HP helps improve communications

HP has released a range of integrated solutions designed to improve communications among employees, customers and citizens.

Today’s highly distributed workforce has caused organisations to adopt new communication tools like voice, video, instant messaging and shared desktop capabilities that deliver seamless, effective communication across multiple applications and geographies. The adoption of these technologies has highlighted the failure of siloed application infrastructures and legacy networks to cope with the demand of new tools.

HP’s new open standards-based multiservice routers (MSR) include HP MSR Survivable Branch Communications Module (SBM)‚Äîthe industry’s first complete business continuity solution ‚Äîand the new HP MSR Open Architecture Platform (OAP) with VMware vSphere Series. These solutions streamline and simplify communications through true interoperability with Microsoft and cloud-based platforms, enabling organisations to improve productivity, reduce cost and complexity.

‚”The onslaught of varied communications tools, coupled with an increasingly distributed workforce, has created complex infrastructure challenges for organisations that legacy networks just can’t handle,‚” said Keith Bothma, HP Networking Country Manager, HP South Africa. ‚”HP’s solutions enable organisations to create a highly collaborative, productive environment with unified communications, delivering the best employee experience no matter what device they use or where they work.‚”

Maintain productivity during a network outage

While communication is critical to employee productivity, the new capabilities of voice over a data network require the underlying network to deliver secure, reliable voice services across the organisation.

The HP MSR SBM comes with Microsoft Lync Survivable Branch software preinstalled into the hardware to create a single, highly modular system for real-time, rich communication, even when a wide area network (WAN) or corporate network is unavailable. It also allows for rapid integration with a customer’s network and Microsoft Lync solution, greatly simplifying deployments.

The SBM capabilities integrated into the HP MSR30 and MSR50 Series routers deliver high-performance converged routing, switching, wireless, security and voice services for branch networks. Plus, the solution combines storage, Gigabit Ethernet and USB network interfaces to reduce the network’s physical footprint, power consumption, cabling and overall costs.

HP is in the process of submitting the HP MSR Series voice gateways for qualification with the Microsoft Lync Unified Communications Open Interoperability Program (UCOIP) to ensure that the routers can make and send calls over the public switch telephone network (PSTN). HP also is a Microsoft Lync Certified Support Partner for Microsoft Lync, enabling customers to have a single source of support for IT environments running Microsoft Lync.

Reduce network complexity with smaller footprint

The new HP MSR OAP with VMware vSphere Series integrates third-party applications on HP MSR30 and MSR50 Series routers. This allows virtualised services to be delivered on one platform, eliminating the need to purchase additional hardware.

The first HP AllianceONE application supported on HP MSR OAP is the Riverbed WAN optimisation solution, which typically increases application performance by five to 50 times and, in some cases, by up to 100 times, providing fast and reliable access to cloud services. To simplify and speed the deployment of the solution, HP Technology Services offers design, deploy and support services.

Greater productivity through unified communications and mobility consulting

To deliver the universal access enterprises require, HP Technology Services is offering the HP Mobility Transformation Experience Workshop. This interactive, full-day workshop is led by HP consultants and helps align key IT and business stakeholders to build a unified communications and mobility vision that uses HP’s deep experience to solve customer problems.

Topics include redefining productivity, enabling unified communications and delivering connectivity. The workshop helps customers identify immediate priorities that can be implemented quickly while also recommending next steps. This starts customers on their journey to enabling an improved user experience, while streamlining communications and improving employee productivity.

Communication without the infrastructure costs

The new HP Enterprise Cloud Services Unified Communications is a unified communications-as-a-service (UCaaS) offering that combines HP Enterprise Services’ deep experience in deploying Microsoft Lync in a high-availability architecture with centralised 24/7 monitoring of communication quality and performance.

HP is further enabling users to quickly deploy real-time unified communications with newly enhanced HP 4120 IP phones that provide easy access to Microsoft Lync and cloud-based offerings, all hosted by HP private cloud for connectivity anytime, anywhere—without the need for on-premises infrastructure. Users are able to log in to their Microsoft Lync user account directly through the phone by entering their PIN, granting access to voice mail, personal contacts and any customised user profile settings.

Availability

· HP MSR Survivable Branch Communications Module is expected to be available in the first half of 2013.

· HP MSR Series voice gateways qualified with the Microsoft Lync Unified Communications Open Interoperability Program are expected to be available in the first half of 2013.

· The HP MSR OAP with VMware vSphere Series is available now in module form factors (multifunction interface module and flexible Interface card) for seamless deployment on the HP MSR30 or MSR50 Series routers.

· The HP Mobility Transformation Experience Workshop is available now worldwide.

· HP Enterprise Cloud Services Unified Communications is available now in key countries, including the United States, with UCaaS demand.

· HP 4120 IP phones are expected to be available this in the first half of 2013.

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