HP readies enterprises for the future with FlexNetwork Architecture

HP today announced the HP FlexNetwork architecture, a unified architecture for the data center, campus and branch, which enables enterprises to fully harness the power of media-rich content, virtualization, mobility and cloud computing.

A core component of the HP Converged Infrastructure, the HP FlexNetwork architecture converges network silos by ensuring protocols are implemented consistently across all networked devices throughout an enterprise. As a result, clients are able to simplify and speed service delivery across the data center, campus and branch, driving increased agility and innovation.

The company says single-vendor, proprietary approaches, such as Cisco’s, lock in customers while driving up cost and complexity with different architectures required at each point in the network, including data center, campus and branch. This lack of convergence and increased complexity make it difficult to roll out new applications and services.

The HP FlexNetwork architecture transforms legacy networks through convergence and simplification, enabling organizations to deliver innovation, speed and performance. The new level of flexibility from the HP FlexNetwork architecture enables clients to focus on preparing their organizations for the demands of the future.

“To ensure success and a competitive advantage, enterprises need to shift resources from maintenance of complex legacy networks to innovation,” said Marius Haas, senior vice president and general manager, Networking, HP. “With the HP FlexNetwork architecture, we deliver standards-based solutions that allow clients to bring existing network investments forward, reducing total cost of ownership today while preparing organizations to embrace the future.”

The HP FlexNetwork architecture unifies the network through three modular building blocks that share a common management layer.

— FlexFabric – simplifies data center infrastructure with converged network, compute and storage resources across both virtual and physical environments to accommodate hybrid cloud computing models.
— FlexCampus – improves performance, lowers latency and increases security for identity-based access of multimedia content across converged wired and wireless networks.
— FlexBranch – extends and simplifies network and security at the branch, integrating best-of-breed technologies for service delivery.
— FlexManagement – eliminates the complexity of multiple management systems with single-pane-of-glass management across the HP FlexNetwork architecture.

The HP FlexNetwork architecture is open, adhering to standards across the modular building blocks that make up the architecture. It also is scalable from the remote site to the data center, with industry-leading vulnerability detection that automatically builds standard security policies consistently into the virtual and physical infrastructure.

HP Technology Services offerings can help clients migrate from proprietary legacy networks to the HP FlexNetwork architecture and for moving off proprietary network protocols like Cisco’s EIGRP, to standard routing protocols OSPF v2 and v3.

Additionally, new networking services are now available for key business initiatives including video collaboration, network security and FlexManagement. HP also offers a complete set of lifecycle services for each modular building block to support the planning, design, implementation and operation of enterprise networks.

HP’s premier client event, HP DISCOVER, takes place June 6 - 10 in Las Vegas and Nov. 29 - Dec. 1 in Vienna, Austria. The event showcases how organizations can get started on their Instant-On Enterprise journeys.