HP ups services to deliver solutions to business problems

Seeing a need for improved services around ERP and knowledge, document and customer relationship management, Hewlett Packard has developed a new unit under its Laser Jet Imaging Systems (LIS) division.

Under the banner "Information Solutions for Business," HP's Digital Workplace Professional Services provides a four pronged services attack: consulting, systems integration, education and outsourcing. It is a projected area of growth for the company, with services accounting for approximately 30% of LIS business by 2004. HP predicts the total market size to be $64 billion.

The announcement is centered around customer questions like "I need an output management solution as part of my ERP implementation" and "I want to outsource my network printing environment so my company can focus on core competencies," said Kriss Kirchhoff, general manager of HP digital workplace professional services.

According to Kirchhoff, the services unit will target:

• consulting--helping customers assess and develop effective information management strategies to meet business and IT objectives.
• systems integration--helping clients design, implement and integrate information management applications and strategies with an existing or planned IT infrastructure.
• education--helping clients maximize the effectiveness of new information technology through onsite or remote knowledge transfer.
• strategic outsourcing -- allowing clients to transfer the responsibility for managing and optimizing their network print environment to HP.

While Kirchhoff acknowledged that paper has been at the core of HP's business, he said, "We are in and have been in the information delivery business and paper is the driver."

This specific HP unit will work in conjunction with long-standing professional services personnel in the company's computing division, according to Kirchhoff. Although the announcement is being made today, he noted that the unit is already providing services under non-disclosure agreements from offices around North America and Europe