HPE Targets Zero Downtime, AI-Powered Insights for Modern Retail

NEW YORK, NY – January 12, 2026 – In a retail landscape where a single failed transaction can mean a permanently lost customer, Hewlett Packard Enterprise has made a bold play to eliminate system downtime and transform in-store data into actionable intelligence. At NRF 2026: Retail’s Big Show, the company unveiled a significant expansion of its retail-ready portfolio, featuring fault-tolerant compute systems and AI-native networking designed to create an “always-on” environment from the checkout counter to the core data center.

The announcement directly addresses two of the most pressing challenges facing retailers today: the absolute need for operational continuity and the quest to understand customer behavior in real time. By integrating its most resilient technologies, HPE is aiming to provide a unified foundation that not only prevents costly outages but also powers the next generation of personalized, data-driven shopping experiences.

“In modern retail, a single lost transaction is a lost customer or a damaged reputation,” said Sujai Hajela, EVP & GM of Campus & Branch at HPE, in a statement released during the event. “HPE is raising the bar for retail by combining resilient edge connectivity, self-driving AI-native operations, and fault-tolerant compute to give retailers the insight, automation and assurance they need to meet existing and future shopper demands.”

An Unbreakable Foundation from Edge to Core

At the heart of HPE’s strategy is the principle of fault tolerance—building systems that can withstand hardware or software failures without any interruption in service. This is the specialty of the newly announced HPE Nonstop Compute NS9 X5 and NS5 X5 solutions. Engineered for mission-critical applications like payment processing, inventory management, and loyalty programs, these platforms are designed to keep running continuously, even during catastrophic component failures. For retailers, this translates into a powerful guarantee: the systems processing payments and managing stock will not go down during the busiest shopping day of the year.

Boasting up to a 15 percent performance increase over previous generations and the ability to scale up to 4,000 nodes in a distributed cluster, the new Nonstop systems are built to handle the immense transaction volumes of modern omnichannel retail. The platform’s architecture inherently protects data integrity, and new enhancements like Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) and Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) provide robust security layers to help retailers meet stringent compliance standards like PCI and GDPR.

This resilient core is extended all the way to the store’s edge with new additions to the HPE Aruba Networking CX 6000 Switch Series. Recognizing that the modern store is a complex web of connected devices, HPE introduced new 8-port models that are compact, fanless, and completely silent. Their design makes them ideal for discreet placement in customer-facing areas, such as under checkout counters or in overhead crawl spaces, to securely connect point-of-sale (POS) terminals, digital signage, security cameras, and a growing army of Internet of Things (IoT) sensors. By delivering reliable Power over Ethernet (PoE) and enterprise-grade connectivity in a small footprint, these switches form the crucial last mile of the always-on infrastructure.

Transforming Store Data into Actionable Intelligence

While a resilient network is foundational, HPE’s vision extends far beyond simple connectivity. The true competitive advantage, as positioned by the company, lies in leveraging AI to make that network self-driving and to extract valuable business insights from the data it carries. The centerpiece of this effort is the integration of the Marvis virtual network assistant, part of the Mist AIOps platform, with Premium Analytics from HPE’s Juniper networking portfolio.

This integration creates a powerful engine for proactive operations and business intelligence. Using a natural language interface, retail IT and business teams can now ask complex questions and receive immediate, data-backed answers. For instance, an operations manager could ask Marvis to analyze foot traffic patterns to optimize store layouts or determine ideal staffing levels for peak shopping seasons. The AI can proactively identify and resolve network issues—like a poorly performing Wi-Fi access point affecting mobile POS devices—before they impact sales or customer experience, often with no human intervention required.

Further enhancing this capability is HPE Aruba Networking User Experience Insight (UXI). Now with support for the latest Wi-Fi 7 standard, UXI sensors act as an early warning system by continuously simulating real user activity. They can test the performance of critical applications and identify network degradation or configuration issues introduced by upgrades, ensuring that new services can be rolled out confidently without jeopardizing revenue-critical systems. This proactive, AI-driven approach shifts IT teams from a reactive, break-fix model to a strategic one focused on enabling business innovation.

Financial Agility with an As-a-Service Model

Recognizing that retailers require financial as well as technological agility, HPE is making its entire expanded portfolio available through the HPE GreenLake cloud platform. This as-a-service model allows retailers to shift from large, upfront capital expenditures (CapEx) to a more flexible and predictable operational expenditure (OpEx) model. Instead of over-provisioning infrastructure for peak demand, businesses can pay for what they use and scale resources up or down on demand to match seasonal trends, new store openings, or promotional events.

This subscription-based approach not only improves cash flow but also reduces the operational burden on internal IT teams. HPE manages the underlying infrastructure, including maintenance and upgrades, freeing up retail IT staff to focus on strategic projects that drive customer engagement and business growth. In a competitive market where speed and adaptability are paramount, the GreenLake model provides a pathway for retailers of all sizes to access state-of-the-art technology without the traditional financial and operational overhead.

By deploying this unified data fabric across the edge and core, retailers gain the foundation needed to drive both customer engagement and operational efficiency. The combination of fault-tolerant compute, AI-native networking, and a flexible consumption model equips them to not only survive the demands of modern retail but to thrive by turning every transaction and interaction into a secure, seamless, and insightful experience.