Channel Beat: Whitman Critical Of Dell, Cisco

HPE CEO Meg Whitman fired shots at rivals Dell and Cisco this week during a conversation with Wall Street analysts.

Whitman said HPE has a stronger innovation engine and networking muscle than Dell, and Cisco lacks the necessary critical storage to beat HPE in the hyper-converged infrastructure market.

Whitman contrasted HPE's size with Dell, which completed its EMC merger Wednesday.

She said HPE will be faster and more agile in innovation and go-to-market than the new company.

HPE also decided to spin off and merge "non-core" software assets this week.

Those assets include Autonomy and Vertica big data software, and its security software portfolio.

British multinational software maker Micro Focus will buy the assets, but HPE will maintain a 50.1 percent stake in the new company.

Partner are in favor of the deal, calling it "the best of both worlds."

This week Intel finalized a deal to sell Intel Security to TPG Capital for $4.2 billion.

The deal creates a stand-alone security vendor and essentially undoes Intel's 2010 $7.7 billion acquisition of McAfee.

Intel Security will return to the McAfee name, but Intel will keep a 49 percent ownership stake in the new company.

Intel Security GM Chris Young will take the reins as CEO of the company.