HP debuts SDN product suite

As part of its bid to "relentlessly simplify the network", HP has introduced new cloud-managed, software-defined networking (SDN)-enabled unified wired and wireless network solutions it says will help customers to increase the agility of their network, while simplifying its management.

HP says the three new solutions - including the HP Cloud Managed Network solution, IEEE 802.11ac wireless access points and SDN applications - expand the industry's most complete unified wired and wireless portfolio.

"These new solutions are designed to support mobility initiatives for businesses of all sizes by providing improved mobile end-user experiences delivered at triple the speed. Plus, HP's unified wired and wireless network offerings, combined with SDN, open the door for new business opportunities, thereby enabling IT professionals to derive business value from the network."

Rohit Mehra, vice-president of network infrastructure at IDC, says enterprises need adaptable, robust, easily deployed and secure wireless LAN solutions as more users are accessing the enterprise network via mobile devices - while increasingly using these devices for mission-critical applications.

"SDN-based and cloud-managed wireless solutions will provide tools that offer network managers greater flexibility and scalability and, more importantly, programmability of networking resources to support the needs of their businesses."

Mehra says IDC customers are telling the corporation that their networks are primarily cost centres that are too complex to manage.

"At the same time, they are facing increasing end-user demand for a better mobile experience," says Bethany Mayer, senior vice-president and general manager, networking business unit and network functions virtualisation business at HP.

"With HP's cloud-managed and SDN-enabled unified wired and wireless solutions, we are enabling IT organisations to provide an improved mobile user experience, as well as offering simplified management and investment protection."

To address the increasing complexity of legacy network infrastructures, the HP Cloud Managed Network solution provides an "easy-to-manage network solution" for small and mid-sized businesses and distributed offices.

HP says the solution lowers total cost of ownership by reducing the need for on-site IT staff and lowering upfront costs by up to 30% with a pay-per-use cloud service model.

"With more mobile devices being used in the workplace and congesting the network, IT professionals struggle with providing a high-quality end-user experience. The new HP 560 and 517 IEEE 802.11ac wireless access points offer network agility, enabling organisations to support the growing number of mobile devices, while improving the user experience with speeds three times faster than 802.11n."

The HP 560 access points will also be OpenFlow-enabled, empowering customers to leverage SDN applications without having to rip and replace existing infrastructure, says HP.

"To further help IT organisations on their SDN journey, the new HP SDN Roadmap Services create a pragmatic and detailed transition roadmap aligned with business goals."

To bridge the gap between wired and wireless control, says the company, new controller appliances deliver consistent policy management across wired and wireless networks, eliminating swivel-chair management.

"With up to 40% higher scalability than competitive solutions, the HP 870 Unified Wired-WLAN Appliance provides application performance for end-users, supporting up to 30 000 devices. For mid-size to large enterprises, the HP 850 Unified Wired-WLAN Appliance supports up to 10 000 devices."

HP is supporting customers' bring your own device initiatives by partnering with Citrix and MobileIron to offer mobile device management (MDM) integration with the HP Intelligent Management Centre platform.

Pascal Trecult, chief technical officer at Monoprix - a major French retail chain - says omnichannel commerce has driven the need to create a new customer experience, which requires agile and secure IT.

"HP was able to integrate with our partner Wellcoms Technology to deliver streamlined connectivity with a unified wired and wireless management strategy for our network across our 500-plus stores, all while helping us increase sales with targeted advertising."

The new HP Location Aware SDN application locates any wireless-enabled device indoors with approximately two-metre accuracy, according to HP.

"Powered by technology developed at HP Labs, the company's central research arm, HP Location Aware enables a wide range of new context-aware retail, asset management and security applications."

This application will be integrated with the HP virtual application networks SDN controller and is designed to help businesses transform wireless local area network infrastructure into revenue-generating vehicles.

HP Communications and Media Solutions, leveraging big data analytics and location-aware technology, has also developed a proof of concept application called SmartShopper.

Designed for both enterprises and service providers, SmartShopper enables retailers to tighten relationships with their customers and monetise the network, delivering real-time, location-based smart offers to customers' smartphones, says Dominic Wilde, vice-president of HP's global product line management, networking.

"Using HP's location and context-aware SmartShopper technology, organisations will be able to increase sales by personalising the shopping experience - and drive revenue through targeted promotion of new and relevant products."

• * The HP Cloud Managed Network solution will be available in June.
• * The HP 560 802.11ac Access Points are available now for $1 199 (about R17 700).
• * The HP 517 Unified 802.11ac Wall Jack will be available in May for $499 (about R5 300).
• * The HP 870 Unified Wired-WLAN Appliance is available now for $35 999 (about R380 900); while the HP 850 Unified Wired-WLAN Appliance will be available in June.
• * HP's Secure BYOD services and IP Address Management services are available now globally, and the SDN Roadmap services will be available in June.
• * The HP Intelligent Management Centre MDM Integration is available now.