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McDATA/QLogic Deliver Blade Server Switch for IBM; Simple and Seamless Connectivity for Enterprise Data Centers

Posted on: Wednesday, 23 March 2005, 06:00 CST

McDATA Corporation (Nasdaq:MCDTA) (Nasdaq:MCDT), a leading provider of storage networking solutions, today announced its blade server switch module, co-developed with QLogic, which will provide IBM eServer BladeCenter customers with the secure, reliable and stable large fabric connectivity that enterprise customers have been demanding.

In May 2005, customers will be able to integrate blade servers into their core McDATA data centers. The McDATA/QLogic embedded switch module for the IBM eServer BladeCenter is the right solution for customers who are looking to deploy a McDATA, core-to-edge, fully interoperable blade-based Fibre Channel networked switching solution allowing them to gain the economic efficiencies that blade servers deliver to the Global Enterprise Data Center.

"IBM is pleased to support this collaborative solution from McDATA and QLogic, as it allows IBM to respond to customer demand for a McDATA storage fabric option," said Jeff Benck, vice president IBM eServer BladeCenter. "The delivery of the embedded switch module is a testament to the strong partnerships here and IBM's continued work to deliver the most highly integrated blade offering on the market. It's important that IBM BladeCenter customers are continuously provided with more choice."

The switch modules will come standard with advanced features for the enterprise including interoperability core-to-edge, open exchange of management data, zoning, partitioning, and security.

"The market is seeing explosive growth in blade server environments due to increased economies in cost of acquisition, improved management, and space efficiency," said Randy Kerns, senior partner, Evaluator Group. "While the processing power from adding blade servers increases dramatically, the customer must solve the connectivity issue. A flexible way to address connectivity is the McDATA-enabled QLogic switch. This will allow a seamless integration into a McDATA-based enterprise data center."

"McDATA is seeing many of our top customers moving toward blade server environments to leverage the cost savings that blade servers bring," said Jonathan Buckley, vice president of software, internetworking and blade switch business lines McDATA. "This is effectively changing how McDATA does business at the "new-edge" of the Global Enterprise Data Center."

"The results of our partnership with McDATA on this switch module have been extremely successful," said Frank Berry, vice president of marketing, QLogic Corp. "With three times the number of ports as competitive embedded switch solutions that are limited to two ports, this six port switch provides leading blade servers, such as the IBM eServer BladeCenter, with the unique ability to network storage systems without adding an external switch."

Enterprise customers have come to rely on and trust McDATA as the cornerstone of their enterprise data center environments. The McDATA/QLogic switch module for the IBM eServer BladeCenter is McDATA-enabled, ensuring that it works seamlessly in McDATA-based data center environments, and has been tested to work in the large port count, large storage environments, that rely on McDATA as their strategic partner for data center operations. For more information go to: http://www-1.ibm.com/servers/eserver/bladecenter/index.html

About McDATA (www.mcdata.com)

McDATA (Nasdaq:MCDTA/MCDT) is the only data infrastructure solutions provider that can deliver a Global Enterprise Data Center -- a globally connected, centrally managed and highly optimized data network. With more than 20 years of storage networking experience, McDATA is trusted in the world's largest data centers, connecting more than two-thirds of all networked data and enabling information access anytime, anywhere.

Powered by QLogic

Since 1993, over 50 million QLogic products have shipped inside servers, workstations, RAID subsystems, tape libraries, disk and tape drives. These products were delivered to small, medium and large enterprises around the world. Powering solutions from leading companies like Cisco, Dell, EMC, Fujitsu, Hitachi, HP, IBM, NEC, Network Appliance, Quantum, StorageTek and Sun Microsystems, the broad line of QLogic controller chips, host bus adapters, network switches and management software move data from storage devices through the network fabric to servers. A member of the S&P 500 and NASDAQ 100, QLogic was named to the following during fiscal year 2004: (i) Fortune's 100 Fastest Growing Companies list for the fourth consecutive year; (ii) Forbes' Best 200 Small Companies for the fifth consecutive year; and (iii) Business Week's list of 100 Hot Growth Companies. For more information visit www.qlogic.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains statements about expected future events that are forward-looking and subject to risks and uncertainties. Readers are urged to consider statements that include the terms "believes", "belief", "expects", "plans", "objectives", "estimates", "anticipates", "intends", "targets", or the like to be uncertain and forward-looking. Factors that could cause actual results to differ and vary materially from expectations include, but are not limited to, McDATA's relationships with EMC, IBM and HDS and the level of their orders, aggressive price competition by numerous other SAN and IP switch suppliers, OEM qualification of our new products, manufacturing constraints and other risk factors that are disclosed in McDATA's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These cautionary statements by McDATA should not be construed as exhaustive or as any admission regarding the adequacy of disclosures made by McDATA. All cautionary statements should be read as being applicable to all forward-looking statements wherever they appear. McDATA does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Source: Business Wire

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