HP teams with Viant on e-services

With redoubled effort to capitalize on IBM's runaway successful e-services push, Hewlett-Packard today announced it has formed an alliance with Viant, an Internet services company, to deliver a range of e-services.

Viant and HP plan to implement digital business models for clients building e-commerce sites. The partnership is the most recent in a series of deals HP has been cutting with smaller services firms since announcing its e-services direction earlier this year.

Completing its makeover from plodding computer and printer maker to an Internet player, HP now gives away its hardware and services to partners who generate revenues by charging companies to access their software. HP receives a cut of the money charged by its partners.

"Viant was built to offer clients new sources of value from the Internet, and to deliver business strategies and solutions to clients before they are apparent to the competition," said Viant chief executive Bob Gett. "We believe that e-services will represent a major step forward in the development of solutions that can truly unlock the value inherent in the Internet."

HP is counting on the broader acceptance "apps-on-tap" or "application service provider" concept, where customers will pay outside providers to run expensive and difficult to maintain enterprise software.

Everyone from hardware and software makers to telecommunications companies having been touting the dawning of the application service provider market.

Earlier this month, Wal-Mart and Telenomics signed deals with HP to provide interactive services on the company's Web site.