Pica8 is announcing today that HP has become a reseller for the PicOS network operating system for white box switches.

It’s a milestone for the software startup. By blending Pica8’s Linux-based operating system with HP’s Virtual Applications (VAN) SDN controller, the two companies can offer SDN-based products to open networking customers. PicOS is now certified to run on HP’s Altoline switches, and the partnership also gives Pica8 customers access to more than 40 applications and tools from the HP SDN App store.

The deal finally gives Pica8 a big name in its own corner, after competitor Cumulus Networks signed a partnership with Dell last year.

“You bet we think working with HP is huge,” says Steve Garrison, Pica8’s vice president of marketing. “They have the same SDN religion as us. We think the app store is really essential. The idea of having a selection of tools that work together is kind of like a Red Hat model.”

With the professional services element of the partnership, every time PicOS is resold by HP, the customers get HP Foundation Care software support from HP’s trained experts.

The two companies started working together a year ago after crossing paths at a large North American telecom operator, Garrison says. Since both companies work with bare-metal switch provider Accton Technologies, Garrison says the switches were the easiest part of the integration process. Integrating PicOS with the HP’s VAN controller took just a few weeks, according to Garrison.