HPE CEO Antonio Neri: Intelligent Edge Is The ‘Next Frontier'

Hewlett Packard Enterprise CEO Antonio Neri Wednesday told shareholders that HPE's intelligent edge strategy represents the next "frontier" in the future of computing.

"Our strategy has been clear: which is to accelerate the intelligent edge opportunity," said Neri. "We believe the edge is the next frontier. That is why we are so bullish about our Aruba portfolio with the connectivity, security and analytics."

HPE, in fact, continues to "prioritize strategic investments" in the Intelligent Edge business, said Neri laying out the company’s strategic vision in his address to shareholders. "In fiscal year 2018, we announced that we have committed to invest $4 billion dollars in the Intelligent Edge, which will include investments in innovation and people across this business segment," he said. "We also continue to introduce compelling new solutions and services in our Aruba business that will enable us to continue to be the leader in the Edge."

Neri's comments came even as Aruba earlier this week at its Aruba Atmosphere 2019 conference introduced its breakthrough ClearPass Device Insight, a network access control offering along with two new WiFi 6-capable access points.

Cloud-hosted ClearPass Device Insight gives customers a single vantage point of all endpoints connected to their network, including devices such as iPhones, or more "exotic" devices, such as barcode scanners or medical devices.

HPE's edge-centric, cloud enabled and data-driven vision sets it apart, said Neri. "We have the unique ability to connect our customers’ data between all of their edges and all of their clouds," he said.

"We see a world that is edge-centric, cloud-enabled and data-driven." said Neri. "It’s a hyper-connected world where we are constantly receiving data from billions of connected devices, cars, home appliances, workplaces, museums, stadiums, hospitals, factory floors and the data center."

One example of HPE's Aruba intelligent edge market leadership, said Neri, is a "refinery of the future" project with Texmark Chemicals Inc., a family-owned chemical processing plant in Galena Park, Texas.

The refinery of the future project – which includes HPE partners including Orange, Calif.-based CB Technologies (CBT), an HPE Aruba Platinum partner- has received wide acclaim.

Kelly Ireland, founder and CEO of CB Technologies, a perennial CRN IoT innovator honoree, said HPE is head and shoulders above any and all competitors in the intelligent edge market.

"HPE is definitely at the top when it comes to the edge with all of the innovation it has brought to the market," she said. "What is important with joint customers like Texmark is HPE is embracing the ecosystem. There are 12 ecosystem partners with refinery of the future. This is beyond the internet of things buzzword. It is solving a business problem and proving why IoT matters."

HPE and the ecosystem partners' two year investment in the refinery of the future is unparalleled, said Ireland. "It's a huge investment," she said. "HPE realizes the importance of the partner ecosystem with this project."

The long-running Texmark refinery of the future work has given HPE and partners like CB Technologies -- which was chosen as the Texmark system integrator for the project -- a huge competitive advantage in the intelligent edge market, said Ireland.

"We are helping to tie OT (operational technology) to IT (information technology) with Aruba and HPE," she said. "It has given us a great view of OT and IoT integration. Think of what we have learned from this project. We're doing this in a production chemical plant environment. Obviously safety is paramount. That is first and foremost. But the fact that we are doing this in production sets HPE and the team apart from everyone.This resonates with every single corporate client we meet with."

CB Technologies is starting to see a "wave of growth" around the HPE edge and internet of things products, said Ireland, whose company has invested literally millions of dollars in the edge opportunity.

"Antonio has led the company in absolutely the right direction," said Ireland. "HPE – Aruba has provided the leading edge platform – the compute, storage and networking that is required for this project. HPE is way ahead. The competition knows this and they are trying to catch up. They understand that Antonio focused the company in the right direction. The wave is going to crest for HPE with this."

CB Technologies is showcasing the refinery of the future success to sell a broad range of edge and IoT solutions to many markets including utilities, manufacturing and insurance companies, said Ireland. "What we have with IoT has refreshed our technology team," said Ireland. "Before it was cloud. Now it is edge. Edge is exciting. Antonio is a technologist. He loves technology. He has directed HPE down the right path and I think it will be extremely successful."

CB Technologies sales were up 46 percent last year bringing the company to $141 million in annual sales, said Ireland. CB Technologies' HPE's sales were up 20 percent, she said. "In 2019, we are going to see more growth around IoT, edge and delivering solutions like refinery of the future," she said.