HP: We're still big on OpenView

(continued from previous page)

Gartner noted that the acquisition could be HP's attempt to fill its product gaps, particularly in service desk software that provides helpdesk and service-level management capabilities.

HP already has its own Service Desk 5.0, which was launched late last year, nearly four years after the last major release, Service Desk 4.5.

Georg Bock, HP's director for product management of OpenView Solutions, said that the company took longer to develop Service Desk 5.0 because the product includes a new architecture that underpins future OpenView products.

"It was a preparation not for the Service Desk product itself, but for the whole OpenView portfolio," he said.

But Gartner noted that the Peregrine acquisition has, in fact, allowed HP to buy market share in the IT service desk market--which the company was having difficulty building with its own products after many years of trying.

With the buyout, HP has taken a leading position in the service desk market, second only to rival BMC, Gartner said.

Matt Schvimmer, manager for systems and software engineer at HP's OpenView Business Unit, said the company is committed to its plan to unveil, within the next two years, a hybrid service desk product that will incorporate features from both Peregrine ServiceCenter and HP OpenView Service Desk.

Gee said the acquisition has effectively doubled HP's research and development efforts in its service desk product. He said, "With the talent and skills that we picked up from Peregrine, we are confident of delivering on schedule."

Aaron Tan of ZDNet Asia reported from Sydney, Australia.