Upline’s demise. Among the opinions worth checking out…

Interestingly, the Symantec Protection Network (SPN) blog apparently hasn’t offered its views on Upline’s demise — but HP’s loss certainly could be Symantec’s gain.

The VAR Guy wasn’t surprised by Upline’s demise. The online storage service hit serious bumps in 2008 and never received much marketing or branding. But a friendly reminder: Check back March 4 for more news about HP’s cloud/SaaS effort.

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