"What happens when I have to buy another server and I've got an Itanium server and the rest are all PA-RISC and I can't have a dual development and operating environment?" said Berry. "I have to do a massive upgrade all at one time across the world."

The operating system supporting the human resources application is HP-UX, he said.

Fernando Guerrero, a manager at Grupo CMA, a Costa Rica-based IT provider, also wants to hear more about HP's plans for its Itanium-based server line, Integrity. He feels that HP is moving ahead on encouraging use of this system, but he believes the company has "to be more aggressive."

When asked yesterday what he wanted Hurd to address, one IT director at a large company who didn't want to be identified said, "What's most important is [Hurd] showed up, that he's here. Carly never came." He was referring to Carly Fiorina, HP's former chairman and CEO. "I think it's important that Mark Hurd is coming."

Hurd Monday painted the company's objectives in broad brushstrokes, stressing the need to become more efficient and grow by cutting the company's decision-making bureaucracy.