HP upgrades networking portfolio after 3Com buy

HP hopes the purchase of 3Com will give it a direct route into the Chinese market

HP has unveiled a roadmap for its edge-to-core networking portfolio after completing its acquisition of 3Com last week.

The HP Networking products will combine aspects of its ProCurve series with those from 3Com to help strengthen its position in the market against rivals such as Cisco.

The main element of the move is 3Com's TippingPoint software that will be added to HP's Secure Advantage range to help deliver proactive threat protection by using the software's focus on vulnerability analysis and discovery, HP said.

Marcus Haas, vice president and general manager of HP networking, explained that TippingPoint will help the firm make significant strides in China where 3Com had been the market leader ahead of Cisco.

"With our wide range of partners, increased go-to-market channels and worldwide base and sales staff we believe we can push further into the rapidly emerging Chinese market," he said.

The new products will form part of HP's A, E, and V ranges aimed at different sized enterprises, and the S range that offers additional network security. All the new products from 3Com will be available from HP and its partners from today.

HP also said that it has no current plans to phase out any products from either range owing to the complementary fit between the two companies' portfolios.

Haas added that the new 3Com products will help the firm increase its reach into the industry, and help change the economy of scales for networking tools.

"The addition of 3Com's best-in-class software, especially the TippingPoint products, will help us offer a new superior set of products in an effort to help firms keep up with the rapid pace of business change," he said.

"The new range will also mean that firms can vastly improve their network capabilities to make more of the capacity on their networks and offer better security by reducing vulnerability to attacks."

Haas also mentioned that HP is working to include 3Com's channel partners with HP's business to help extend the reach of the new portfolio, and will look to recruit new partners.