From 14 days to factory exit
Hewlett Packard Enterprise now ensures that accepted quotes remain valid until hardware is shipped — not just for days, but potentially for months if necessary. This represents a concrete departure from the previous 30-day validity period and offers a clear timeline for buyers to plan their purchases.
The new policy went into effect on June 2026 for orders up to $1 million in Compute, Storage, and GreenLake Flex categories. The change is designed to reduce budgeting stress for customers. Previously, unexpected price increases between receiving a quote and placing an order often disrupted IT budgets and financial planning.
Why now?
Hewlett Packard Enterprise has not provided a detailed explanation for why it is now able to commit to a longer pricing window. However, the timing suggests that the company may have gained more stability in its procurement costs. Recent moves by memory manufacturers Micron and SK Hynix, which signed several long-term supply contracts with fixed pricing, could be contributing to HPE's confidence in managing its own expenses and mitigating potential losses from fluctuating part costs.
Despite this shift, HPE’s move does not indicate that hardware is becoming more affordable. The supply of components remains tight, particularly in the memory market, and demand for AI infrastructure has not shown any sign of slowing down.
Memory prices still climbing
According to research firm TrendForce, server memory prices are expected to rise by another 13–18% in the third quarter of 2026. Gartner has also reported significant increases, stating that DRAM contract prices surged by 90–95% during the first half of 2026 compared to the previous quarter. In the same period, NAND flash prices rose by 55–60%.
This means that while HPE's new policy makes the quoting process more straightforward for customers, the actual hardware remains expensive. The new approach provides greater predictability, but it does not come with cost reductions for buyers. The overall financial pressure on customers remains high, as there is no indication that the prices of AI-related hardware will decrease in the near future.