Live from HPE Discover 2025: Interview with Prashanth Kumar, Senior Product Manager

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Hey HPE Discover attendees!

Live from the HPE Discover Showcase floor, I’m blogging from backstage in preparation for one of HPE Discover 2025’s most popular sessions – the Networking Technical General Session! This is Part 1 of a 6-Part series.

We are capping a summer of events in the networking industry with the most exciting innovations yet! As you learn about new ways to implement solutions from HPE Aruba Networking, collaborate and network with industry peers, and undergo rigorous certification testing to establish your standing as expert technologists, I wanted to shine a light on the behind-the-scenes work for the Technical General Session so you can get a hands-on feel for what we are doing to put on the best HPE Discover 2025 for our HPE Aruba Networking attendees yet.

David Hughes, HPE Discover 2024

This Wednesday in the General Session Theater, David Hughes, SVP and Chief Product Officer at HPE Aruba Networking has assembled an amazing slew of technical demos spanning our Security-first, AI-powered Networking architecture.

Those of you who have attended in years past will know that we seek to amaze our customers, partners, and industry experts with live demos of our latest innovations. This is not without risk, as we are beholden to the powers that be that features we have rigorously tested and prepared for in the months leading up to the Technical General Session go off without a hitch!

Ti Chiapuzio-Wong, HPE Discover 2024

Now, I’d like to spotlight some key technical subject matter experts who have been instrumental in the delivery of this year’s Technical General Session. Without further ado, lets hear from Prashanth Kumar!

1) Hi Prashanth! What is your role at HPE and how long have you worked here?

I’m a Senior Principal Product Manager at HPE, focused on building enterprise solutions within HPE Aruba Networking Central. I’ve been with the company for nearly three years, and it’s been an exciting journey shaping innovative solutions for our customers 

2) The TGS agenda is top secret, but what are you most excited for Discover attendees to see?

I’m especially excited to showcase the powerful capabilities of HPE Aruba Networking Central as an all-in-one service for managing and monitoring solutions across Campus, Data Center and SD-WAN environments.

What makes it truly stand out is that it’s not just about centralized management—it’s about unified operations. The ability to correlate data end-to-end and deliver actionable insights across the entire enterprise is incredibly powerful and transformative.

3) From your perspective, what is the biggest, new and exciting thing about HPE Aruba Networking Central?

One of the most exciting aspects is the flexibility the platform offers. It empowers users to build solutions at their own pace without compromising on reliability or continuity. HPE Aruba Networking Central is truly designed to meet current needs while guiding customers toward their desired outcomes—step by step, at a pace that works for them.

4) What is your favorite technical resource you want all technologists to read?

My go-to resource is the Validated Solution Guide. It’s an excellent starting point for understanding or implementing a solution. These guides provide clear, tested, and practical insights that help technologists build with confidence and clarity.

Thank you Prashanth! Great of you to provide a text-based tour of HPE Aruba Networking Central for us all! I’m looking forward to seeing all of the “data” you’ve “centered” your responses around. Hope to learn more about it on Wednesday!