HP’s 3000 marketing manager Christine Martino gave us a quick call on the way to some well-deserved vacation, reporting that HP isn’t dropping its key-vertical strategy for selling HP 3000s, as was reported on a user group Web site. The division is adding awareness that its targets can be broader than the key vertical markets, which last year were airlines, credit unions, mail order, manufacturing and healthcare. All those areas remain strong for new 3000 sales — but so do other industries, and the division is helping other solution suppliers pursue new 3000 business, too. The 3000 has broad reach. “We’ve got applications that can do just about anything,” she said. “I think you can use the HP 3000 as a blender.”

Instead of thinking a few more verticals would expand the 3000’s opportunities, Martino said the system needs independent software vendors (ISVs), “and two more verticals won’t do it. We have to engage with a huge number of ISVs that we’ll work very closely with to help them move forward, and try to meet their technology and marketing needs.” Martino said the HP 3000 sale of the ’90s has been driven by application software, and HP sees those five vertical markets make up only about half of the 3000’s business. “We kept saying we were in these five vertical markets before, but with the exception of manufacturing, the other four were markets that were about 100 percent one ISV,” Martino said. “Our study showed, ‘Don’t go out and find vertical markets, in a pure marketing sense; re-engage with the applications you have on your systems, because that’s where you’re being successful. Don’t worry about if they fit into one of your five vertical markets. You better go out and engage with the ISVs on your system, if they’ll have you back.’ ” The ISVs have been extremely positive about having CSY back in their businesses, Martino said. “Somewhere between 75 and 90 percent of them said they are on board, and told us what kind of help they need, and they’re ready to go,” she said. “We’ve completely ignored them, and that’s the shift — that here are all our partners, and we’re engaging with them.” She added that if a 3000 application provider wants to get help, they can contact the CSY manager Narinder Sandhu (408.447.0126), who’s heading up the division’s new Software Partner Solutions Team.