New HP Server, Storage And Networking Products Aimed At SMB Market

HP this week is targeting the small-to-midsize business with new IT products that the company says are feature-rich but low-priced. The new servers, storage appliances and network switches are designed to address the unique challenges of SMBs as they look for technology that grows as their businesses grow but is affordable for companies that are guarding cash flow. HP is also announcing new financing offers and is expanding a training program for entrepreneurs.

New to the HP lineup is the entry-level ProLiant ML110 G7 server (with a starting price of $710) for basic office applications and the DL120 G7 server ($895), for a wider range of apps, including IT infrastructure and Web-based apps.

On the storage side, the HP P2000 G3 line (which costs just under $11,000) is an entry-level storage appliance that supports the VMware API for Array Integration, as well as the vCenter manager for server virtualization.

New networking switches include the HP V1810-48G ($959) and the HP V1410 Series ($59). The reasons for the gulf in prices between the two is that the V1810 offers up to 48-port connectivity and can be controlled by management software, while the V1410 offers up to only 24 unmanaged ports. Both switches offer an energy-saving feature that shuts off power to ports that are not being used, says Mike Nielsen, director of solution marketing for HP Networking.

The switches are targeted at SMBs because they enable the customer’s network to scale in functionality, connectivity and capacity, Nielsen says. "We want to make sure that smaller organizations aren’t constrained by extremely low feature or low port density platforms so that they can’t grow as their business grows,” he says.

The switches are the latest additions to HP's FlexNetwork Architecture initiative, as the company moves to compete with networking industry leader Cisco Systems.The servers, storage, network and other products are bundled together to specifically address the challenges facing SMBs, which comprise a $234 billion market, by HP’s estimate, says Lisa Wolfe, worldwide SMB marketing and strategy manager for HP Enterprise Business.

HP services offered include branch office consolidation, business risk mitigation and PC backup. These services were chosen because large enterprises already have such protections in place, says Wolfe.

For instance, the PC backup is a cloud-based service that saves copies of a company’s data in HP data centers. "About 60% of critical business data is left on unprotected notebooks, and those notebooks can get lost or stolen or damaged, or there can be natural disasters, and then there goes the business," she says.

One of the under-reported stories of the 2008 global financial system crisis was the difficulty SMBs had in obtaining credit, a situation that Wolfe says persists today. HP’s response is to offer interest-free financing through its HP Financial Service division for a 12-month or 36-month lease.

Lastly, HP is adding $4 million to the $20 million it’s already invested in its Learning Initiative For Entrepreneurs (LIFE) program, which operates a network of training centers where people from "microenterprises" and other SMBs learn IT and business skills.

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