Bring turnkey solutions rapidly to market by reducing hardware complexity

[MattQuirk]

No matter the industry, artificial intelligence (AI) has taken center stage, sparking innovation and transformative possibilities. The hype has been fuelled with the rise of ChatGPT and other generative AI applications. Consequently, it is apt that the theme at GITEX Global 2023, one of the world’s biggest tech shows, is “The Year to Imagine AI in Everything.”

We’ve seen it time and again—early adopters of cutting-edge technologies go on to become market leaders. According to a new study by HPE Aruba Networking, 95% of 2,100 IT leaders surveyed across 21 countries said that digitization is crucial in unlocking new revenue streams in the next twelve months. The top three technologies that organizations are already using or looking to bring in are 5G (91%), AI and machine learning solutions (89%), and the Internet of Things (88%). [1]

At the same time, innovative technology is also a barrier to progress: 64% of the same IT leaders believe that cybersecurity concerns are negatively impacting their organization’s willingness to invest in these new technologies. [2]

For companies that are navigating their digital transformation journey and want to keep their data secure, ready-to-go turnkey solutions offer a compelling answer. Many software-based businesses are seeing increasing customer demand for turnkey versions of their products. However, the challenge lies in developing and configuring the right hardware platforms on which to run their solutions. Enter HPE’s Virtual-OEM (V-OEM) solution.

V-OEM streamlines go-to-market

The V-OEM program was developed to help OEMs market fully integrated solutions without getting entangled in hardware intricacies. Software-based OEMs maintain full control over their intellectual property (IP), but now also benefit from having the supplier of a trusted HPE-authorised partner handle the hardware component. This partnership yields several benefits.

Customize without compromise

Turnkey solutions often raise concerns about customization limitations.[3] However, with V-OEM, solutions can be customized for each end customer without voiding HPE’s warranty. And the best part is, everything hardware-related is taken care of by HPE or HPE’s trusted network of authorized channel partners.

These partners can procure the specified HPE hardware, install and configure your IP (including any requested customizations from your customers), brand, and deliver the solution to end users. It’s a win-win situation: Your customers get a turnkey solution customized for their use case, and you can focus on software innovation and developing your IP.

Win new customers worldwide

There are two key advantages that come with being an HPE OEM Solutions partner. First is HPE’s established and widely trusted brand. Second is that you gain access to HPE’s network of logistics, support, and marketing resources throughout the world. These are important factors that can contribute to increased sales and scalability of your solution.

HPE’s global reach also gives OEMs great flexibility and further scalability, which ensures their businesses can adapt swiftly to diverse market demands.

Cost efficiency and rapid time-to-market

Minimal hardware involvement translates to reduced business impact from narrower hardware margins. In addition, OEMs don’t have to invest in technical personnel as IT support is included in the V-OEM program.

The cost savings from these two areas can then be invested into digital transformation, managing customer relationships, driving demand, and doing what OEMs do best—developing their core IP.

And, because OEMs can simply integrate their IP onto reliable and validated hardware solutions from HPE, time-to-market is vastly accelerated. In an increasingly competitive landscape, this ability creates a crucial business edge.

Get a more secure end product

Cybersecurity continues to be a top-of-mind concern due to the high levels of cyberattacks on businesses. In 2022, the average data breach cost affected companies $4.35 million. [4] Selecting secure solutions is a fundamental consideration for businesses today.

HPE hardware is protected by the HPE Trusted Supply Chain, which safeguards the supply chain network through the design, manufacturing, and delivery stages. As a result, all applications and data are secured before each HPE server is even deployed. Blockchain, zero-trust architecture, and tear-down inspections are just some of the technologies deployed throughout the way.

HPE ProLiant servers offer an additional layer of security with the silicon root of trust, our patented technology that makes it impossible to insert any malware, virus, or compromised code that would corrupt the server boot process. It’s no surprise that many of our customers have chosen to integrate their IP on HPE ProLiant servers.

Case study: Veritas Technologies

Veritas Technologies is a global leader in multi-cloud data management, data protection, and storage optimization. One of its top solutions is Veritas NetBackup Flex Scale, a multi-layered security infrastructure. It started out as a software-only offering, with customers needing to deploy it on their own enterprise servers. Rising customer demand for a turnkey version meant that Veritas had to explore ways of offering the original NetBackup in an appliance form factor even though they did not have the necessary hardware expertise. 

This eventually led to Veritas joining the HPE V-OEM program, which sped up the go-to-market of what would become today’s Veritas NetBackup Flex Scale. Built on HPE ProLiant servers, this hyperconverged enterprise data protection solution simplifies infrastructure management by automating key tasks such as initial configuration, scaling, and performance management.

The good news is, the solution continues to evolve—whenever HPE adds new functionality and performance enhancements to its servers, Veritas customers can benefit from these by simply inserting new nodes and retiring old ones. In addition, Veritas and its customers continue to enjoy ongoing access to HPE Services, which offer onsite IT support all around the world.

An alternative go-to-market strategy

OEMs’ end customers are looking for a secure and integrated solution stack. This can be a complex ask that could take years of development if an organization’s IP rests in software. The V-OEM program offers an alternative go-to-market model that delivers a fully integrated solution where validated hardware and software are optimized to work together. The end result is a scalable, flexible, and profitable business model for OEMs, and a great experience for their end customers.

If your business can benefit from the V-OEM program, learn more and get in touch at https://www.hpe.com/us/en/oem/virtual-oem.html

[1] https://www.hpe.com/us/en/newsroom/press-release/2023/09/innovation-vs-risk-it-leaders-share-security-concerns-regarding-tech-innovation-but-can-they-afford-to-let-risk-hold-them-back.html

[2] Ibid.

[3] https://www.impactmybiz.com/blog/blog-are-turnkey-solutions-enough-for-your-business/

[4] https://www.upguard.com/blog/cost-of-data-breach#:~:text=The%20yearly%20average%20data%20breach,2021%20amount%20of%20%244.24%20million.