HP Software Shows Cloud and SaaS Progress

By samdizzy

Hewlett-Packard’s (NYSE: HPQ) software strategy has suffered from plenty of drama in the past year. But anecdotal evidence suggests the HP Software team is quietly hitting new milestones and pushing deeper into SaaS and cloud computing. Two examples include HP Agile Manager and HP Performance Anywhere, two new SaaS offerings for application development and operations teams.

The offerings are part of the HP Converged Cloud Strategy, which expands across public, private and hybrid clouds. Portions of that strategy have faced key questions — including the underperforming Autonomy acquisition as well as the recent departure of Biri Singh, formerly VP, HP Converged Cloud and GM, HP Cloud Services. HP CEO Meg Whitman is expected to offer an update on the company’s progress during an earnings call on Feb. 21, 2013.

Cloud Progress

In the meantime, the media — Talkin’ Cloud included — needs to remember that HP has thousands of employees focused on the cloud push. Among the key names to know: Subbu Iyer, VP, Products and Strategy, Applications, HP Software and Matt Morgan, VP, Hybrid IT and Cloud Product Marketing, HP Software.

Both Iyer and Morgan were recently in New York, briefing Talkin’ Cloud and other media about the new milestones. It sounds like HP Agile Manager and HP Performance Anywhere could appeal to web application developers that are looking to rapidly deploy new code updates. 

According to the company, HP Agile Manager allows teams to plan, execute, and track development activities as they deliver application changes. In contrast, HP Performance Anywhere monitors applications across web, cloud, and mobile environments. 

Short term, HP channel partners and customers can potentially use the SaaS offerings to improve customers’ on-premises and cloud application experiences. But long term imagine this: What if HP Agile Manager and HP Performance Anywhere allowed cloud developers to write, optimize and monitor applications that run in HP’s public cloud.

Now THAT would be a powerful approach and value-add for VARs, MSPs and cloud integrators that want end-to-end HP solutions.