Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company, has announced a new set of capabilities and solutions for Aruba ESP (Edge Services Platform) designed to streamline network operations and maximise IT efficiency for enterprises. Updates include new AIOps, IoT and security features for Aruba Central – the cloud-native, AI-powered network management and analytics platform that sits at the heart of Aruba ESP – as well as additions to the Aruba CX Switching portfolio that are purpose-built for the Intelligent Edge. With these advancements, IT can more easily extend the network from edge to cloud – all enabled by a seamless, unified infrastructure that delivers new levels of agility and simplicity, which are especially important in today’s highly distributed enterprise environment.
The circumstances of the past year have made an indelible impact on the enterprise and challenged traditional business models. Early on, organisations had to adapt quickly to changing requirements to ensure business continuity. Today, armed with lessons learned from the past year, enterprises are not only adapting to and thriving amidst new business realities, they are also increasing investment in technologies that will yield a more flexible and resilient IT infrastructure to prepare for any major business disruptions that may occur in the future.
Another major consideration that enterprises are grappling with is the distributed nature of business today. Not only are applications and workloads distributed across the data center and the cloud, but users themselves are dispersed across campus, data center, branch and remote worker locations. Meanwhile, the network has also become more fragmented, with multiple architectures and disparate management tools that impede IT service delivery across these distributed locations.
The resulting IT complexity can offset the intended benefits of adopting technologies such as IoT and cloud, while negatively impacting employee productivity and the end customer experience. With organisations undergoing digital transformation, IT teams are under more pressure than ever before to automate and implement technologies and solutions that streamline operations and reduce IT complexity.
One way to reduce IT complexity is to deploy a unified infrastructure, one that can be centrally managed via a single point of control. Customers can realise this network simplification through ongoing advancements to Aruba Central and ArubaOS 10 (AOS 10), a unified network operating system that brings together WLAN and SD-Branch capabilities. In this manner, IT can effectively manage a distributed network environment across microbranch, branch and campus environments and deliver a high-quality user experience using a single architecture, orchestrated from a single management console.
“With over 17,000 district-issued devices spread across 16 sites serving 14,000 students, our organisation is about as distributed as you can get,” said Jesus Orozco, System Administrator, Santa Barbara Unified School District.
“In a school district like ours, where device connectivity is a critical element to learning, network downtime is simply not an option. Aruba technology gives us the ability to proactively manage the entire network from one centralised location, making it easier for us to diagnose and solve problems before student learning is impacted. We are excited about the new advancements in Aruba Central and ArubaOS 10 in furthering our goal of delivering the fast, secure and always-on connectivity that keeps our students connected and engaged,” added Orozco.
“The developments of the past year have shown us that the distributed enterprise is here to stay, especially as organisations seek ways to maximise flexibility and build resiliency into their businesses in order to adapt quickly to whatever challenges may arise,” said Bob Laliberte, Senior Analyst and Practice Director, Enterprise Strategy Group.