HPE, leading retail innovation with autonomous networks... Launching a large number of new products at NRF

After the curtain fell on CES, industry professionals are now focusing on the “National Retail Federation(NRF) Expo” held in New York. Against the backdrop of rapid digital transformation of physical stores, retail companies’ demand for more efficient operation in complex network environments is increasing. In response, HPE(HPE) has released numerous new retail-specific solutions in core areas such as networking, analytics, and computing to strengthen competitiveness.

HPE’s latest release centers on “sustainable operations” as its core value. Since acquiring Juniper Networks(JNPR) last year, HPE has shifted its technology strategy toward a “network-centric” approach, and this retail strategy is an extension of that tone. Gayle Levin(Gayle Levin), Marketing Director of HPE Aruba Networking, has expressed the company’s ambition to “become the world’s most outstanding network enterprise” through this strategy.

HPE particularly emphasizes the application of AI-based autonomous network management. To address the persistent labor shortages in retail, it enables network operation automation, making remote store management possible. Levin stated, “Retailers struggling with staff shortages are significantly reducing store visits through autonomous network features,” citing a real-world example where a major client reduced store visits by 85%.

The hardware segment has also introduced new products that consider space and noise issues. HPE has added a fanless(fanless) model with 8 ports in the Aruba CX 6000 series, designed for small stores, cash registers, or information kiosks in confined spaces. It also offers PoE(Power over Ethernet) and non-PoE models, optimizing configurations for retail environments preparing to adopt Wi-Fi 7.

Network performance monitoring linked with Wi-Fi 7 technology has also been significantly improved. HPE has integrated new sensors supporting Wi-Fi 7 into Aruba User Experience Insight, which perform about 1,000 simulated tests daily to proactively detect network quality degradation. These sensors can check 6GHz bandwidth utilization and unique features, aiding a more stable transition to next-generation wireless networks.

Analytics functions for obtaining key data to formulate retail strategies have also been enhanced. HPE has integrated Juniper Networks’ Marvis Virtual Network Assistant with Premium Analytics, providing up to 13 months of data. This enables insights such as seasonal demand forecasting or performance comparisons between stores, with an intuitive interactive user interface for ease of use.

HPE has not only transformed the front lines of store operations but also innovated its core backend systems. The NonStop Compute platform, responsible for critical tasks like payment processing, has been upgraded with large-scale scalability and performance enhancements. The new version offers approximately 15% performance improvement over previous versions and introduces encryption processing capabilities. Additionally, it can run as software in both on-premises and cloud environments, offering greater flexibility. The platform can also be extended on HPE’s GreenLake foundation to reliably handle the surge in retail peak season demands.

Levin emphasized that the core of this NRF 2026 release is “providing the technological backbone to reduce friction at retail sites.” Through this strategy, HPE demonstrates the collaborative efforts of Aruba, Juniper Networks, and its computing division, aligning with customers’ expectations for “business outcome-centric” solutions. The industry is watching whether HPE can continue to break down internal technological barriers after 2026 and maintain a product roadmap centered on customer challenges.