3Com Corporation and StorageTek have announced a wide-ranging alliance designed to help companies manage the digital information explosion. Tapping StorageTek`s strengths in storage hardware and software and 3Com`s leadership in network systems and network management, the two companies plan to accelerate the delivery and deployment of storage area network (SAN) solutions an emerging architecture that enables "anytime/anywhere" access to information and simplifies storage asset management.
The key focus of the relationship is to deliver on the promise of storage networking and deliver open SAN solutions to the enterprise. This includes providing turnkey solutions to customers that are completely interoperable, tested and certified.
In addition, by combining SAN software, hardware and professional services, StorageTek and 3Com expect to reduce customer risk and time to market for open, intelligent and integrated SANs.
The 3Com/StorageTek alliance spans many areas of collaboration, including testing and certification of the respective companies` offerings for Fibre Channel SAN deployments, joint sponsorship of open standards for SANs, and may be expanded to include co-marketing, cooperative sales, service and support and joint technology development.
Initially, StorageTek and 3Com will ensure interoperability of 3Com`s Host Bus Adapter (HBA) with StorageTek`s StorageNet Access Hub, Fibre Channel Hub 1000 and Fibre Channel Switch 4000, as well as StorageTek`s disk arrays and tape libraries. By embedding the 3Com HBA into its SAN product portfolio, StorageTek can construct and deliver complete, application-oriented solutions.
Last November, 3Com became the first networking company to enter the SAN market.
The companies` first order of business is to align 3Com`s StorageConnect compatibility programme and StorageTek`s recently announced compatibility program to create a cooperative certification of their respective initiatives. International Data Corporation (IDC) forecasts suggest that storage networks will account for 37% of all external storage spending by 2002. That will amount to a SAN market of roughly $11 billion. Confirming these estimates, a recent survey of 400 US chief information officers (CIOs) conducted by Salomon Smith Barney found that 95% of respondents believe Fibre Channel will be the primary interconnect for all new storage by 2001.
The promises of SANs are:
Lower cost of ownership
Improved performance
Better protection
Minimised downtime
Centralised management
StorageTek products are marketed and sold in South Africa by CMS, a subsidiary of MGX Holdings.
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