The single most important piece of IT infrastructure within an organisation is its network. It has become all-important to business systems, controlling virtually every aspect of the company. For example, in the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector, the network controls the entire production environment. Everything from bar code scanners, cordless phones, time and attendance, access control to packaging machinery runs off of it. With so much relying on the network, it therefore comes as no surprise that only the best infrastructure will do.
According to Greg Wilson, CEO of Reflex Solutions, HP's recent acquisition of 3Com will offer enormous advantages to businesses that rely heavily on their networks. He says that the portfolio of network switches that HP is bringing into its fold through this acquisition is effectively a brand new technology.
"The 3Com switches are a new solution built using a much thinner type of silicon than previous iterations. This means that their speed and efficiency is enormously improved, while at the same time their power usage is dramatically reduced," he says. On top of this the equipment has been designed using open standards, which makes implementing into existing network a dream as well as reduces the time to skill up on the product.
"Between these green considerations and the value derived from true network convergence, there is no doubt that enterprises should be considering the benefits of upgrading their network. After all, once you are operating everything off of a single system, you reduce costs on cabling, maintenance and even personnel, since fewer employees are required to manage the system."
Wilson says that enterprises can benefit from HP's move into this market space, as their products are as technically competent as those offered by other major network providers. More importantly, while the performance is comparable, the price is better. In addition, customers understand HP's service model, so they will be confident in buying the product.
"Where Reflex comes in is designing and implementing the network and more importantly the service level agreements (SLAs) we can offer to back up an implementation of this nature. We are an HP Partner, so we can deliver highly competent SLAs to customers. And since we can deliver HP's complete product offering - from networking through to storage and virtualisation - the customer also has a single point of contact for all their requirements."
Reflex has been a 3Com gold partner for many years and we believe that we have a great value offering to our clients as we have the experience and expertise needed.
"HP's switching portfolio is also entirely standards-based, meaning there is no proprietary lock-in. This in turn makes it easier for organisations to integrate new technologies into their networks, without needing to rip and replace their entire set-up," he says.
Asked why he believes that enterprises should consider going the HP route, Wilson indicates that it boils down to a few simple issues. "It is about the depth of products, the pricing structure, the backup support and SLAs, the open standards aspect and the fact that the technologies are green."
"From our perspective, Reflex has an extensive and successful track record in this arena. We have a decade's worth of network experience and have strong skills around 3Com's various switching technologies. While these products may be new to the HP family, we have been installing many of them for years, so we are intimately familiar with the technology."
"This means we can offer customers the best and most efficient service in this regard. Reflex also has a well-developed support structure and is able to offer true four-hour SLAs. This is a result of our extensive involvement with the FMCG industry, where any network downtime can have a massive negative financial impact. Ensuring network stability is crucial and requires a service provider that can be trusted. Reflex has built its reputation on reliability, so one thing our clients can be certain of is that they can trust us," he concludes.
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