Hewlett-Packard Company today unveiled its
electronic-commerce server platform, HP Domain Commerce, announced a
Web Quality of Service (Web QoS) strategy, and introduced its correlating
product, HP ServiceControl.
The aggressive initiative was announced in San Fransisco at HP’s “How to
Succeed In
E-Business” forum and expands on the company’s previously announced
e-commerce agenda.
The Domain Commerce server
platform comes bundled with software for deploying e-commerce applications
and provides functionality for Web QoS and technologies for payment,
imaging and management via a scalable platform. The suite of technologies
includes applications from BroadVision, iCAT, Intershop and Open Market. It is geared to a
clientele of enterprises, system integrators and ISPs and is scheduled to
ship this August. It will retail for $3,995.
“The Web server is evolving from a static
content server for non-business-critical information to an intelligent,
transaction-intensive server that is an integral part of the enterprise
computing environment,” said Nigel Ball, general manager of HP’s Internet
and Applications Systems Division. “With HP Domain Commerce, we are helping
our customers extend their business processes to the Internet by combining
our mission-critical expertise, products and services as a fundamental part
of the Web server, and by partnering with leading application vendors to
provide a complete electronic-commerce solution.”
HP also said that its new Web Qos
strategy is designed to reduce the “World Wide Wait” encountered when
accessing
crowded Web sites. The Web QoS is able to predict a site’s wait time and relay
the information to the user. HP said the product will aid online businesses
in providing services to special customers and also enable service
providers to prioritize services. For example, online banking can be given
priority ahead
of browsing.
Web QoS was developed in collaboration with Cisco Systems, Inc., employing its
CiscoAssure Policy Networking technologies.
To support the Web QoS strategy, HP will release its ServiceControl software to be used on
HP’s enterprise servers. It provides admission control, persistent
connections, HP Domain management, and
load-balancing control. Shipping of ServiceControl will begin in June,
priced at $800 per CPU.
“Our customers are telling us that they can’t apply the Internet to
e-commerce as aggressively as they’d like because they can’t predict or
control Internet traffic very easily,” said Ball. “HP’s Web QoS
technologies and HP ServiceControl are taking the uncertainty out of
Internet service. By delivering a predictable and controllable environment
that will help our customers use the Internet to create new business
opportunities, we can increase their confidence in using the Internet for
mission-critical commerce applications.”
