Imagine Communications, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Expand Partnership

Imagine Communications has announced it is to expand its strategic relationship with Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE).

The relationship has been designed to allow communications service providers (CSPs) and other broadcast and media companies to construct video production, playout and distribution facilities to deliver scale, flexibility, performance and reliability. The expanded partnership establishes a framework for HPE to resell Imagine Communications' product portfolio virtually worldwide, and brings Imagine Communications' core products in alignment with HPE's software, hardware and services solutions.

The agreement is supported by a go-to-market strategy that targets content distributors, aggregators and broadcasters operating in all areas of the industry, extending into government, sports venues, corporate and houses of worship markets. It creates a strategic partnership focused on the modernisation of broadcast, distribution and new media facilities and will utilise HPE's Communications & Media Solutions (CMS) organisation.

The agreement expansion calls for HPE to resell products from Imagine Communications' playout, networking, distribution and ad management solutions portfolios, as well as products and intellectual property from HPE Software and CMS businesses. The collaboration will provide media companies with a single source for all hardware, software, service and support needs. It also includes the migration of Imagine Communications' core products to HPE hardware platforms.

Charlie Vogt, CEO, Imagine Communications, said: "Two of the most influential technology innovators in their respective industries are teaming up to provide service providers, TV networks, broadcasters, new media and enterprise companies with exactly what they need to meet today's, as well as tomorrow's, challenges. By combining Imagine Communications' market-leading video portfolio with Hewlett Packard Enterprise's market-leading storage, compute and networking technology, the two companies are helping to accelerate the transition to IP-based, software-defined virtualized facilities that are the future of the media and entertainment industry."

Antonio Neri, executive vice president and general manager, Enterprise Group, HPE, added: "Media companies and service providers recognize the urgency to modernize operations to meet the needs of a new generation of video consumers and withstand competitive challenges resulting from disruption to traditional supply chains and business models. Together, HPE and Imagine Communications intend to bring faster innovation and risk mitigation to customers as they transform from a pre-IP environment to full IP Cloud and from physical to virtualized infrastructures. At the same time, our deep experience allows us to bring communication service providers the most complete end-to-end solutions and services, accelerating time-to-market and monetization of new multiscreen offerings."

www.imaginecommunications.com

(JP/LM)