9/17/2007 -- Just how serious a threat is Hewlett-Packard Co.'s ProCurve Networking division to the dominance of enterprise switching champ Cisco Systems Inc.? That question still remains to be settled, but HP, at the very least, is having a good go at it, announcing a new ProCurve Switch 8212zl that uses its ProVision ASIC technology. Boasting ProCurve's lifetime warranty and support for a new ProCurve Wireless Edge Services zl Module (also announced last week), the ProCurve Switch 8212zl rounds out HP's core-to-edge play.

At the very least, said Steven Schuchart, a principal analyst for enterprise network systems with consultancy Current Analysis, HP's newest ProCurve deliverable demonstrates that it's still serious about competing against Cisco.

"[T]hese products, particularly the 8212zl, demonstrate ProCurve's commitment to moving up-market and into larger data centers to compete with Cisco and others," he wrote. "[I]n order for it to break out of its medium business and institutional shell, ProCurve needs to have a legitimate core switch beyond the OEM model and the 8100 in its current lineup. The 8212zl is a big step in the right direction."

And while the 8212zl's features alone might not be enough to dislodge Cisco in bread-and-butter enterprise accounts, Schuchart predicted that some enterprise customers will be enticed by HP's ProCurve lifetime warranty. "ProCurve will bring eyes to its product line with the lifetime warranty and that will lead to competitive bids," he said.

Not that ProCurve is completely shut out of the enterprise switching stakes: HP OEMs an enterprise-grade switch (the 9300), Schuchart said, but that alone isn't enough to help it break through to the enterprise data center. In this respect, he said, the ProCurve Switch 8212zl uses the same ProCurve ProVision ASIC technology as its little brother (the ProCurve 5400zl), as well as the same line cards and power supplies. It can handle up to 128 10 Gigabit Ethernet ports at a 2:1 oversubscription or 288 line rate Gigabit Ethernet ports.

Elsewhere, HP's new ProCurve Wireless Edge Services Module can be used in either of the ProCurve zl offerings. It can service a maximum of 156 ProCurve radios with additional software licenses, Schuchart said.

All in all, he likes what he sees in the ProCurve 8212zl. "It shows positive momentum into the large enterprise market and a strong commitment to the ProVision ASIC that is at the core of all of ProCurve's top products. Considering the preponderance of merchant silicon in the market today, it is worth noting that ProCurve is using its own ASICs," Schuchart said. "ProCurve has learned some lessons from the 8100fl and the 82112zl has the redundancy features that are necessary for an enterprise data center. ProCurve has used the line cards and power supplies from the ProCurve Switch 5400zl making sparing easier for customers. On top of all of that, the ProCurve 8212zl sports a lifetime warranty, something that no other competitor can say on this class of product."

On the other hand, Schuchart stressed, the 8212zl "isn't a competitive silver bullet." It lacks the performance and density expected from a new datacenter switching product, for starters: Cisco and other competitors can outstrip ProCurve for investment protection and capacity.

And while the ProCurve lifetime warranty might help to turn a few heads, Schuchart thinks it might prove less than attractive to large enterprise buyers. "[T]he lifetime warranty on the 8212zl will not do much more than bring eyes to ProCurve. Customers of larger modular switches such as the 8212zl simply need service contracts, making the lifetime warranty moot," he said.

Finally, while ProCurve's use of its own ProVision ASIC is a distinctive thing, it also signals the abandonment of technology HP used to power its 8100fl product line.

"While neither the ProCurve Switch 8212zl nor the ProCurve Wireless Edge Services zl Module are particularly earthshaking products themselves, they do represent a consistent and persistent upsurge from ProCurve into the larger enterprise market," Schuchart concluded. "ProCurve is currently the hot player in the market outside of giant Cisco and competitors will need to closely mark ProCurve's actions in order to mount an effective competitive response to ProCurve's continued product innovations." --Stephen Swoyer