At its HP Discover 2014 corporate event this week in Las Vegas, HP introduced its Helion Network, a global, open network that promises a portfolio of services for enterprise customers and the ability to create a secure hybrid IT environment.
The HP Helion Network will feature an OpenStack-based distributed cloud computing model. It will be hardware agnostic and HP promises that it will provide a unique commercial and operating model for service providers. HP hopes to attract a wide ecosystem of independent software vendors, developers, system integrators and value-added resellers. It will also build on the HP CloudAgile Service Provider program, which has more than 115 service providers worldwide and 1,500 private cloud deployments. HP said its Helion Network will include companies such as AT&T, HKT, Intel and Synapsis.
HP expects to launch a pilot version of the Helion Network in Q4 2014. General availability for HP Helion OpenStack and the HP Helion Development Platform is planned for the same time frame.
“Global enterprises grapple with a daunting array of cloud products and services across locations, which creates challenges that include security, data sovereignty, interoperability and quality of service,” said Martin Fink, executive vice president and chief technology officer, HP. “The HP Helion Network leverages HP’s expertise gained from running OpenStack technology at scale and our ability to unite service providers and technology partners. Together, we’re building a federated ecosystem that enables organizations to deploy services on the right platform at the right time and at the right cost.”
HP listed the following benefits of the HP Helion Network for enterprise customers:
- An open, secure and agile hybrid IT environment with no vendor lock-in, which enables workload portability between on- and off-premises environments.
- Access to an expanded enterprise-grade cloud services portfolio that includes horizontal and vertical applications, as well as network-enhanced services such as secure cloud networking, enabling customers to meet local and multinational hybrid requirements.
- The ability to meet country-specific data regulations regarding data sovereignty, retention and protection.
Key benefits for partners will include:
- New revenue streams and lower costs by offering differentiated cloud offerings that harness HP and partner technology and expertise.
- An expanded portfolio of cloud services, allowing service providers to sell other HP Helion Network service provider vertical and horizontal cloud solutions.
- Collaborative sales and marketing efforts to enhance market coverage and increase go-to-market efficiencies. This includes access to HP training, collateral and go-to-market support via HP’s direct and indirect channel partners—including value-added resellers and distributors.
- Access to flexible payment structures that help align IT investment with revenue.
