HP expanded its Total Care initiative for small and midsize businesses (SMBs) with several new products, solutions and services that reduce costs, improve productivity and enhance efficiency.

To help SMB customers keep their businesses up and running with less capital and fewer employees and technology resources, HP has introduced infrastructure offerings including storage, virtualisation, remote access and consolidation solutions.

“In today’s economic climate, SMBs need technology solutions that take out costs while helping drive even greater competitive advantage so they can survive and thrive,” said Kathy Chou, vice president, Worldwide Small and Medium Business Strategy, HP. “Through our Total Care initiative, HP is helping customers achieve their business goals.”

Customers can better manage data growth while reducing the complexity and costs of storage through:

• The HP StorageWorks X1000 and X3000 Network Storage Systems unify file and application storage to simplify storage infrastructures.

• The HP StorageWorks 2000i and 2000sa G2 Modular Smart Arrays feature 2.5-inch, small form factor drives that increase storage capacity by up to 33 percent per unit of rack space.

To further help customers protect and grow their businesses, HP unveiled:

• HP Secure Remote Access solutions, which help reduce costs, eliminate business disruptions and maximise sales opportunities for SMBs with mobile workforces.

• The recently unveiled HP 4410t Mobile Thin Client, which provides enhanced security access to server-based computing and reduces IT workload while providing the mobility of a notebook.

To help customers reduce costs, improve productivity and more efficiently manage data and operations, HP announced:

• The HP Total Care Branch Office Consolidation solutions, which offer customisable configurations of servers, storage, networking, PCs and printers to help SMBs significantly reduce the time needed to consolidate multiple branch sites into a single location.

New printing solutions deliver professional-quality output at significant cost and energy savings versus competing laser printers:

• Saving up to 50 percent on energy consumption with HP Instant-on Technology, the HP LaserJet Enterprise P3010 Printer series is a high-performance networked printer for businesses needing to print high volumes.

• Through HP Smart Template Printing, SMBs can save time and money by printing marketing materials and business documents on free, customisable templates at the touch of a button from a PC or notebook.

• The HP Officejet 6000 Printer series delivers professional-quality prints at fast speeds, offers up to 40 percent less cost per page and energy use than comparable laser printers.

• The HP Officejet 7000 Wide Format Printer is HP’s first entry-level, wide-format printer with individual inks.

As part of the HP Eco Solutions program, the three new printers are ENERGY STAR® qualified and use significantly less energy than competitive laser printers based on several key environmental attributes listed on the HP Eco Highlights label.

HP also announced the new HP Scanjet N6350 Networked Flatbed Document Scanner a simple-to-use, versatile page scanner with integrated networking expected to be available for purchase worldwide in June.

Additional information about HP’s new offerings to help SMBs thrive in challenging times is available in an online press kit at www.hp.com/go/smallbusiness2009.