HP Flips the Switch on SDN Networking with 5400R ZL2 Series

Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) is looking to drive more customers to utilize software-defined networking (SDN) with the release of its HP 5400R zl2 Switch Series, which the company said was designed to enhance network performance and support customers moving from legacy vendors to SDN environments.

The HP 5400R zl2 Switch Series expands upon the zl series by enabling users to take advantage of the building blocks needed to create a SDN-driven environment with OpenFlow support, while also providing investment protection for HP’s existing customers, according to the press release. As a viable solution for both small and midsized businesses as well as large enterprises, HP is touting the zl2 series as a simple way for users to extend their campus and branch networks while reducing their TCO by up to 43 percent.

“To keep pace with software developments and realize new business potential through cloud and mobile technologies, our customers are looking to modernize their networks,” said Antonio Neri, senior vice president and general manager, Servers & Networking at HP, in a statement. “HP is committed to developing open networking solutions that allow our customers to take full advantage of new business applications and migrate to SDN when they are ready, without requiring a forklift upgrade of their current infrastructure.”

Both of the switches feature fifth-generation ProVision Fabric ASIC technology, giving users the ability to deploy their bandwidth-intensive applications without having to worry about slowdown, according to HP. With about 58 percent lower latency and up to 2Tb per second of switching fabric capacity, HP is promising smooth sailing for customers looking to utilize their networks for videoconferencing and other high-impact network activities. The 5400R series’ unified wired and wireless policy can be managed through the HP Intelligent Management Center.

Both the HP 5406R zl2 and the HP 5412Rzl2 switches are available immediately and are list-priced at $2,419 and $4,599, respectively.