Network Computing is part of the Informa Tech Division of Informa PLC

This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales. Number 8860726.

Switch Logic Favors QLogic

5:25 PM -- Customers, storage vendors, and regulators looking into the viability of Brocade's acquisition of rival McData would no doubt agree the time is ripe for a third Fibre Channel switch player. That is, assuming Brocade gets the go-ahead to consume McData. (See Brocade-McData Draws Extra Scrutiny.)

Well, the only way another switch player can emerge is to secure OEM deals with major storage vendors. That leaves QLogic as the only candidate to step in.

QLogic has Fibre Channel switch products ranging from entry level to director, and it has strong OEM relationships with storage vendors because of its role as the leading HBA provider.

"The key for us is to get qualification of OEMs," QLogic CEO H.K. Desai said today at Needham & Co. investor's conference when asked about his company's switching business. "We look forward to that happening over the next six months."

According to analyst Tom Curlin of RBC Capital Markets, the qualification process is about to start with EMC. Curlin wrote in a research note today an OEM announcement with EMC is "forthcoming" for QLogic's SANbox 9000 128-port director switch. (See QLogic Grabs Director's Chair.) "We believe this announcement serves to effectively rebalance the supplier landscape at EMC in anticipation of the Brocade-McData transaction," Curlin wrote.

  • 1