One analyst, who asked not to be named, thinks OEMs will repackage the Brocade WAFS with turnkey x86 servers to help IT managers streamline backup, replication, and remote mirroring. This is a strategy adopted months ago by NetEx. (See NetEx Reaches Out to Replicators.)
It makes sense. While the application of WAFS in routed networks can be tricky, and most WAFS products today are paired with WAN optimization, the technology can still be used effectively on its own as a way to reduce the load that asynchronous data protection brings to most enterprise networks.
It will be interesting to see how the market responds to Brocade's announcement -- and how WAFS evolves from here.
Mary Jander, Site Editor, Byte and Switch
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