Even as it was building up its ProCurve networking business, HP was still missing the core data center switch that would enable it to compete more closely with Cisco. HPs $2.7 billion deal for 3Com will help close that hole, plus give it greater network security technology through 3Com subsidiary TippingPoint and greater reach in China, analysts said. It also will force other networking players, including Juniper, Extreme and Brocade, to figure out how they will handle a more formidable HP, they said.
– At the Interop 2009 show in Las Vegas
in May, officials with 3Com were showing off their networking product line as
the company was making its way back into the global market, positioning itself as
the low-cost alternative to Cisco Systems.
At the same time, those officials also were talking wit…