Aruba set to redefine network solutions in mainland

Aruba, a provider of network solutions, is expected to modernize the field and achieve robust sales growth in China this year, pinning its hopes on already well-established sectors like education and hospitals.

Aruba is a subsidiary of US-based information technology company Hewlett-Packard Enterprise. Steve Wood, vice-president of its Asia Pacific arm, said: "In the past year, the company's revenue climbed about 30 percent year-on-year to $2.5 billion globally. China had similar growth, fuelled by education and hospital sectors.

"The company sees more success in 2018 particularly because plenty of new innovative products were released. The analysts agree with our strategy and vision, which will lead to further growth."

In China, Aruba's clients from the education industry accounted for about 40 percent, and those from the hospital and healthcare sectors take up the majority of the rest, said Jason Xie, general manager of Aruba China.

Aruba has been putting continued efforts to overturn the traditional model of network management while helping customers to build more competitive networks.

Wired and wireless network solutions like Wi-Fi, local area network or LAN and hardware like switches, help people to access online resources. Organizations use them to help mobile-savvy users access cloud-based applications.

As technologies like mobile telecommunications, the internet of things, and cloud computing disrupt traditional businesses, smarter networks are key to resilient and responsive tech infrastructure, stable transmissions and information safety.

"The launch of new-generation network solutions in China indicates that the Chinese market is always at the heart of Aruba's business strategy," said Xie. "With the support of the Beijing research and development center, we will not only be able to introduce more universally applied products, but also deliver tailored solutions to Chinese consumers based on local needs, and use case scenarios to help them to replace traditional model of network management and take first-mover advantage in the process of going digital."

Competition in China becomes increasingly intense, as Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, Cisco Systems Inc, and New H3C Group are revving up their operations to grab market share.

Some business insiders predicted the commercial application of 5G could render obsolete the Wi-Fi network. The latter accounts for plenty of Aruba's revenue.

However, Ni Jianzhong, vice-chairman of the China Mobile Communication Association, said the availability of 5G would not replace Wi-Fi.

"Wi-Fi and 5G each have their own strengths, and are suitable for different scenarios," he said during the 5th Wi-Fi Industry Summit held in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province.