2/7/2005 -- Last week, computing giant Hewlett-Packard Co. (HP) tapped Cisco Systems Inc. to provide integrated Gigabit Ethernet switching technology for its BladeSystem p-Class enclosures.

Cisco and HP compete in the enterprise switching space, where HP markets a line of switches for the network edge, as well as a series of core switch offerings. But the two companies have also been cozying up to one another in recent months, as this agreement, and others, demonstrates.

For the record, Cisco and HP reached a deal to incorporate Cisco’s new Gigabit Ethernet Switch Module into HP’s BladeSystem p-Class enclosures. The two companies plan to jointly market the solution, which will be available through HP’s channel resellers. Cisco says its Gigabit Ethernet Switch Module is fully compatible with existing HP BladeSystem p-Class enclosures.

It’s not the first concord between these ostensible competitors, however. The two companies have a history of partnership, collaboration and competition, and at HP’s Software Universe gala last November, for example, HP notched a reseller agreement with Cisco, which signed on to resell HP’s OpenView systems and network management software. HP and Cisco officials hint that the new agreement may be the first of more to follow.

HP last year catapulted itself into the 10-Gigabit Ethernet fray with its acquisition of enterprise Ethernet technology from Riverstone Networks Inc. At the time, at least one analyst speculated that HP could be gearing up to take on Cisco. “HP needed to take decisive actions to position itself against major networking rivals such as Cisco,” said Joel Conover, a principal analyst for enterprise infrastructure with consultancy Current Analysis Inc., who said that HP’s “partner/competitor” relationship with Cisco “has been an inhibitor to the growth of HP ProCurve as a direct competitor to Cisco.” -Stephen Swoyer