HP ProCurve launches Open Network Ecosystem program

The company has also unveiled data centre switches and management software, which it claims, will lower costs, mitigate risks, and drive business growth.

The HP ProCurve Open Network Ecosystem (HP ProCurve ONE) is a multi-vendor alliance program allowing customers to integrate network applications and services from alliance partners including Microsoft, Avaya, McAfee, F5 and Riverbed with HP ProCurve infrastructure.

According to Marius Haas, senior vice president and general manager for HP ProCurve, the company launched the alliance to establish partnerships with major technology companies to deliver business value by increasing the efficiency of network applications.

“HP ProCurve ONE will help customers resolve interoperability concerns by delivering an open standards-based solution that is effective and efficient,” said Tim Sinclair, general manager, Microsoft.

The new HP ProCurve ONE Services zl module is a HP blade for the HP ProCurve Switch 5400zl and 8200zl series that consolidates many partner applications onto one common platform.

In addition to Microsoft, Avaya, McAfee, F5 and Riverbed, six technology companies – Aastra, AirTight Networks, Ekahau, InMon, vantronix and VBrick – are members of HP ProCurve ONE and are providing applications for the HP ProCurve ONE Services zl module.

“Through our strategic alliance with HP and the ProCurve Open Network Ecosystem, we’ll deliver fully integrated IP networking and unified communications solutions and services with significant benefits for businesses and organisations,” said Alan Baratz, senior vice president and president, Global Communications Solutions, Avaya.

The new HP ProCurve Data Centre Connection Manager enables automated provisioning of server and network resources in virtualised and traditional environments to reduce costs in data centres.

The HP ProCurve 6600 switch series adds five new rack server switches to the HP data centre portfolio.

The switches are all based on the fourth generation of HP ProCurve’s ProVision ASIC network chipset.

Through the HP ProCurve ONE initiative, HP ProCurve is helping customers accelerate their adoption of next-generation data centers by teaming with F5 to provide application delivery technology, and with Riverbed for WAN acceleration and optimisation.

“F5 is very pleased to be chosen as a strategic launch partner for the ProCurve ONE program and align much more closely with HP,” said Dan Matte, senior vice president, Marketing and Business Development, F5.

Mark Thompson, director of enterprise sales and strategy for HP ProCurve, said the launch was a milestone in the progression of the company’s intelligence.

“We do the work for our customers so resellers get the solution without compromising their resources,” he said.

“You pick the parts that work with your network. It’s not a one size fits all. It is about HP ProCurve and each of our partners working together.”

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