SAN FRANCISCO — Hewlett-Packard Co., which is splitting up after failing to keep up with the boom in mobile and cloud computing, is fighting back with tablets designed for doctors, retailers and other professionals.
The personal-computer maker is betting that the eight new products designed for specific industries will give it an edge over manufacturers of general-purpose devices.
“PCs are not mobile enough,” said Ron Coughlin, senior vice president and general manager of Personal Systems at HP, in announcing the devices. “What we see is a gap between expectations, and what’s on the marketplace.”
Hewlett-Packard, based in Palo Alto, Calif., needs hit products for its PC and printers business, which will be called HP Inc. after the split and be led by Dion Weisler. Global PC shipments for all manufacturers declined 2.1 percent in 2014, down for a third straight year, according to IDC, as consumers and corporations embrace smartphones and tablets. Global sales of tablets to businesses, institutions and governments are projected to jump to 101 million units in 2018 from 19 million in 2013, according to IHS Technology.
Hewlett-Packard’s PC division was the only group that grew in the company’s most recent financial quarter, benefiting from more corporate spending on PCs and the success of low-cost laptops such as Google’s Chromebooks.
The eight new products are for specific industries, such as health care and manufacturing, and embrace multiple operating systems, including Google’s Android software as well as Microsoft’s Windows operating system.
“It’s still largely a Windows world just because of the sheer legacy that Windows has,” said Michael Park, vice president and general manager of Commercial Mobility and Software within HP’s Business Personal Systems group.
Hewlett-Packard also released add-ons for the devices, including a case that turns laptops into point-of-sale units for stores, and software to help teachers better manage the computers in their classrooms. It has teamed up with software companies such as Cerner Corp., Intergraph Corp. and SAP to build software for specific industries.
Hewlett-Packard’s new push follows Apple’s working with International Business Machines Corp. to develop software for iPhone and iPad business users. Apple is looking to fuel iPad sales, which have been sagging, by wooing new buyers.
The other company to be created when Hewlett-Packard splits will be HP Enterprise, which will offer corporate hardware and services and be led by current Hewlett-Packard Chief Executive Officer Meg Whitman.
