HP Expands BladeSystem portfolio

DQC News Bureau

Bangalore: HP has announced the expansion of its HP BladeSystem c-Class
portfolio with a new carrier-grade version optimized for the needs of telecom
service providers and network equipment suppliers.

The HP BladeSystem carrier-Grade platform promises a cost-effective and
flexible foundation for wireless and wired infrastructure required by the
telecom industry.

A carrier grade server is a NEBS (Network Equipment Building System)
certified server specifically for telecom service providers.

NEBS certified equipment provides a high level of reliability in the
extremely dense electrical environment of a telecom service provider's data
center. Some of the issues addressed by carrier grade servers are:

To try and protect telecommunications equipment from service outages caused
by incompatible equipment; Prevent interference to licensed radio transmitters
and other close proximity telecommunications equipment; Minimize the risk of
fires to telecommunications equipment and ensure equipment operation under the
range of temperature, humidity, vibration, and airborne contamination present in
telecommunications locations

"As telecom and enterprise environments converge, many service providers
see real advantages in a single server family that can support both their
telephony and IT needs," said Lee Doyle, Group VP, Network Infrastructure and
Security Products, IDC.

Service providers will be able to deploy the carrier-grade BladeSystem
platform in the IP-based (Internet Protocol) next-generation networks they are
building. Examples include: Intelligent Network (IN) elements, Internet
Multi-Media Subsystem (IMS), service delivery platforms, security systems, media
servers, digital television (IPTV) platforms, and messaging (SMS, or texting).

At the same time, they can deploy the enterprise-class version across a range
of applications in IT data centers and in operations and business support
systems (OSS and BSS), such as: network management and service assurance,
billing, revenue assurance, customer care, business intelligence and fraud
management.

"HP delivers and supports a broad array of telecom software, services and
architectures, and it's all built on HP carrier-grade hardware and a global
supply chain of support," said Kamal Dutta, Country Manager, Business Critical
Systems, HP India Sales.

The HP BladeSystem Carrier-Grade Platform is expected to be available
worldwide in January at the same price of equivalent commercial HP BladeSystem
enclosures and blades.