HPE extends validity of quoted hardware prices, possibly for months

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) has updated its pricing policy to ensure quoted hardware prices remain valid until the equipment leaves its manufacturing facilities. This change came into effect on Wednesday. The decision was prompted by the surge in demand for servers, memory, and storage due to the ongoing AI boom, which has caused prices for critical components to steadily rise and fluctuate daily.

Previously, HPE and other enterprise hardware providers offered quotes valid for only 14 days, while Cisco provided quotes with a validity period of up to seven days. This short validity period posed challenges for buyers who often sought quotes while developing a business case for new projects, as significant price fluctuations could render those projects unfeasible. Simultaneously, short-term quotes benefited vendors who preferred not to offer prices they could only deliver at a loss.

In June, HPE had previously extended the validity of its quotes from 14 to 30 days. However, the company recently changed its policy, allowing quotes to remain valid until the products are shipped to customers. This change applies to purchases of up to $1 million for its Compute, Storage, and GreenLake Flex deals. According to HPE, the new policy provides "customers and partners greater pricing certainty and will offer greater simplicity and predictability," potentially for months due to the considerable lead times in server production.

The company has not disclosed the specific factors leading to this policy revision. However, recent news suggests that long-term agreements struck by memory makers Micron and SK Hynix may have contributed to HPE's ability to extend its quote validity. If HPE has such agreements in place, it now possesses greater certainty in its own costs, which in turn allows it to extend the validity of its quotes.

Despite this positive development for buyers, inflated hardware prices persist. Analyst firm TrendForce recently forecasted a 13-18% rise in server memory prices in Q3, while ongoing supply constraints are expected to maintain elevated levels. Additionally, Gartner reported that contract DRAM prices surged by 90% to 95% quarter over quarter in the first half of 2026, with NAND flash contract prices rising between 55% and 60%.

Gartner also predicted a staggering 271% year-over-year increase in DRAM prices during 2026. Consequently, while HPE will maintain its prices, its quotes may still be prohibitively high for those who have not recently shopped for hardware.