HP Networking

[#1]

By Mary Gabra, Manager, Market and Competitive Intelligence, HP Networking

I am back with my pie blogs! If you haven’t read my previous blogs about who is eating more market share pie, know that I love apple pies and I have been blogging about the networking market pie and whose slice is getting bigger or smaller.  By slice here, I am looking at market share. This time, let’s take a look at another pie that has a different flavor: the data center switching market share pie.

A delicious pie worth sharing: data center Ethernet switching market players

Gartner published a recent report profiling the data center Ethernet switching market players and showed market share in 2010. This pie is a delicious one! Why? Because it is so attractive and growing so  fast. The data center Ethernet switching market has been the fastest growing segment in switching. Gartner estimated ”the data center Ethernet switch market grew to $6.1 billion and 22.5 million ports in 2010, with growth of 119.4% and 88.5%, respectively, over 2009.*

Why is that market growing so fast? Well, network managers need to architect a network that can handle the requirements for the network driven by virtualization, cloud and application delivery, expansion of video/multimedia, mobility, IT consumerization, you name it. You need switching in that data center that would enable server-to-server traffic, faster speeds and lower latency. No wonder that segment in switching is showing tremendous growth. 

HP earned the number 2 spot with a 12.2% market share in the year 2010, according to Gartner. Not bad for a relatively new player in the market. HP started shipping data center switching products in 2009 in China thru its H3C subsidiary and in rest of world in 2010.  HP also shipped over 5.2 million ports of its unique Virtual Connect switch, since its inception in 2007. I recall some analyst undermining HP’s presence in data center switching saying it has no presence. I recommend that he checks out Gartner and Infonetics Research reports that track that market and see where HP stands. Also, just as a point of reference, see the new news release about HP’s data center switching equipment used at DreamWorks, enabling the production of new movies like “Puss in Boots.” I think that erases any doubts about HP’s presence in the data center switching market.

On to a recent Infonetics Research report

Infonetics Research just published a report based on surveying over 100 enterprises in North America about their data center and Ethernet switching and the results are another evidence confirming HP’s solid presence in that market. Infonetics states that “HP is betting big on networking, and their rise here is validation of their efforts and investment.” Infonetics also commented that “HP makes gains in data center evaluations,” based on question to respondents about their 2012 evaluations.**

Switching to new Info-Tech Research Group report

 

One more point of reference: another new report that Info-Tech Research Group published on the data center switching space.  HP is placed in the champion quadrant and received the “Value Award”, where it is credited for “delivering products that keep up with the competition at the most competitive cost.***

So, in this blog, I let the facts speak. Credible research firms that track this market closely have confirmed that HP is a strong player in data center switching and is gaining grounds. HP’s presence in data center switching is global with equipment deployed in very large companies across different regions; HP is a solid player that continues to grow. I bet you in Gartner’s 2011 report, you will see HP eating up more pie. Now, I will go sip some hot apple cider and enjoy a piece of apple pie. 

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* Gartner Research. Competitive Landscape: Data Center Ethernet Switches, Worldwide, 2011 Update; Naresh Singh, Severine Real; October 2010.

** Infonetics Research . Data Center and Campus Ethernet Switch Vendor Leadership: North American Enterprise Survey; Matthias Machowinski; October 14, 2011

*** Info-Tech Research Group. Vendor Landscape: Data Center Networking. October 2011.