HP has acquired Colubris Networks to slot it into its ProCurve Networking business. Good thing or bad thing?
Well HP is naturally gung ho. For Colubris it was a sort of inevitable outcome. Formed only eight years ago, it has advanced wireless networking solutions but in today’s financial climate it would have been challenged to raise the moolah to go much further. Rumour has it that the firm has been looking for a sugar daddy for about 18 months. Under HP’s wing it may have found a little package of synergy.
Marius Haas, SV-P and GM of ProCurve thinks so.
“The acquisition of Colubris Networks will strengthen ProCurve’s hardware, management platform and services, significantly improving the overall performance capabilities of both wired and wireless networks, and will deliver even more best-in-class choices for our customers worldwide” he said.
Aside from the corporate speak this is probably quite accurate. There may be a touch of hyperbole when he goes on to say he is “convinced that ProCurve’s impressive growth and market leadership is unlimited.” After all there is big, big tree trunk in the way of such aspirations. It’s called Cisco.
Nevertheless TekPlus believes the Colubris acquisition is a good move for HP because it gets Procurve into the mainstream WLAN market big time. Colubris is one of the few vendors that have products around 802.11n (High Throughput Wireless) and strong WLAN security portfolio. In addition Colubris has a comprehensive wireless/ mobility services management offering. These three elements added to ProCurve’s very own access points and identity management module makes up a nice portfolio for Procurve’s channel to push into the market.