HP is making big waves for its business clients by launching a new product today, associated with a very interesting offer and is looking to oust Cisco. “A Catalyst for Change” is a trade-in promotion that allows companies to upgrade from older Cisco based network infrastructure to HP network solutions. This offer claims to lower total costs of ownership by a staggering 66%. Further details of this offer can be seen here.

Moreover, the timing could not have been better. It is estimated that Cisco equipment, worth about $9 billion will be outdated pretty soon. So, this offer is sure to attract a lot of Cisco clients looking for new options. This attempt to poach Cisco’s client base seems even more aggressive with the discount offers in this promotion. This aggressive marketing approach was also expressed by HP top management, saying,

“Under the single vendor stronghold of the past, enterprise networks have gotten too complex, difficult to manage and expensive,” said John Kissane, vice president, Americas Sales, HP Networking. “HP Networking gives organizations a choice that delivers unprecedented flexibility, performance and agility, which ultimately enables our clients to be more competitive.”

Can this offer really change the landscape of IT departments across corporations? Well, here is what analysts have to say:

While it remains to be seen whether this pitch will find any willing participants, it’s likely that Cisco customers may evaluate HP’s wares. One thing is certain: Hardware vendors will complete on price if they can sell more of the technology stack. If HP can break into Cisco’s upgrade cycle it can squeeze its rival’s profit margins. HP has a similar program aimed at Oracle Sun customers as does IBM.