HP and Cisco to get set for Net

Vendor giants join forces in a bid to develop a range of Internet-ready networked computing solutions

Cisco and Hewlett Packard have teamed up to develop Internet-ready networked computing solutions, and say the signing will benefit dealers by providing them with pre-networked systems.

The vendor giants will collaborate in technology development, product integration, professional services and customer service and support.

Richard Bradley, UK channel manager at Cisco, said: ?Closer ties with HP and the integration of their servers with our IOS technology will mean we can offer more seamless and scalable solutions to resellers.? Cisco already has a global channel relationship with HP, which is one of the networking vendor?s enterprise partners.

HP is expected to standardise its enterprise solutions on Cisco?s networking products and IOS software platform, and to recommend Cisco as its preferred networking vendor. Cisco is to endorse HP as its preferred partner for computing and technology co-development.

Lewis Platt, chairman, president and CEO at HP, said an integrated infrastructure was mandatory for enterprises wanting to deploy Internet and intranet technologies. ?By forging a relationship that combines our respective core competencies, HP and Cisco are providing an innovative open framework that benefits our application developers, channel partners and customers,? he said.

HP will integrate Cisco software into its Advance Stack product line to connect workgroups to central sites with a Cisco backbone. Cisco will add an HP workgroup hub to its Net Beyond line for SMEs.