The name EDS, long synonymous with high end, IT outsourcing and consulting services, is going away. Today HP brought the consulting giant further into its fold with the announcement that EDS has been renamed HP Enterprise Services.

Hewlett-Packard bought EDS in May, 2008 in a blockbuster $13.9 billion deal.

Before the HP purchase, EDS itself had changed its name from the Electronic Data Systems.

The name change marks the next major step in a year-long integration of EDS into HP and emphasizes the growing global role of enterprise technology services in HP’s portfolio, the company said in a release.

HP also announced its Technology Solutions Group will be renamed the HP Enterprise Business. HP said Enterprise Business will focus on business and government organizations of all sizes. In addition to enterprise services, its portfolio includes servers, storage, software, networking and technology services.

The news comes in the wake of Dell’s mega-purchase (not EDS-size, but $3.9 billion is still a lot of money) of Perot Systems. While HP’s renaming doesn’t appear to change anything operationally, it may serve to underscore that HP has completed the long, painful process of integrating EDS following its acquisition, while Dell’s work with Perot has just begun. HP cut 24,000 jobs at EDS post-acquistion.

“Customers are facing tough challenges in their technology environments,” said Ann Livermore, HP’s executive vice president.

“Challenges such as a rigid infrastructure, increasing applications and information complexity are restricting the speed in which IT can add value to the business. HP is the best at helping customers manage and transform their technology environments to deliver better business outcomes.”

All of HP’s Enterprise Business units will continue to report to Livermore, the company said. Joe Eazor, senior vice president and general manager of HP Enterprise Services, credited the strength of EDS’s services brand, but indicated it will do better under the HP banner.

“Today we are combining the strong services brand equity that EDS has built over the last 47 years with HP’s technology leadership to become the leading IT services provider,” Eazor said in a statement. “We will continue to deliver the same service excellence that our clients have come to expect.”