HPE and Red Hat Join Forces to Give Customers Greater Choice for NFV Deployments

Collaboration between open source leaders expands HPE's multi-stack strategy to include Red Hat OpenStack Platform and Red Hat Ceph Storage

PALO ALTO, CA and RALEIGH, NC -

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE: HPE) and Red Hat, Inc. (NYSE: RHT) announced today they are working together to accelerate the deployment of network functions virtualization (NFV) solutions based on fully open, production-ready, standards-based infrastructures. HPE plans to offer ready-to-use, pre-integrated HPE NFV System solutions and HPE Validated Configurations incorporating Red Hat OpenStack Platform and Red Hat Ceph Storage for communications service providers (CSPs).

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The expansion of the relationship brings together two leaders in telecommunications well positioned and committed to helping CSPs accelerate their network transformations.

David Sliter

vice president and general manager, Communications Solutions Business, HPE

Consistent with HPE's multi-cloud, multi-stack strategy and broader open source software commitment, HPE is collaborating with Red Hat to accelerate OpenStack adoption by CSPs worldwide, offering customers increased choice through multiple commercial distributions, including both HPE Helion OpenStack Carrier Grade and Red Hat OpenStack Platform. Red Hat is an open source leader, using an 'upstream first' approach to the development of its products, including Red Hat OpenStack Platform. As a result, Red Hat OpenStack Platform offers a fully open source foundation for NFV deployments.

"The expansion of the relationship brings together two leaders in telecommunications well positioned and committed to helping CSPs accelerate their network transformations," said David Sliter, vice president and general manager, Communications Solutions Business, HPE. "Red Hat and HPE share a common vision and commitment to enable a rich ecosystem of NFV solutions -- our work together is aimed at easing customers' ability to leverage the expansive options we collectively provide."

With these new offerings, HPE and Red Hat are building upon an existing alliance, focused on helping customers overcome the inflexibility and high costs created by data center, application and IT sprawl by shifting resources to business innovation. This expanded collaboration enables Red Hat to make use of HPE OpenNFV Labs for virtual network function (VNF) validation and for Red Hat OpenStack Platform customers to access HPE VNF Onboarding Services. The HPE OpenNFV Solution Portal is also being expanded to include VNFs from Red Hat partners, providing customers with access to pre-validated solutions that can help simplify deployments.

"With an open foundation for their NFV deployments, CSPs have access to a more flexible, agile, and scalable platform that can meet dynamic requirements, now and in the future," said Radhesh Balakrishnan, general manager, OpenStack, Red Hat. "By bringing Red Hat OpenStack Platform and Red Hat Ceph Storage to HPE's NFV solution, we are offering even more choice to CSPs as they transform and modernize their networks."

Additionally, HPE and Red Hat are collaborating to certify HPE NFV operations solutions, including HPE NFV Director for management and orchestration (MANO), HPE Service Director for operations support systems (OSS), HPE VNFs and the OpenDaylight-based HPE OpenSDN Solution on the Red Hat OpenStack Platform, backed by end-to-end support from HPE.

Red Hat OpenStack Platform and Red Hat Ceph Storage integration is planned for availability with the release of HPE NFV System 1.4. HPE NFV System is a pre-integrated solution bundle containing an optimal mix of hardware and software to simplify and accelerate NFV deployments, providing customers a simplified end-to-end experience from ordering, deployment, operations, lifecycle management and services. Bundles are fully tested, designed as building blocks that allow customers to start small and scale out as requirements increase. HPE NFV System 1.4 is targeted for availability in April 2017 for both HPE Helion OpenStack Carrier Grade and Red Hat OpenStack Platform.

For customers seeking guidance, systems integration and support for Red Hat open source technologies on HPE NFV System, HPE Technology Services offers services spanning strategy planning, proof-of-concept, assessment, validated active design, integration, solution support and comprehensive program management.

About Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Hewlett Packard Enterprise is an industry leading technology company that enables customers to go further, faster. With the industry's most comprehensive portfolio, spanning the cloud to the data center to workplace applications, our technology and services help customers around the world make IT more efficient, more productive and more secure.

HPE Forward-Looking Statement

The information included in this press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. If the risks or uncertainties ever materialize or the assumptions prove incorrect, the results of Hewlett Packard Enterprise may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and assumptions. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements. Risks, uncertainties and assumptions include the need to address the many challenges facing Hewlett Packard Enterprise's businesses; the competitive pressures faced by Hewlett Packard Enterprise's businesses; risks associated with executing Hewlett Packard Enterprise's strategy; the development and transition of new products and services and the enhancement of existing products and services to meet customer needs and respond to emerging technological trends; the execution and performance of contracts by Hewlett Packard Enterprise and its suppliers, customers and partners; integration and other risks associated with business combination and investment transactions; and other risks that are described in Hewlett Packard Enterprise's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Hewlett Packard Enterprise assumes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements.

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  • About Red Hat
  • Red Hat is the world's leading provider of open source software solutions, using a community-powered approach to provide reliable and high-performing cloud, Linux, middleware, storage and virtualization technologies. Red Hat also offers award-winning support, training, and consulting services. As a connective hub in a global network of enterprises, partners, and open source communities, Red Hat helps create relevant, innovative technologies that liberate resources for growth and prepare customers for the future of IT. Learn more at http://www.redhat.com.



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