Like its keen competitors, it has worked out that it cannot sustain the box-flogging, hardware-based model needing to move to a ‘services and devices company’.

If that phrase sounds familiar, it is also Microsoft’s latest ‘do or die’ mantra as well as Dell, Lenovo, and countless others. I repeat – there is no money in hardware!

So the launch of HP’s new commercial range was not about pretty boxes (its workstations are black and not achingly pretty) or shiny notebooks (metal and matt black – not so shiny) but about how HP can help ‘simplify processes’ or ‘boost business productivity’, or ‘raise the bar on mobility’ and so it rightly should claim these things.

To be clear – and it may influence if you read further – HP commercial products are different to their consumer products. They are only sold via qualified, approved, value added, resellers. You cannot go to Hardly Normal to get an EliteBook, ProBook, or Z Workstation etc., - which is a shame because it is damned good, if a tad expensive kit. You are paying for peace of mind - extended warranty, same or next day support, and amazing backup - hardly normal in retail computer experience.

HP is a mighty company that has had some mighty management issues but it is hard to beat their commercial products for reliability and functionality.

iTWire colleague Stephen Withers and I attended the launch of HP’s commercial range. It highlighted several areas (overviews of most of the above are linked below).

• The Z workstation product range – including some very powerful mobile workstations (hard to call them notebooks) here
• Thin Client range here
• Large format AO printers here
• EliteBook and ProBook notebooks here
• OfficeJet printers - review to come
• Enterprise LaserJet MFP M800 series managed print services (formerly called copiers!) a USB based NFC receiver - review to come