NetApp To Support Brocade 8Gb Fibre Offering
NetApp To Support Brocade 8Gb Fibre Channel Offering
New Switches Address Server Virtualization Demands on Storage Networks
WELLINGTON, New Zealand - 6 August 2008 - NetApp (NASDAQ: NTAP) announced today that it will resell and support the new family of advanced 8Gbit/sec SAN switching solutions from Brocade. The new switching solutions, plus the currently available 8Gb Brocade DCX Backbone and 48000 director blades, enable NetApp to provide customers with networking technologies that help them expand and enhance their data centres. The 8Gb switches strengthen NetApp's portfolio of FC SAN infrastructure solutions and better equip customers to meet the increased network demands placed on their IT infrastructures as a result of server virtualization.
The new family of Brocade switches:
* Deliver unmatched 8Gbit/sec performance that doubles the throughput of all previous switches on the market
* Address the growing customer demand for higher performance and scalable infrastructure solutions
* Save up to 40% in power consumption compared to previous switches, providing NetApp customers increased data centre power efficiencies and a smaller environmental footprint
* Provide enhanced server-to-storage traffic consolidation for easier data centre management
* Protect investments in NetApp infrastructure with backward compatibility to the installed base of Brocade 1, 2, and 4Gbit/sec SAN devices
"NetApp and Brocade are working together to provide our customers with solutions that will augment their virtualized data centre environments," said Marty Lans, senior director of Data Centre Marketing at Brocade. "By adding the Brocade new family of 8Gbit/sec switches to the NetApp(r) SAN switching portfolio, we are providing virtualization customers with better end-to-end performance, manageability, and security from the server to storage."
"As server virtualization becomes a more crucial element in data centre infrastructures, it's imperative that all layers of this infrastructure be optimised for maximum performance," said Joel Reich, vice president and general manager of the SANiSAN Business Unit at NetApp. "By partnering with companies such as Brocade, we are able to provide our customers with the necessary technologies to optimise their data centres and leverage the advanced capabilities of 8Gbit/sec FC."
Availability
The Brocade new family of
advanced switching solutions, which includes the Brocade
300, Brocade 5100, and Brocade 5300, is available
immediately from NetApp and NetApp channel partners.
About NetApp
NetApp creates innovative storage and data management solutions that accelerate business breakthroughs and achieve outstanding cost efficiency. Discover our passion for helping companies around the world go further, faster at www.netapp.com.
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"Safe Harbor" Statement Under U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements include future plans for business partnering and to make available and sell certain products. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, and actual results could vary. Factors that could impact our ability to achieve our goals include general economic and industry conditions, including expenditure trends for storage-related products; our ability to deliver certain product architectures and products that meet market acceptance; and other important factors as described in NetApp, Inc. reports and documents filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our most recently submitted 10-K and 10-Q.
ENDS