HP to charge for server firmware updates and service packs

HP has announced that, from February 19 2014, customers will be require a valid warranty, Care Pack Service or support agreement in order to receive firmware or service pack updates for its ProLiant range of servers.

In a blog post on its website, the company was keen to stress that it would continue to provide an easy means for customers to download updates.

"This decision reinforces our goal to provide access to the latest HP firmware, which is valuable intellectual property, for our customers who have chosen to maximize and protect their IT investments," wrote Mary McCoy, vice president for servers and support.

Customer choice

According to McCoy, HP's intention is to offer long-term value in their products. "We are in no way trying to force customers into purchasing extended coverage. That is, and always will be, a customer's choice," she wrote.

HP has acknowledged that the move is a change to how it has previously operated, with updates previously downloadable regardless of a customer's warranty, Care Pack or support status. The company contends that the move brings it in line with industry best practices.

Customers had previously been notified by email of the impending change and HP has published an FAQs page that provides further information.

• Tech trends for 2014: what's in store this year?

Interview: Perzo: a military-grade messaging service that keeps the NSA at arms' length

Perzo chief David Gurle knows a thing or two about communications. A messaging expert who previously founded Microsoft's Lync video conferencing service and once ran Skype's Business division, Gurle's latest app is a military-grade messaging system designed to keep private communications away from prying eyes.

Gurle believes that communications tools should evolve to bring email, text and instant messaging together under a smart and intuitive interface while placing security high on the agenda. Perzo, which encrypts every message end-to-end using a three-layer encryption system, also brings collaborative features to the table - and it's free.

Launched in December 2013, the service has more than 7,000 active users, racked up 60,000 sent messages, seen more than 2,000 files exchanged and adds on average around 100 users per day.

TechRadar Pro spoke to Gurle to find out more.

TechRadar Pro: The communications space is a crowded one. How does Perzo stand out from the crowd?

David Gurle: It certainly is and the need for more secure communications has become a mainstream one in the wake of the NSA spying revelations. The security policies for existing communications platforms are upside down.

The likes of Microsoft, Google and Yahoo have all built their services first and then added security on as an afterthought and for many service providers it's an inverse relationship between increased levels of security and convenience. To have more of one you get less of the other.

Perzo is the natural evolution of communication tools where email, text and instant messaging come together into an intuitive and smart interface. We built security as the foundation of the product in this next era of communications - new technologies but also new behaviours, which will bring new problems once again.

TRP: Perzo sounds like a Whatsapp equivalent but with military-grade security. Is that a fair description?

DG: No, it's much more.Perzo is a secure communications application that integrates the best of email, Instant Messaging and SMS into an easy to use and viral web application. Perzo guarantees privacy and reliability of user's data whether they are messages, files or pictures.

Perzo encrypts every message end to end. We use a three-layer encryption system along with a random key generator that encrypts each message with a different key. This ensures that there are no men-in-the-middle attacks.

TRP: What collaborative features does Perzo offer?

DG: You can think of Perzo like a privacy layer, sitting above all your existing communications tools and integrating them into one secure UI.

We also have features like Off the Record messages that enable the content of the sent message to disappear after a set timer or Private Messages that enable further encryption to prevent a 3rd party from reading the content of a critical message 'over the shoulder' and ability to request a Read Receipt for each message if needed.

TRP: Perzo is free. How is the company going to make money?

DG: Perzo will always be free. Our roadmap will see us introduce contextual intelligence, which we call smart parsing, to Perzo users.

When Perzo users decide to go to a movie, or have lunch or dinner they will turn on smart parsing and this will allow the end user to receive relevant information about the upcoming event they are talking about. It is like having search come to you at the most relevant time.

So, for example when sending a meeting invitation you can choose for Perzo to also show you recommended locations from various sites likes Yelp, Zagat or Google along with local deals coming from Amazon Local, Yipit or Foursquare, etc… If and when the user selects one of these deals, Perzo will receive an affiliate fee from the site that offers that deal.

TRP: Is Perzo aimed at consumers, businesses, or both?

DG: We designed Perzo so that it can be used for personal and professional communications. Perzo has all the reliability, security and power to be used for making communications effective in businesses while it has all the features individuals will like to be used with friends and family.

Perzo excels in business to business communications and business to consumer communications thanks to its ability to work on multi-operating system and multi-browser environments.

TRP: How pleased are you with Perzo's reception since launching a month ago?

DG: We are extremely pleased with the reception we are getting from users and from the industry. Since launch we've attracted 7000 active users, over 60000 messages sent, over 2000 files exchanged, and we're adding about 100 users a week on average.

TRP: How has your time at Skype and Microsoft helped you with Perzo?

DG: Yes significantly. I have not only learned the craft of building communication software that scales to massive number of users but I also realized that it is only outside of such big companies that I can develop a concept like Perzo which brings the best of email, sms and IM into an easy to use interface and offer true end to end security.

A new service architecture for business innovation

type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://blogs.computerworlduk.com/sourcing-and-vendor-management/"> The IT services industry is being challenged on two opposite fronts. At one end, IT organizations need efficient, reliable operations; at the other, business stakeholders increasingly demand new, innovative systems of engagement that enable better customer and partner interactions.

My colleagues Andy Bartels and Craig Le Clair recently published thought provoking reports on an emerging class of software — smart process apps — that enable systems of engagement. In his report, Craig explains that “Smart process apps will package enterprise social platforms, mobility, and dynamic case management (DCM) to serve goals of innovation, collaboration, and workforce productivity.” In other words, smart process apps play a critical role in filling gaping process holes between traditional systems of records and systems of engagement.

While these reports focus on software vendors, I also see service providers like Accenture (with Accenture CAS), IBM (with Emptoris), and Infosys (with Infosys BrandEdge) acquiring and/or developing their own IP-based solutions to help organizations fill the gaps between current and future application requirements. Another interesting player in this space is HP Enterprise Services. I recently wrote about how HP composed a dealer management solution (DMS) leveraging Microsoft Dynamics as a platform on which it developed its own IP. Below I’ve listed a few of the design principles that caught my interest in this particular solution, which I believe will become commonplace among all service providers aiming to deliver business innovation to their clients:

A scalable, reusable, multitenant architecture enables adaptable business processes. The processes that clients go through to buy a car can also apply to other products and services, such as new credit cards or loan applications. These are all interactions that organizations need to manage efficiently and effectively in order to save time for the customer and either increase their satisfaction level or just reduce their frustration. Systems of engagement enable these interactions and relationships. But relationships change and enabling solutions need to be flexible and adaptable to rapidly embrace these changes. The approach that HP has taken is interesting because it leverages a platform and architecture that it can reuse across clients and repurpose across industries.Consulting, BPM, and analytics bring incremental business value to clients. In the DMS offering, HP’s automotive industry specialists work with the client to understand the business challenges and configure a solution aimed at delivering increased business value (higher client satisfaction, for instance). A library of reusable business processes accelerates the deployment of the solution across the different clients and client instances. Finally, analytical tools identify potential improvement areas in terms of business process performance, thus optimizing the solution to deliver the right business outcomes.

What does this mean? Service providers will no doubt play a big role as integrators of smart process apps. More importantly, I expect that this new service architecture, combination of assets (including BPM, mobile, social and analytics), strong domain expertise, and as-a-service delivery models will allow traditional service providers like HP ES, Accenture, IBM, and Infosys to reinvent the way they deliver value to their clients and help them create business innovation. I welcome your thoughts, as always.

Posted by Fred Giron

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