HPE's HCI system takes aim at space-constrained data centers

The latest addition to HPE's HCI portfolio aims to give smaller IT shops a little less bang for a lot less buck.

The HPE SimpliVity 2600 configures up to four compute modules in a 2U space, and features "always-on" deduplication and compression. Those capabilities often appeal to businesses with space-constrained IT environments or with no dedicated data center at all, particularly ones that deploy VDI applications on remote desktops for complex workloads and require only moderate storage.

Examples include branch offices, such as supermarkets or retailers with no dedicated data center room, who might likely keep a server in a manager's office, said Thomas Goepel, director of HPE's product management for hyper-converged systems.

Higher-end HPE HCI products, such as the SimpliVity 380, emphasize operational efficiencies, but their compute power may exceed the needs of many remote branch offices, and at a higher cost, so the 2600's price-performance ratio may be more attractive, said Dana Gardner, principal analyst at Interarbor Solutions LLC in Gilford, N.H.

"Remote branch offices tend to look at lower-cost approaches over efficiencies," he said. "Higher-end [HPE HCI systems] and in some cases the lower-end boxes, may not be the right fit for what we think of as a ROBO server."

Dana Gardner

On the other hand, many smaller IT shops lack internal technical talent and may struggle to implement more complex VDI workloads.

"[VDI] requires a lot of operational oversight to get it up and rolling and tuned in with the rest of the environment," Gardner said.

The market for higher compute density HCI to run complex workloads that involve VDI applications represents a rich opportunity, concurred Steve McDowell, a senior analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy. "It's a smart play for HPE, and should compete well against Nutanix," he said.

There has been a tremendous appetite [among users] for HCI products in general because they come packaged and ready to install.

The HPE SimpliVity 2600, based on the company's Apollo 2000 platform, also overlaps with HPE's Edgeline systems unveiled last month, although there are distinct differences in the software stack and target applications, McDowell said. The 2600 is more of an appliance with a fixed feature set contained in a consolidated management framework.

The Edgeline offering, meanwhile, targets infrastructure consolidation out on the edge with a more even balance of compute, storage and networking capabilities.

Higher-end HPE HCI offerings have gained traction among corporate users. Revenues for these systems surged 280% in this year's first quarter compared with a year ago, versus 76% growth for the overall HCI market, according to IDC, the market research firm based in Framingham, Mass.

"There has been a tremendous appetite for HCI products in general because they come packaged and ready to install," Gardner said. "HPE is hoping to take advantage of this with iterations that allow them to expand their addressable market, in this case downward."

The 2600 will be available sometime by mid-July, according to HPE.