Hasta La Gadget!

The Department of Veterans Affairs has signed a $36 million deal with HP and Microsoft that will result in 600,000 users being migrated to Microsoft’s cloud email and collaboration services. The contract is for 5 years, and involves an initial amount of 15,000 employees being transitioned to Office 365 for Government. The rest of the staff will be transitioned over the rest of the contract’s duration.

In total, over 600,000 employees will be migrated to Microsoft’s cloud products. Office 365 will be used for nearly all computing activities, including conferences, email, instant messaging, calendar-related activities, as well as adding the use of SharePoint and Office collaboration items. Less the Veterans Department side exclusively with Microsoft, however, it tossed HP into the mix.

HP will provide disaster recovery and work as a systems integrator, according to Information Week. This comes after a deal the VA entered into with Microsoft this past summer that provided it with access to many of the company’s applications and services. Says Microsoft, the agency possesses one of the largest technology systems in the country.

The Department of Veterans Affairs employs 6,300 IT workers, and has over 100,000 mobile devices and 400,000 PCs, making it second only to the Department of Justice. The entire network is comprised of 800 clinics, 135 nursing homes, 163 hospitals, and more. What prompted the deal? Transitioning to cloud services is more cost effective than the current setup.

[via Information Week]

Department of Veterans Affairs signs $36m cloud-computing deal is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

HP has become a platinum member of the The Linux Foundation, part of what is described as the PC manufacturers “prioritizing” of the open-source OS for future devices. HP, who was previously a gold member of the Foundation, now joins Intel, Qualcomm, Samsung, and others as a platinum sponsor, and in return gains a seat on the board of directors and more input into group activities.

That input is described as being “directly involved in advancing Linux-based initiatives, workgroups, Labs, events, and more that support its business goals” by The Linux Foundation, though specifics of what HP hopes to achieve are conspicuous by their absence. The company itself name-checks Linux as “a strategic asset” but gives little more in the way of insight into exactly what strategy that might be.

Nonetheless, Linux has a place across HP’s range, with servers, printers, networking kit, and other hardware all using the open-source platform. Open webOS, meanwhile – the open-source version of webOS – is also based on the Linux kernel, though as yet has been little used in any consumer-facing way.

Still, it’s a sign that HP is hedging its bets on positioning moving forward, something CEO Meg Whitman has warned is still a work-in-progress. The company has seen sales of desktops, accessories, and other hardware dip in recent quarters.

Platinum membership in The Linux Foundation is priced at $500,000 each year, five-times more than what gold members pay.

HP pays $500,000 for Linux Foundation Platinum membership is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

It seems that the folks over at the FCC are pretty busy, and this time around, they have to spend their time going through just what the HP ElitePad 900 is capable of offering, and since it has already arrived at the doorsteps of the FCC, it goes to show that the chances of the HP ElitePad 900 hitting the mass market has increased by a whole lot. The particular HP ElitePad 900 model that we are talking about here is a 3G version which targets road warriors, sporting the 850MHz, 1,700MHz and 1,900MHz bands that will play nice with AT&T, T-Mobile and Canadian networks.

Do not expect a rabbit or any other creature to pop out from the proverbial magician’s hat here, as there is an indication that NFC support is thrown into the mix amidst dual-band 802.11n WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity options. At least this adds yet another option to folks who want more offerings in the enterprise tablet market in the coming year.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: HP TouchPad Go clears the FCC, HP gearing for launch?, Touchstone Audio Dock for HP Pre3 arrives at the FCC,

LG is tipped to be developing a webOS-based smart TV, using the open source platform in favor of Google TV, after concerns about the Android-base OS’ momentum. The deal has seen LG dispatch engineers and prototype hardware to HP’s Sunnyvale Gram facility, webOS Nation‘s source claims, with the goal of showcasing the first models at CES 2013 in January.

Although both LG and HP apparently signed an agreement some time ago – back in June, in fact – to collaborate on the project, there are still some wrinkles yet to be ironed out. Most obvious (and likely to actively frustrate users) is boot time, with Open webOS taking some time to load up; tablet and phone users might be willing to suffer such a delay, but those settling down on the couch are probably not.

To address that, LG’s L9 motherboards – which use a dualcore processor, and are found at the heart of existing LG smart TVs – have been sent over to HP’s engineers for testing and trialling software tweaks. What could end up being the solution, it’s said, is a TV that only shuts off the display when put into standby, with the processor actually remaining on in the background for a subsequent instant-resume.

Hardware isn’t the only challenge, however. Open webOS would replace LG’s NetCast platform, and needs smart TV-focused apps to cater for that challenge. Netflix is one cited example, with a player apparently being build in Enyo (the platform’s application framework), as well as other web-connected widgets and apps for YouTube, Pandora, and other services.

As for why LG is pushing ahead with Open webOS rather than sticking with Google TV as it previously announced, it’s a complex one. The Korean company is apparently uncomfortable with Google’s demands for using its platform, and turned off by its slow adoption overall; meanwhile, the ever-present specter of Apple and the longstanding chatter of an Apple smart TV has pressured LG into taking precautionary steps of its own.

Those steps will need to be shared with HP/Gram, of course, but with the $1.2bn acquisition of Palm still yet to produce tangible benefits to pacify shareholders, Open webOS poses more potential for tinkering and modification.

LG Open webOS smart TV planned for CES 2013 as Google TV sidelined is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Today, HP announced the pricing and availability of a large portfolio of various Windows 8 PCs, as well as a tablet. Some of these products have previously been available with Windows 7, and have been relaunched for the latest upcoming Windows operating system. The devices utilize HP’s TouchSmart technology, and offer features such as Snapfish and HP Connected Music. Now, in a press release, HP has announced the devices’ pricing and availability.

First up are the consumer notebooks. The HP ENVY x2 is an ultrathin hybrid with a detachable screen for those times you need a tablet. It’ll be available in the US on November 14th starting at $849.99. Next is the SpectreXT TouchSmart Ultrabook boasting a 15.6-inch multitouch Radiance Full HD ISP display. This laptop will be available in the US in December starting at $1,399.99. The ENVY TouchSmart Ultrabook 4 has a 14-inch multitouch HD display and subwoofer audio; it’s available for preorder starting at $799.99. The HP Pavilion Sleekbook 14 and 15 models are available in the US, and start at $499.99 and $579.99. The HP ENVY m4 is available from Best Buy starting at $899.99. Finally, the Pavilion dm1, which offers 200MB of free mobile broadband data sans-contract, is available now starting at $499.99. You can check out our hands-on reviews of the ENVY TouchSmart Ultrabook 4, SpectreXT, and ENVY x2 here.

Next up are the all-in-ones and desktops, starting with the HP ENVY 23 (23-inch display, $999) and the ENVY 20 TouchSmart (20-inch display, $799). Both devices feature a 10-point multitouch HD display, and are currently available for purchase. The SpectreONE is a 23.6-inch non-touch all-in-one PC; it’s slated for release in November starting at $1,299. The Pavilion 20 AiO is a value system, currently available starting at $449. Finally, the ENVY Phoenix h9 desktop is aimed at those needing a bit of power, and is available starting at $899.

As far as business notebooks go, HP has included the EliteBook Folio 947m ultrabook, which is slated for launch on October 26th starting at $1,049. Last but not least is the HP ElitePad 900, which is the only tablet (excluding hybrid laptops) in the lineup. This slate is aimed at businesses, and comes with a free 50GB Box account. It’s slated for release in January 2013, with no pricing information currently available.

HP unveils lineup of Windows 8 PCs and tablet is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.