EMC to resell Brocade IP networking solutions to maximise data centre efficiency

Brocade and EMC Corporation have announced an agreement for EMC to resell the Brocade IP networking portfolio of 10 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) switching products through the EMC Select programme.

This new agreement reflects the companies' joint commitment to address key customer requirements with 10BgE switching products as they consolidate and virtualise data centres on their journey to the private cloud.

This agreement further extends the two companies long-standing, strategic partnership founded upon providing innovative solutions from Brocade and EMC that successfully address customer requirements, as well as a shared vision to drive IT efficiency, simplicity and business flexibility.

EMC will offer Brocade's comprehensive portfolio of networking solutions, including:

* Brocade FCX Series switches - high-performance, flexible, and easy-to-manage GbE top-of-rack switches purpose-built for today's virtual data centres. Offered in 24- and 48-port models, the FCX Series enables horizontal stacking of switches, unifying network management for an entire row of servers. An optional 4-port 10GbE module enables wire-speed and end-to-end GbE performance across all ports.
* Brocade TurboIron 24X switch - a compact, high-performance, high-availability, and low latency 10/1GbE dual-speed solution that meets mission-critical data centre top-of-rack and High-Performance Cluster Computing (HPCC) requirements.
* Brocade NetIron MLX Series - advanced routers provide high-density 10GbE and 1GbE solutions and are Data Centre Bridging (DCB)/Converged Enhanced Ethernet (CEE) ready. They offer exceptional wire-speed performance, scalability and a rich set of IPv4, IPv6, Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS), Virtual Private LAN Services (VPLS), multi-VRF capability, including hitless upgrades, making these routers ideal for a wide range of advanced applications in virtualised data centres.
* Brocade NetIron CES 2000 Series of switches - 10GbE-capable edge switches with wire-speed performance, and deep packet buffers for media-rich applications. The CES includes advanced services such as VPLS to support geographically distributed Ethernet LANs in a compact form factor.
* Brocade ServerIron ADX Application Delivery Controllers - a complete family of application delivery controllers with industry-leading performance that use application intelligence to enable on-demand, elastic data centre computing.

In addition, Brocade Support services will be available to EMC customers using Brocade's IP and converged networking solutions through Brocade Supplemental Support (BSS).

“Virtualisation and cloud computing are driving high-density 10 Gigabit Ethernet switch adoption. This expanded agreement not only signifies the evolution of our long-term, productive partnership with EMC to meet this demand, but it allows our joint customers to reap the benefits of decades of combined experience in Ethernet, storage, and converged networking technologies,” said Ken Cheng, Vice-President of IP products division at Brocade. “This joint expertise will help enable our customers to streamline their migration toward high-performance virtualisation, data centre convergence and private cloud infrastructures, while simplifying their operations, reducing costs and increasing business agility.”

“Customers look to EMC for a complete set of technologies, solutions and services that increase levels of efficiency and optimise their data centre environments,” said Inana Nkanza, Country Manager of EMC Southern Africa. “The addition of Brocade's leading 10GbE switching products within our set of offerings further meets this customer imperative as we continue to provide a solid foundation for their journey to the private cloud.”