Bob Schultz, VP of Network Storage Solutions, HP

When Hewlett-Packard Co. (NYSE: HPQ) earlier this month announced it would merge its server and storage operations into a single Enterprise Storage and Servers (ESS) group, some skeptics believed it was mainly to achieve cost efficiencies (see HP Fuses Server, Storage Units).

Competitors namely, EMC Corp. (NYSE: EMC) – were hopeful it was a sign HP was downplaying its storage business. Or could it be that HP was simply emulating IBM Corp. (NYSE: IBM), which did the very same thing last year? (See IBM Merges Storage, Server Groups.)

Bob Schultz, newly appointed VP of HP's network storage solutions group, says none of these theories is even close to reflecting the truth. And what is that, then? That customers want a more holistic view of their computing infrastructure – and HP, he says, is better positioned to deliver on those requirements in a more integrated fashion.

"Nothing exists in a vacuum. Storage does not exist in a vacuum, servers don't exist in a vacuum – they connect to each other, they connect to applications, and they have services wrapped all around that. So one of the benefits of this reorganization is really kind of tuning this focusing."

Schultz, 45, takes over for Howard Elias, who is now heading a new group in ESS, Business Management and Operations. Though HP insiders expected Schultz to be tapped for the position, he's moved to the head of the class in fairly short order. In August 2002, Schultz joined HP as VP of marketing for the storage group after spending two years as COO of Adaptec Inc. (Nasdaq: ADPT).