Brocade Broadens Data Center Networking Solutions, Enters Billion-dollar Server Connectivity Market
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SAN JOSE, Calif., May 31 // -- Brocade(R) (NASDAQ:BRCD), the leader in networked storage solutions that help enterprises connect and manage their information, today announced its strategy to further broaden its data center solutions portfolio with a new family of server connectivity products. The new Brocade offerings, including Host Bus Adapters (HBAs) and Intelligent Server Adapters, are designed to simplify the management and sharing of business-critical information, and are a natural extension of the company's family of industry-leading Storage Area Network (SAN) solutions. The total market for HBAs is estimated to be approximately $1.1 billion (USD) in 2007, according to market research firm Dell'Oro Group.
Data centers around the world are being transformed by the need to accommodate and manage rapidly growing volumes of data. This data growth is driving the requirement for new technologies and solutions that can provide greater scalability and simplification, along with lower operating costs. Server connectivity products are critical for the implementation of SANs, end-to-end data center networking, and server virtualization solutions -- all of which play an important role in driving next-generation data center efficiencies.
"Customers have been asking for new approaches to help address data center transformation and consolidation, and we believe that we can bring innovation to the market with broader end-to-end connectivity across servers, SANs, and data center networks," said Tom Buiocchi, Brocade Vice President of Worldwide Marketing. "By adding server connectivity products to our leadership SAN portfolio, we are now uniquely positioned to address broader data center requirements and increase the value that we deliver to enterprise customers."
"Boosting the scalability, reliability, and efficiency of today's enterprise data center is a critical challenge for IT executives as they respond to business requirements for new applications, better service, and lower cost of operations. They need a data center infrastructure -- including servers, storage, and connectivity -- that allows them to take advantage of critical technologies such as server virtualization, data mobility, and robust data protection," said Rick Villars, Vice President of Storage Systems Research at IDC. "Brocade's expanded portfolio of intelligent server connectivity products and its plans to add innovative solutions for IT resource management and data mobility makes it clear that the company plans to play a leading role in helping enterprises design, build, and leverage next-generation data center solutions."
New High-Performance HBAs Address Flexible SAN Connectivity Needs
HBAs today are used to connect servers to storage and other data center network resources, enabling greater flexibility and more centralized resource management -- both of which contribute to lower costs.
Today's announcement includes products that can connect servers to data center and storage networks through either Fibre Channel or Ethernet protocols:
o The Brocade 2110 iSCSI Initiator HBA offers the highest-performance
iSCSI connections for enterprise servers running Microsoft Windows or
Linux operating systems. It also contributes to low cost of ownership
and operation with the industry's lowest power consumption and
exceptional ease of use.
o Brocade is also introducing a family of high-performance 4 Gbit/sec
Fibre Channel HBAs that feature an industry-standard PCI-Express
design. These single- and dual-port products support multiple
operating systems across a wide range of enterprise servers, and meet
stringent testing, quality, and reliability standards.
Next-Generation Intelligent Server Adapters
Brocade is also outlining-plans regarding its next-generation server connectivity products, including 8 Gbit/sec Fibre Channel and 10 Gigabit Ethernet offerings. These Intelligent Server Adapters are expected to combine the functionality of today's HBAs with a number of advanced features, including tighter integration with next-generation SAN switching and data center networking technologies.
The Brocade 2110 is available immediately from Brocade and its channel partners. The new Brocade 4 Gbit/sec Fibre Channel HBAs are expected to be available in at the end of July 2007, and the next-generation Brocade Intelligent Server Adapters are planned to be available in 2008. All of the products will be fully tested and supported by the Brocade worldwide engineering, service, and support organization.
About Brocade
Brocade is the leading provider of networked storage solutions that help organizations connect, share, and manage their information. Organizations that use Brocade products and services are better able to optimize their IT infrastructures and ensure compliant data management. For more information, visit the Brocade Web site at www.brocade.com/ or contact the company at info@brocade.com.
Brocade, the Brocade B-weave logo, Fabric OS, File Lifecycle Manager, MyView, Secure Fabric OS, SilkWorm, and StorageX are registered trademarks and the Brocade B-wing symbol and Tapestry are trademarks of Brocade Communications Systems, Inc., in the United States and/or in other countries. FICON is a registered trademark of IBM Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. All other brands, products, or service names are or may be trademarks or service marks of, and are used to identify, products or services of their respective owners.
Source: Brocade
CONTACT: media relations, Michelle Leach, +1-408-333-5319, mleach@brocade.com
Web site: www.brocade.com/
