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HP claims Oracle servers are 'inferior hardware'
FLOGGER OF EXPENSIVE PRINTER INK HP has posted a robust defence of Intel's Itanium chip by launching an attack on Oracle.
Yesterday the enterprise software and hardware giant reported that it will drop support for Intel's Itanium servers after the chipmaker had said it was 'focusing on the x86 architecture'. Intel has since publicly stated that it remains committed to Itanium, though with Oracle joining Microsoft and Red Hat in dropping the architecture, the chip might not require a lot of future support from Intel.
However, one of Intel's oldest partners, HP came forward with an astonishing defence, with a press release titled, "HP Supports Customers Despite Oracle's Anti-customer Actions". If you thought that was just an attention grabbing headline, you would have been wrong. In fact it was one of the most direct press releases we've had the pleasure of receiving at The INQUIRER in a long time.
HP followed its 'anti-customer' statement with, "Amid plummeting SPARC server market share, Oracle seeks to force customers to buy their servers." What HP went on to say, without the marketing speak, was that it will be supporting Itanium servers with its HP-UX operating system for at least the next decade and will also provide support for existing versions of Oracle software that run on HP's Itanium hardware over the same timeframe.
That was about the sum total of HP's standard press release material. HP's Dave Donatelli, EVP and general manager of enterprise servers, storage and networking apparently decided that the best defence would be pummelling Oracle into the ground with provocative prose.
Donatelli said, "Oracle continues to show a pattern of anti-customer behaviour as they move to shore up their failing Sun server business." You might think Donatelli would have stopped at calling Oracle's server business 'failing', but oh no.
Donatelli continued, "HP believes in fair and honest competition. Competition is good for customers, innovation and the marketplace. We are shocked that Oracle would put enterprises and governments at risk while costing them hundreds of millions of dollars in lost productivity in a shameless gambit to limit fair competition."
HP then sang the praises of Intel's upcoming Poulson architecture, the latest revamp of Itanium. However, perhaps realising that no one would remember that, it went back to what it clearly does best, bash Oracle.
This time HP stuck it to Oracle's server business, which primarily consists of Sun equipment that Oracle obtained through its purchase of Sun. HP said, "It is clear that Oracle customers are voting with their purchasing decisions against the Sun platform. This latest Oracle action of disinformation is clearly an attempt to force customers into purchasing Sun servers in a desperate move to slow their declining market share."
So here we have the anti-Oracle trifecta - anti-consumer behaviour, putting enterprises and governments at risk and spreading disinformation to drive users to buy its products.
HP signed off its backlash against Oracle's announcement by urging customers to email Oracle. "Customers who wish to preserve a fair and competitive marketplace can email Oracle at gcp-customerfeedback_us@oracle.com."
So just what did Oracle say to prompt such a response? Perhaps it accused HP of clubbing baby seals or even shaving the HP logo into a kitten's fur? No, it seems Oracle incurred the wrath of HP with a single sentence referring to HP CEO Leo Apotheker.
In Oracle's five sentence press release announcing the dropping of Itanium support, the firm made one reference to HP, saying, "HP CEO Leo Apotheker made no mention of Itanium in his long and detailed presentation on the future strategic direction of HP."
Obviously, we at The INQUIRER are not ones to take sides, so we applaud Oracle for inciting HP to write perhaps the greatest press release of the year.
The INQUIRER asked HP why it chose to defend Intel and Itanium in such a manner and Mark Payne, VP of business critical systems at HP EMEA told The INQUIRER "We are shocked that Oracle would put their customers' enterprises at risk. This is an effort to force customers to buy an inferior hardware platform and drive lock-in. This can only be interpreted as an act of desperation. HP remains committed to supporting our customers and their choices."
Inferior hardware, putting customers at risk and an act of desperation, oh my. And here we thought it was only Donatelli that could speak so bluntly.
It was well known that HP's relationship with Oracle had been somewhat strained recently, but this latest exchange between the two Silicon Valley giants surely will have burnt a few bridges. µ
Tags: Hardware
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I'm not entirely sure if it's HP's fault, but Itanium has been plagued by being late, slow and not very good. Perhaps if AMD hadn't done x64 then Intel would have been free and motivated to put more development effort in to Itanium.
Sun kept Sparc under their control, so were masters of their own future. Maybe Oracle can make that future brighter, and there's still a customer base there. IBM kept POWER, and that's been pretty successful for them. HP ditched two very respectable platforms (Alpha, PA-RISC) and went in with Intel, surely looking for a cheap ride. Now they're not masters of their own future. And there's nothing more off-putting for customers than knowing that your supplier can't guarantee a platform's long term stability.
If Intel pull the plug then HP become just another PC manufacturer who happen to sell expensive ink as well. All their treasured big iron customers take their expensive annual support contracts elsewhere (Oracle? IBM?).
I can understand HP's reaction, but it can hardly be a surprise if Oracle choose a course of action at the expense of HP. Afterall, they are commercial competitors. That's what business is all about! HP's current management isn't to blame - it's the mistakes made by previous incumbents who made a mess of things.
@Richfiles - HP's lab kit always was good. I think that HP's decision to ditch their instrumentation business and call it Agilent (who are still good IMHO) was a clear sign that HP had stopped being an engineering organisation and became driven by the quest for short term profits. Engineers might be steady and methodical in their approach to growing a business, but surely that's better in the long term than a short burst of stellar financial performance only then to be reduced to the status of just-another-box-shifter with ultra tight margins. Afterall customers like engineers who know their stuff, not sharp businessmen who know how to empty a customer's wallet.
But will it play Crysis?
Sorry couldn't help myself.
why now?
HP has given us all a crowning moment of awesome, to be read with "You're The Best Around", from "Karate Kid" as a soundtrack. Crowning moments of awesome must include 80's power rock. It's mandatory. Alternative soundtrack may be is "Holding Out for a Hero" from "Short Circuit 2", Or anything by "Survivor"... ANYTHING!
Thank you HP for continuing your policy of excellence! From introducing early tech, like the revolutionary HP-9100 programable desktop calculator in 1968, and the HP-35 pocket scientific calculator, to the top quality test equipment I use in my home lab and at work, to some of the nicest laptops I've seen in recent years... You now add making Oracle say "who's your daddy" you your list of excellence!
Thank you HP!