While this is tactical, it responds to a current critical IT need for a public cloud service that meets corporate security and compliance requirements. It is also much closer to Whitman's core strength. This means she'll be much more likely to have a solid understanding of the new offering and add value as opposed to having to rely on other subject experts. This gives her an initiative that is truly hers and helps to turn HP into a company that better matches her unique skill set.

Just because it is tactical doesn't mean it can't be forward-looking. The Hybrid Cloud initiative anticipates the growth of companies like Google and Amazon -- and the likely entry of Yahoo and others -- in this space and provides a guard against their incursion into HP's markets. So it has both offensive and defensive elements and it should provide a higher likelihood of near-term revenue and profitability benefits, given that it is an area where Whitman has previously been successful.

In short, this strategy showcases HP's changing focus and the influence Whitman is bringing to the company.