HPE’s New Solutions for Reopening Businesses
Company uses ProLiant servers, AI-based networking to help with social distancing, touchless entry, and operations
Hewlett Packard Enterprise is introducing five new solutions designed for companies that are beginning to reopen their businesses during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The Lowdown: The solutions unveiled Monday, which touch on everything from social distancing to touchless entry into buildings, echo the themes of similar efforts by vendors like IBM, Juniper Networks, and Salesforce.
The Details: The solutions – which were announced on the eve of HPE’s virtual Discover 2020 event – will leverage HPE’s ProLiant servers and Edgeline converged edge systems, as well as artificial intelligence (AI)-based networks from Aruba Networks, which is owned by HPE. They will be deployed via HPE’s PointNext services arm. The areas covered by the solutions include:
> Social distancing: Enterprises will be able to implement social distancing guidelines in multiple ways, such as using Bluetooth-enabled devices to alert employees they’re too close to each other or video analytics to determine if they’re using masks in required areas.
> Touchless entry: The solution uses facial recognition for identity verification and multi-factor access control to enable entry into buildings without employees having to touch anything.
> Fever detection: Thermal cameras, machine learning, and video analytics can be used to identify people with elevated body temperatures.
> Augmented reality: Along with visual remote guidance capabilities, the technologies will enable on-site employees to collaborate with remote colleagues to tackle complex maintenance operations remotely. The solution offers digitalized 3D visuals of systems.
> Workplace alerts: Companies can share information and push location-specific alerts to employees via apps and dashboards, letting workers know about changes or updates happening on-site as the transition back to the office continues.
The Impact: The pandemic and the ensuing economic fallout has created a tension between protecting people’s health and allowing them to get back to lives as close to normal as possible, including getting back to work and earning money. As states continue to open up their economies, businesses that are allowing employees back into the office need to ensure the safety of those workers, and modern tools like AI, machine learning, analytics, and mobile technologies will be key.
Since the coronavirus outbreak hit earlier this year, many companies have turned to channel partners to help them adapt to such drastic changes in the business model, including a suddenly widely remote workforce. Now, through the efforts of a growing number of vendors, partners are being given the solutions they need to help clients with the next steps.
Background: Even as businesses and states continue to reopen, the coronavirus is continuing to rage throughout the world, including in the United States, which, according to Johns Hopkins University, is closing in on 2.3 million confirmed cases and 120,000 deaths. Both numbers are by far the most in any country.
The Buzz: “Since the COVID-19 outbreak, our customers have turned to HPE to help them adapt to unique challenges presented by the pandemic to maintain business continuity,” said Saadat Malik, vice president of Internet of Things (IoT) and intelligent edge services at HPE. “We have been there for them throughout these difficult times, on everything from supporting a transition to a remote workforce with our comprehensive virtual desktop interface (VDI) solutions, to now helping them return back to work and to a new normal. As businesses are reopening and returning employees on-site, our new robust solutions, featuring a range of HPE technologies and partner capabilities, are helping them make this transition safely while building on a highly differentiated, long-term workplace digitization strategy.”
Related Links:
CHANNELNOMICS:
>IBM Makes Watson Centerpiece of Return-to-Work Program
>Salesforce Unveils Tools to Help Businesses Reopen
>Juniper Offers Tracing, Mapping Capabilities as Businesses Reopen
