Cisco: 'We're going to compete with HP'

This was originally published at ZDNet's Between the Lines.

The wraps are off the worst-kept secret in the tech industry: Cisco Systems' move into blade servers. But what's interesting is that Cisco isn't being shy about how it wants to compete with Hewlett-Packard.

As expected, Cisco will launch its foray into blade servers, but The Wall Street Journal has an interesting take. The paper notes how former partners are now trying to nail each other as the tech industry matures.

The Journal quotes Cisco CTO Padmasree Warrior saying:

We're going to compete with HP. I don't want to sugarcoat that. There is bound to be change in the landscape of who you compete with and who you partner with.

HP also has its own networking gear that could ultimately threaten Cisco.

That's why Cisco's Monday launch will be notable because of its partners as well as the product details. IBM is teamed with Juniper. Brocade bought Foundry Networks. And Cisco's blade launch will include partners such as BMC, EMC, VMware, and Microsoft.

From here out you can view the tech industry in terms of tectonic plates shifting without any lubrication. You'll have a handful of cash rich giants vying for market share and new growth markets.

The good news is that this big scrum is likely to mean better pricing for customers.

[actualtiger]

interesting partners, BMC for management & EMC for storage in particular, not sure about the other two though

[tenbosch]

Did you miss the part about the 'servers'?

[inachu1]

Cisco printers? YES!!!!(evil grin)
Cisco computers? Nooo!!!!!
I do not like ho computers and I know right away I will not like a Cisco computer unless it truly outshies HP 3 fold.

[pentest]

I have more and more corporations and other organizations slowly move away from the lock in and ridiculous pricing of Cisco. I doubt this would bring them back for more abuse.

[ErintheBlack]

Where are the numbers around decreased TCO? I have yet to find one example of this in the Cisco launch materials. Heck, this is even introducing a 'proprietary ethernet' protocol. Dont bet your job on this yet. But it will make things interesting....