HP ProCurve this week unveiled Gigabit Ethernet switches for the small/medium business market.

Take a closer look at the HP ProCurve Switch 2510G in our Products of the Weeks slideshow

The ProCurve 2510G line features two fully managed, Layer 2 10/100/1000Mbps Ethernet switches (Compare switch pruducts) that complement HP's line of 2510 10/100 switches.

The 2510G is targeted at businesses that require an upgrade to gigabit connectivity to support large file transfers and high bandwidth applications, such as graphical data, video streams, large databases, network backup and data storage.

The 2510G line includes 24- and 48-port 10/100/1000 switches, each with SFP slots for optional fiber uplinks. They feature protected port for segregating and controlling network traffic, HP says.

They also support IEEE 802.1X, Web Authentication and MAC Authentication methods for securing access to the network. Users can also choose a range of management interfaces, including an intuitive Web user interface, a full-featured command line interface and a centralized management option using ProCurve Manager, HP says.

The switches also comply with the Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directives for environmental protection, HP says.

The 2510G line in intended to go up against similar offerings from Netgear and D-Link. Analysts say HP will attempt to differentiate itself on cost and reliability.

"HP's always been known as being cost competitive and they have a very good reputation for reliability," says Alan Weckel of De4ll’Oro Group. "They back that with their [lifetime] warranty."

The ProCurve Switch 2510G-24, with 24 ports, costs roughly $1,100. The 48-port ProCurve Switch 2510G-48 costs $2,000.

Both will be available in July.