HP Targets Apple IT Consumerization With Windows 8 Blitz

Hewlett-Packard (NYSE:HPQ) is poised to mount a massive product and sales offensive around Windows 8 aimed at taking the wind out of rival Apple (NSDQ:AAPL)’s momentum, which is being driven in large part by the consumerization of IT.

This fall, HP will launch a massive product and channel sales offensive around Windows 8 aimed at challenging Apple on a number of fronts, HP Director of Americas Channel Marketing Matt Smith told CRN Tuesday.

“It is going to be disruptive with the balance between Microsoft (NSDQ:MSFT) and Apple,” said Smith in an interview at the XChange 2012 conference at the Gaylord Texas in Dallas, Texas. “It is going to be disruptive in favor of Microsoft’s solutions driving to the cloud with multiple products. You are going to see more and more products, more and more variety, all relying on the Windows 8 cloud environment. And, HP is going to do it better than everybody else. We believe this is the tipping point of a massive refresh cycle.”

Microsoft has promised that Windows 8 will be generally available at the end of October. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, for his part, declared that Windows 8 marks a turning point of sorts in the innovation battle against Apple.

"We are trying to make absolutely clear we are not going to leave any space uncovered to Apple," Ballmer told CRN last month in an exclusive interview.

Smith declined to provide details on HP's Windows 8 tablets and ultrabooks but stressed that HP has already begun its consumerization of IT march by adding enterprise capabilities to some of its consumer notebook line.

Specifically, Smith pointed to HP’s Envy Pro consumer laptop, which is available with Windows 7 Professional and includes a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) security chip, additional manufacturing quality and reliability and a three-year warranty, up from only a single-year warranty.

"We’ve put all the IT specifications in the cool, whiz-bang consumer products you like," Smith told CRN. "Consumerization of IT is going to be big. People are going to bring more products [to work] that are personalized to them."