Systems giant Hewlett-Packard (HWP) continues to try to hone its networking message.
Hanging its hat on reducing complexity within a network, the company today rolled out a new marketing campaign and launched accompanying 10 mbps and 100 mbps shared hub devices. Executives also said gigabit-speed gear from the firm will hit the market by the end of the second quarter of this year.
HP continues to insist that it will remain a player in the networking equipment game, despite a glutted market for Ethernet-based devices. There are even rumors in some industry circles that HP may want to divest itself of its networking equipment division, even though it remains a profitable component of the company, from all reports.
Its latest effort to heighten interest in its networking division is based around a concept called "pro-active networking," a term that is intended to speak to the headaches network managers often face when implementing or expanding a network scheme.
Don Wilson, a product marketing manager for HP, stressed that the company can offer a unique combination of easy-to-use equipment, management tools, and service and support that can alleviate the problems of network administration.
To buttress his point, he noted that HP will offer a lifetime warranty on all networking equipment.
In order to fill out its low-end line of gear, HP announced a 24-port unmanaged Fast Ethernet hub that is priced at less than $70 per port. Two new Ethernet models with managed and unmanaged options offer 12 or 24 ports of capacity for as low as $11 per port.
Separately, Ethernet start-up Foundry Networks announced price cuts of up to 40 percent on a wide range of its equipment and launched a new gigabit-ready switch targeted at workgroups within organizations. The new 24-port FastIron switching device will debut next month and includes options for one or two Gigabit Ethernet ports.
Be respectful, keep it clean and stay on topic. We delete comments that violate our policy, which we encourage you to read. Discussion threads can be closed at any time at our discretion.