Brocade Empowers Channel Partners With New Host Bus Adapters For End-to-end San Solutions

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Brocade SAN Switches and New HBAs Combine to Deliver New Levels of Simplicity, Performance and Reliability for CustomersSAN JOSE, Calif., Sept. 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Brocade(R) (Nasdaq: BRCD), the leader in networked storage solutions that help enterprises connect and manage their information, today announced that its channel partners are now offering complete end-to-end SAN solutions featuring new Brocade Host Bus Adapters (HBAs) to complement Brocade's industry-leading SAN switches. The recent launch of the new Brocade HBAs provides Brocade channel partners a unique advantage and a single-vendor solution for simpler and more reliable storage area network (SAN)."Brocade is dedicated to providing the best solutions for our channel partners to deliver to their customers," said Tony Craythorne, director of worldwide channel sales, Brocade. "Our new server connectivity products work exceptionally well with Brocade SAN switches and enable resellers to deliver greater levels of simplicity, reliability and performance for customers looking to optimize their applications and storage."Brocade's new Fibre Channel HBAs 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. Distributors and resellers will further benefit from newly implemented Brocade partner programs, education, sales tools, service and support offerings, and joint marketing campaigns designed to make it easier to sell and implement total Brocade SAN solutions."Customers are asking for more of an end-to-end solution and simpler management with a single point of contact," said Janet Waxman, vice president of Hardware Channels and Alliances, IDC. "Brocade is addressing this and doing so through partnerships that can take advantage of the company's technology solutions."In addition to today's announcement, Brocade has also outlined its plans regarding its innovative next-generation server connectivity products. These future offerings are expected to include 8 Gbit/sec Fibre Channel and 10 Gigabit Ethernet technologies and to dovetail with evolving SAN standards and virtualization solutions. With availability expected beginning in the first half of 2008, these Intelligent Server Adapters will combine the functionality of today's legacy HBAs with a number of advanced features, including tighter integration with next-generation SAN switching and data center networking technologies."The extension of Brocade's product line to include HBAs means more reach with Brocade branded solutions," said Gary Gammon, vice president, enterprise marketing, Bell Micro. "Why leave that business for another vendor? With their expanded software products and the HBAs, it creates a larger addressable market for Brocade partners.""Without a doubt, Avnet's channel partners are seeing significant growth in the server and storage consolidation market," said Jeff Bawol, senior vice president and general manager, Enterprise Software and Storage Solutions, Avnet Technology Solutions. "Brocade's server connectivity products will expand our partners' ability to offer complete IT solutions for data centers. As a leading enterprise technology distributor, Avnet will collaborate with Brocade to develop and deliver training, marketing, sales and technical support to help our partners foster new sales opportunities in their target markets.""Brocade is a strong channel partner for Tech Data and our VAR customers," said John O'Shea, Tech Data director, marketing, Advanced Infrastructure Solutions. "Supported by our AIS Division, Brocade has demonstrated their commitment to engaging VARs and providing them with the tools, support and channel programs they need to profitably deploy a wide range of data center solutions. Today's announcement will help Brocade and our partners build upon that success while delivering the latest SAN technologies to the market."About BrocadeBrocade 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 http://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.