Hewlett-Packard Fortifies Print Security Services

Today’s topics include new print security software from HP, two switches for software-defined networking environments from NEC, the future of diabetes monitoring technology and a new open-source platform from the Open Platform for NFV project.

Technology giant HP announced new and updated print security software and services to help businesses improve the security and efficiency of their print environments. Server-less pull printing is a new feature of HP Access Control that eliminates the need for servers in small, branch offices.

This capability can be deployed to maintain document confidentiality, improve regulatory compliance and save on toner and paper. Access Control can also serve as a managed mobility solution, allowing mobile device users to print email from the secure pull print queue.

NEC is launching two switches for software-defined networking environments, which is the latest move by the company to build out its capabilities in the rapidly evolving networking market.

The vendor is now selling the two SDN-compatible switches that enable network configurations that are equivalent to several thousand server racks, according to NEC officials. They also target the massive data centers that are run by telecommunications companies and service providers.

In the future, diabetes patients could be using their mobile devices along with applications and technologies from Samsung and Medtronic to better monitor their disease through a new partnership being formed by the companies.

The effort will merge Samsung’s expertise in consumer mobile devices with Medtronic’s diabetes management systems to find new, easier ways for patients to track their blood glucose levels and live with the disease. The creation of the partnership was announced at an American Diabetes Association conference on June 5.

The Open Platform for NFV project has rolled out “Arno,” an open-source platform that group officials said will give users and developers a framework for testing network function virtualization efforts, checking out basic NFV use cases and trying out virtual network functions.

NFV and SDN are changing how service providers and enterprises are looking at their networks. By removing the data plane and networking tasks—such as firewalls, routing and load balancing—from the underlying physical gear and putting them into software that can run on inexpensive commodity hardware, organizations are hoping to create networks that are more responsive, scalable, agile and programmable.