Brocade bets big on Fibre Channel

BANGALORE, INDIA: Leading player in data storage networking in data centers, Brocade will be executing on three technology and innovation "Plays" to expand the value of core server-to-storage networks in the data center.

The company will continue to lead and innovate with fibre channel (FC); Lead the path to "Newer Protocols" and; Develop and enable the "New Services" in the network.

Deb Dutta, vice president, Asia Pacific/ Japan, Brocade said: "Brocade has its own Data Center Fabric (DCF) Strategy. Maximum performance, flexibility, and investment protection is what it aims for. The focus will be on data and applications along with multiple fabrics with convergence points. It will create intelligence at all tiers of the architecture and partnership model with server and storage OEMs. Investment and protection will be the critical points for the company to handle."

Brocade will continue to innovate on multiple fronts – with FC, with fibre channel over ethernet (FCoE), and with new capabilities and functions in server-to-storage networks. Brocade's fibre channels include, installation base of currently 20 million ports and $50B market value, including FC storage.

With the iSCSI forecast recently cut by IDC, FCoE will extend FC presence, with more server-connect options to storage networks which will become relevant beginning in 2010, at the server edge.

The company plans to ramp the leading 8G product to 2H '08, which is a new encryption switch, with DCX blade and performs 10 times more than its competitor. The 16G product line has already begun in standard bodies. The technology cycle for the FCs is approximately every three years with expectations of enterprise storage to be predominantly FC atleast unto 2014.

The promised benefits of FCoE include, reduce number of physical network interfaces in the server, maintain the same management paradigm and tools for storage and serve as a translator between storage networking and other next-generation data center networks (e.g. server-server).

Deb said: "With customers desiring to consolidate, virtualize and automate their data centers it creates three distinct 'server-edge' for us. First, FCoE will extend FC presence, with more server-connect options to storage networks. It is expected to become relevant beginning in 2010, at the server edge. Second, the Brocade HBA opportunity is real and imminent. We have product and end-to-end advantages, and will utilize our strong end-user presence and partnerships to succeed in this market and third, emerging "Enhanced Ethernet" technologies will address the need for better server-to-server networking in the data center, and Brocade will address these new opportunities."

Foundry Networks acquisition to expand Brocade presence

 

Brocade, will be completing the acquistion of Foundry Networks in the fourth quarter of calendar year 2008.

"This will establish Brocade a leading presence in networking markets that are large, growing and undergoing dynamic changes," said Deb Dutta.

A combined company of the two will be well positioned and differentiated across the $20+B networking market. Many complementary aspects can accelerate innovation, growth, and market presence, in a prudent and profitable manner for both companies.

With the most advanced straightforward and advanced technology with roadmap to convergence and next-generation capabilities, customers can expect a full range offering of industry-leading performance for the enterprise and service provider markets.

A customer will need not worry on his investment with offerings of lowest TCO, lowest power and cooling requirements and, lowest disruption. There will be a broadened choice of high-performance alternative for "end-to-end" networking, from Internet to Data Center, on both sides of the server along with accelerated pace of innovation and integration of network solutions.

Founded in 1995, Brocade has global presence of 2,500 employees and has over 13 mn SAN ports and it plans to go beyond SAN and go from the Internet to the heart of the Data Center with standards, technology and product innovation.