HP takes the wrap off its WAN plan

Hewlett-Packard Co. (HP) became the latest vendor to enter the wide area network (WAN) router fray when it unveiled its ProCurve 7000 series WAN router in February.

The new HP router series targets branch offices that connect back to a central site. Boxes include support for virtual private networks (VPNs) via a daughtercard add-on and a built-in firewall.

The 7102dl supports up to a maximum of four T-1 connections and two WAN slots. The 7203dl supports up to eight T-1s on three WAN slots.

Another feature that makes the routers ideal for branches is their simplified management setup, said Darren Hamilton, category business manager for networking products at HP Canada. “We understand there’s little technical expertise in the branch environment,” he said.

The 7000 series includes a compact flash card port that allows network managers to store branch router configurations on compact flash cards. Those configurations could then be uploaded to the branch router by simply inserting the flash card and booting up the router.

Cisco owns the lion’s share of the router market with more than 80 per cent of the worldwide branch office revenue share. Other vendors competing with Cisco include 3Com, Enterasys and Foundry.

Despite Cisco’s stranglehold on the router market, there should be space for a firm like HP, believes Alan Freedman, an analyst with IDC Canada. “There’s always room, especially when a company has other products they’re selling to the end user.”

According to Freedman, as long as enterprise customers feel they’re getting value, they prefer dealing with as few vendors as possible. So HP should be able to leverage its other businesses to boost its share of the network market, he said.

Would you recommend this article?

Share

Thanks for taking the time to let us know what you think of this article!
We'd love to hear your opinion about this or any other story you read in our publication.


Jim Love, Chief Content Officer, IT World Canada

Featured Download

Featured Articles

Cybersecurity in 2024: Priorities and challenges for Canadian organizations 

By Derek Manky As predictions for 2024 point to the continued expansion...

Survey shows generative AI is a top priority for Canadian corporate leaders.

Leaders are devoting significant budget to generative AI for 2024 Canadian corporate...

Related Tech News

Tech Jobs

Our experienced team of journalists and bloggers bring you engaging in-depth interviews, videos and content targeted to IT professionals and line-of-business executives.

Tech Companies Hiring Right Now