Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) CEO Meg Whitman is in damage control now that Spanish service provider Telefónica has confirmed that it's ditching HPE as the primary technology provider and systems integrator for Unica, its network virtualization program.
It's the first serious bump in the road for Whitman and HPE after she split the former Hewlett-Packard into HPE and HP on November 1. Light Reading's Mitch Wagner broke the news of Telefónica's decision, noting that HPE will be able to take part in the new bidding process initiated by the Spanish operator, but the door is now open for other vendors to step into HPE's shoes and take over as the lead vendor partner. (See Telefónica Ditches HPE as Virtualization Lead.)
Light Reading also analyzed which companies are in contention to take over from HPE once the new bidding process is complete. (See Who Might Replace HPE at Telefónica?)
The Light Reading reports suggest that Telefónica was displeased with HPE's alleged reluctance to work closely with other vendors in the NFV arena. By boxing itself in, HPE went against the grain of helping Telefónica create an open ecosystem, which is one of the underlying principles of the Unica program.
Telefónica's decision reflects poorly on HPE, which, like many large IT and telecom vendors, wants to position itself as an integration partner for large service providers that are undergoing major network and support system transformations. And you know what they say about first impressions...
— Mike Robuck, editor, Telco Transformation