Get the latest tech news How to check Is Temu legit? How to delete trackers
TECH
Meg Whitman

HPE shares jump 6% on Microsoft Azure news

Jon Swartz
USA TODAY
Hewlett Packard Enterprise

SAN MATEO, Calif. — Shares of the newly minted Hewlett Packard Enterprise popped nearly 7% after it announced a deal with Microsoft that makes Microsoft Azure a preferred cloud-computing partner for HPE customers.

It may sound like a mouthful, but it's a significant contract win for HPE, the enterprise company splintered from  what used to be Hewlett Packard. The 76-year-old company was split in half, officially, on Nov. 1. The other company, HP Inc., centers on PCs and printers.

HPE is tasked to make inroads in cloud computing, computer security and other more profitable areas amid the emergence of new rivals such as Amazon.

The Microsoft accord offers a strong first impression, and Wall Street approved: HPE shares are up 6.6%, to $15.84.

"Public cloud services, like those Azure provides, are an important aspect of a hybrid cloud strategy and Microsoft Azure blends perfectly with HPE solutions to deliver what our customers need most," HPE CEO Meg Whitman said in a statement.

The deal includes new hardware and software. Early this year, the former HP said it would "retire" its public cloud technology, called Helion.

Featured Weekly Ad