Melvin G. Calimag
With the market share of old heavyweights like Cisco and 3Com no longer as dominant as before, the networking division of computer maker HP has found a window of opportunity and is now feverishly attacking its rivals with a laser-like determination.
With 3Com suddenly out of the limelight, HP ProCurve Networking said it is now the only remaining Internet equipment vendor that is posing a big threat to long-time leader Cisco.
"We’re now the fastestgrowing LAN (local area network) vendor and is number two in terms of market share," declared Larry S. de Vera, country manager of HP ProCurve, in a recent press briefing.
Without providing specific numbers, De Vera said the company grew by double-digit in the previous year. He said they are expecting to surpass that achievement this year with an ambitious growth target.
Targeting the cash-rich enterprise segment, the company’s major wins last year included broadcasting giant GMA-7 and mall operator Robinsons. It has also appointed MEC Networks Corporation as its exclusive distributor in the country.
As a way of sustaining its scorching run, the company said during the press conference that it is reinforcing its unique and "no conditions attached" lifetime warranty for all its products. This way, the company said clients would not have to worry about their investments.
"It’s a plug and forget" type of equipment," de Vera said.
Among the new set of products that the company has launched are the ProCurve Switch 2610 Series of next generation enterprise edge switches which allows customers to manage and support applications such as VoIP, Unified Communications, wireless access points and security camera deployments.
The 2610 Series comes in five models of stackable 24 and 48 port switches, with or without PoE and hybrid PoE combinations. The five models, all with shallow form factor, include one fanless switch for open office deployments and one hybrid switch for environments that do not require PoE on every port.
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