DIGITAL: HP appoints marketer to ease move into cloud and mobile.

Martin Homlish will help position HP's new products and services to customers. By Lara O'Reilly

Hewlett-Packard has drafted in business management software firm SAP's Martin Homlish as its chief marketer to help develop a strategy to tap into the growing demand for mobile technology.

Homlish will create a "unified marketing approach" across the company, which manufactures laptops, printers and network software.

HP aims to tap into the growing appetite for 'cloud' internet and mobile computing rather than just relying on PC sales. The company's latest quarterly revenue figures, up 3.2% to $32.2bn (#19.6bn), fell short of analysts' forecasts as consumer demand for PCs fell.

The company is to roll out its first tablet, the TouchPad, this year, which is reported to come with a pre-installed cloud-based music streaming service. The launch of the cloud-based music locker would beat Apple and Google to the market. They are reportedly working on similar services.

Chief executive Leo Apotheker - also a former SAP executive - says Homlish will help strengthen the company's global brand position at a time of "tremendous change" in the technology industry.

He adds: "He will help us position our products, services and value proposition to customers."

At SAP, Homlish was responsible for aligning the company's marketing, field and product divisions as the company's global CMO and corporate officer.

Homlish replaces former Marketing Week profile subject Michael Mendenhall, who resigned in January after four years in the role.

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