HP introduces Always-On Internet Infrastructure strategy to SA

Hewlett-Packard South Africa (HP SA) introduced local customers and partners to its Always-On Internet Infrastructure (AOII) strategy at conferences held around the country this week. The AOII strategy unifies products and services from all of HP`s enterprise business units to offer customers a single vendor solution that includes everything they need to design an IT infrastructure they can manage seamlessly, optimise dynamically, and evolve intelligently.

Eve Drennan of Services & Consulting Marketing at HP SA says the group`s long-term vision is to provide its customers with the IT infrastructure they need to be available to employees, partners, and customers around the world 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Says Drennan: "Every component of HP`s offering - from highly available hardware and storage, to adaptable software, to professional services and consulting - is engineered to work together as a seamless whole to enable the AOII. HP`s approach is to offer its clients complete solutions that meet their business needs."

The AOII underpins the emerging world of e-services - which are next-generation applications delivered as services on the World Wide Web. HP`s partners and customers will develop and create these services while HP will deliver the infrastructure on which e-services will be developed, integrated, deployed, and managed. HP will also supply the appliances that will be used to access these services, anytime, anywhere.

The four components of HP`s AOII - its four aces - are servers, storage, software and services:

HP offers a comprehensive portfolio of server products that stretch from affordable entry-level server appliances right up to mainframe-equivalent high-end machines. The range includes the IA-32 Netserver lineup that runs Linux and Windows, the entry level A-Class, mid-range N-Class, K-Class, and L-Class Unix servers, and the high-end HP9000 Unix machines, including the Superdome.

HP will migrate away from its proprietary PA-RISC chips onto Intel-based IA-64 and IA-32 architectures over the coming years. Apart from leading the industry`s drive towards standards-based high-end computing, HP is also moving toward more centralised management of server resources.

HP is creating a flexible computing environment where resources can be added when demand is high and decoupled when demand ebbs through programmes such as instant capacity on demand (ICOD) and utility pricing are examples of that flexibility.

HP delivers a complete portfolio of storage solutions that stretch from tape and disc hardware for low to high-end data centres, through to optimisation and integrated management tools, storage network fabric, consulting services, and multivendor support.

Says Drennan: "HP`s storage vision is to give ten times the storage capacity and performance without them needing to increase their storage staff headcount. HP is driving the industry towards scalable networked storage solutions that give customers real choices and allow them to plug in more capacity as it is needed."

HP offers a set of flexible, end-to-end IT infrastructure services across the technology lifecycle. These services empower customers to use IT as a competitive tool, as well as to solve critical business and IT infrastructure challenges.

Says Drennan: "HP SA has developed extensive IT infrastructure experience, expertise in specific markets, and an approach that delivers on the customer`s platform of choice.

HP`s software empowers customers to rapidly design, build, secure, manage and run critical Internet-based business applications. This software opens the door to dynamic Web services, where companies can automate cooperation, communicate securely over the Internet and find new ways to form mutually beneficial partnerships.

Says Drennan: "HP software helps to improve relationships between companies and business partners such as customers by ensuring that their services live up to expectations of high-availability, strong performance and ease-of-use.

"In addition, our software improves the productivity of IT and line of business staff by automating repetitive IT management tasks and decreasing downtime. The software also helps to align and focus IT on business goals and processes, increasing the efficiency of the customer`s organisation."

Enterprise application integration based on HP software provides a solid base on which companies can develop or integrate into value collaboration networks such as collaborative engineering and business market places. In addition, HP software helps companies to accelerate time to market for new voice and IP services.

Says Drennan: "By rolling out an AOII to underpin their e-services, businesses are able generate revenues, reduce costs, and build customer loyalty while keeping pace with constant change. HP can compete favourably with focused players in any of the four areas of the AOII, but none of our rivals can offer such a depth and breadth of product. "Together with our partners, HP provides the essential building blocks to help customers architect an integrated, flexible, and open IT infrastructure designed to meet their current needs, while leaving their options open for future change."