Exclusive HP will not offer a BYOD programme internally, presumably because it can't take the ignominy of employees potentially turning up with shiny Apple kit: or devices from any other vendor for that matter.

The US tech monster, which continues to stagger, has a raft of "BYOD solutions", including security and storage solutions, but these are for corporate customers only.

"HP's policy is that we don't offer BYOD within HP and that will not change soon," said Eric Cador, HP EMEA senior veep of the printer and personal systems business.

"Why? It would be embarrassing - more importantly it would be embarrassing for our employees. Employees have to be proud of our products," he told The Channel in an exclusive interview.

BYOD is supposedly in demand from younger workers and those in the boardroom, but some hard-pressed IT managers see it as another security/compliance/ management nightmare.

In all fairness to HP and Cador, it is highly doubtful that Apple or any other device vendors allow employees to effectively promote rivals' kit internally.

But it's probably feeling a little vulnerable at the moment given the recent loss, according to Gartner, of its PC crown.

The veteran exec delivered a keynote at the Canalys Channels Conference 2012 in Barcelona, bemoaning the lack of innovation in the PC industry over the last half-decade.

But this of course is now set to end with the introduction of Windows 8, he said, previewing a set of "sexy" Ultrabooks – including several designs with a detachable screen.

Cador said historically product designers within vendors created machines for the CIO, but the consumerisation of IT meant it needed to appeal to users in organisations too. ®