Aruba launches more powerful Instant On switches

Aruba has beefed up its Instant On switch portfolio for small and midsize businesses with the introduction of the 1960 series.

The latest series is the second in the Instant On product line. The 1960 series offers more bandwidth and scalability than the 1930 series, according to Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company.

Scalability is a significant feature in the new products introduced this week. The 1960 hardware is stackable and can be managed online as one device through the Instant On app. Cloud-based network management is a critical feature, given SMBs' limited IT resources.

The 1960 series consists of five models, ranging in price from $899 for a 24-port switch to $2,299 for 48 ports. Like the rest of the Instant On portfolio, customers can set up and manage 1960 switches through the Instant On mobile app.

All the latest switches include Class 6 Power over Ethernet (POE), letting companies plug-in webcams or Wi-Fi access points requiring 60 watts or less.

"That's going to be ideal for organizations that have a slightly larger footprint, maybe more connected devices," said Brandon Butler, a research manager for enterprise networks at IDC. "I think about this as being for the larger end of the small and medium-sized business [spectrum]."

Aruba launches the new series into a crowded marketplace. Companies ranging from Cisco to Ubiquiti to Netgear offer small business-optimized switches. Still, midsized enterprises already invested in the Aruba product suite and looking to upgrade could favor the 1960 series, Butler said.

Madelaine Millar is a news writer covering network technology at TechTarget. She has previously written about science and technology for MIT's Lincoln Laboratory and the Khoury College of Computer Science, as well as covering community news for Boston Globe Media. She is a 2021 graduate of Northeastern University, and originally hails from Missoula, Mont.