Wireless Access

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-02-25/hp-said-in-talks-to-buy-aruba-networks-for-wi-fi-infrastructure

HP hasn't had a good track record with aquisitions as of late.

I can just see the order process now:

http://www.robelle.com/smugbook/hpstory.html

 (Long ago I was a HP-UX Sysadmin)....

We've actually had two of our vendors, Tippingpoint, and Procurve, bought by HP.  HP has pretty much just tacked "HP" in front of the name and left them alone and it has been pretty close to dealing with the smaller companies.  In fact the most user-visible change has been the SSO integration for their web services.  Of course I don't interface much with sales on those products.

My biggest concern, were the deal to go through, would be the fate of the MAS platform.  The Procurves were great bang for the buck but lack a lot of the configuration flexibility afforded by the MAS since they stuck to the cisco mold, and we've been warming up to the MAS's daring break with that tradition since we bought them.

I'd expand this concern to the rest of their portfolio as well.  Everyone's talking about HP buying them up as a wireless acquisition, but there are a lot of other client access products as well - Clearpass, Airwave, VIA VPN client, RAPs, not to mention the new Meridian product.  What HP would do with all of those other goodies is anyone's guess.

I was a big HP Procurve user until  HP bought 3COM and screwed up both products.  I now run Brocade/Foundry routers and switches.  I was much happier with the the Foundry products before they were aquired by Brocade.  I can't see any good coming of this.  Sigh.... 

-kg

we all hope that this is a rumor, but nothing is certain