HP expands networking portfolio

HP has announced the expansion of its networking portfolio with new HP ProCurve offerings integrated with HP BladeSystem infrastructure solutions.

The new offerings include the HP ProCurve 6120 series designed to leverage the award-winning HP BladeSystem infrastructure and an expansion of the HP ProCurve 8200 and 5400 Ethernet switch portfolio.

These solutions will enable customers to increase performance, security and management of both physical and virtual environments, said a company statement.

The company has also announced a firmware upgrade to HP Virtual Connect that allows users to change bandwidth on the fly to respond to fluctuations in application requirements.

To further strengthen the business benefits delivered by HP BladeSystem, HP ProCurve is offering two new standards-based blade switches that increase service quality, lower costs and reduce risks in the data center, the statement added.

To reduce complexity and deliver investment protection, the 10Gb HP ProCurve 6120XG Blade Switch is designed to meet the demands of virtual machines and high-performance applications.

When combined with the HP ProCurve Data Center Connection Manager, the switch delivers automated network connection management and provisioning while ensuring consistency of services throughout the data center.

Engineered with emerging network standards in mind, the HP ProCurve 6120XG Blade Switch is Converged Enhanced Ethernet (CEE) ready, which will enable the integration of Ethernet and Fibre Channel networks in the future.

To simplify the transition from 1Gb to 10Gb, the new HP ProCurve 6120G/XG Blade Switch seamlessly integrates a mix of legacy network equipment in the data center.

This allows customers to maximize return on investment for their existing environment. These new switches offer customers more affordable networking options over competing solutions and are backed by the ProCurve Lifetime Warranty.

"Customers need to reduce the complexity in their environments caused by virtual sprawl, as well as the associated networking and management costs that take valuable resources from business innovation," said Alaa AlShimy, general manager of HP ProCurve Middle East.

"Integrating market-leading HP ProCurve and HP BladeSystem technologies fundamentally changes the economics of networking by delivering easier-to-manage and higher-performing converged solutions."

"The new offerings also expand HP ProCurve's unified networking approach, utilizing common architecture, security and management tools across the portfolio," he added.