Pica8 Joins HPE SDN Ecosystem

PicOS Becomes the First NOS validated for the HPE SDN App Store

PALO ALTO, Calif. – July 19, 2016 – Pica8 Inc., the one-stop source for white box networking, today announced that its PicOS network operating system (NOS) has been added and validated in HPE’s (NYSE: HPE) networking SDN ecosystem. As a full ecosystem partner, Pica8’s PicOS now supports applications in the HPE SDN App Store, making it easy for enterprise customers to build customized SDN solutions using open, best-of-breed applications.

HPE launched its SDN App Store to foster development and innovation for applications and also provide turnkey SDN solutions for its customers. Pica8’s PicOS NOS powers HPE AltoLine switches in conjunction with HPE’s VAN SDN Controller to provide policy-based networking under OpenFlow. This combination provides the foundation for compelling end-to-end SDN solutions to meet customers’ IT requirements such as network visualization and monitoring, network segmentation, load balancing, traffic engineering, and security.

“Enterprise customers have been watching SDN developments with interest, but they’ve been waiting for SDN solutions to come together,” said Mike Fratto, research director at Current Analysis. “HPE and Pica8 are illustrating that this application ecosystem combines both disaggregation and applications that truly solve real world problems for the enterprise.”

Pica8 Simplifies SDN App Store Deployment for the Enterprise

One of the challenges for SDN deployment in the enterprise is finding the expertise to integrate multi-vendor solutions. Pica8 is working with HPE and other vendors in the app store community to simplify this effort by validating apps, the infrastructure and software, and providing more detailed step-by-step guidance on how to get these apps up and deployed in a production environment.

For example, SDN Privatizer is a free, community-developed app that provides an alternative to legacy private VLAN functionality. Pica8 has published configuration guides making it easier for customers to deploy the SDN Privatizer with PicOS on HPE AltoLine switches with the HPE VAN SDN Controller.

Another example is with KEMP Technologies, which offers application delivery controllers enabled with SDN adaptive technology supporting HP VAN and OpenDaylight controllers.. “We’re excited to be part of an evolving SDN ecosystem through the HPE App store,” said Iain Kenney, VP, product engineering of KEMP Technologies. “We believe that SDN offers customers options for achieving optimal quality of experience for legacy and next generation applications. HPE, Pica8, and KEMP Technologies are helping customers realize measurable benefits by delivering real-world SDN applications through the HPE App Store today.”

As demand grows for SDN apps, Pica8 will continue to work with HPE, vendors, and customers to ensure that these applications are validated and work as advertised.

“We are happy to welcome Pica8 to the HPE SDN ecosystem,” said Michael Zhu, senior director, Business and Corporate Development, at HPE Aruba. “Our enhanced partnership showcases HPE’s commitment to the true openness of our Virtual Application Networks (VAN) Controller software, which provides a unified control point in an SDN-enabled network to simplify management, provisioning and orchestration. As a major NOS provider for our Altoline family of brite-box network switches, Pica8 can now further enhance customer value by providing complete solutions featuring a wide array of innovative network management applications from the HPE SDN App Store.”

“Pica8 has been working with HPE for nearly a year to provide a solid platform for turnkey SDN applications, and the combination of PicOS, HPE’s VAN Controller, AltoLine switches, and applications from developers like KEMP Technologies is a powerful force that is taking SDN to the enterprise,” said Niraj Jain, vice president of business development at Pica8. “By working with HPE, we stand squarely at the forefront of SDN application development and deployment.”

About Pica8, Inc.

Pica8 is breaking barriers to truly customizable application performance through open networking. With its Linux-based PicOS™ network operating system, Pica8 enables custom traffic engineering and empowers white box and brite box switches to integrate easily with existing Layer 2/Layer 3 networks and deliver unlimited SDN scalability through OpenFlow. Since 2009, Pica8 has pioneered new open networking technologies such as Linux-based networking, CrossFlow networking, vASIC® and Table Type Patterns. Through ongoing innovation, Pica8 is a trusted brand that unlocks the potential of made-to-order networking, offering a mainstream alternative to legacy proprietary systems. For more information, visit www.pica8.com or follow us on Twitter @pica8.

###