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Switch Showoffs Prep for Show: Page 2 of 3

Because Data Tap is geared toward appliances, it is aimed at a different market than the switches Cisco plans with virtualization software from Veritas Software Corp. (Nasdaq: VRTS) and IBM Corp. (NYSE: IBM).
(See Veritas Finally Delivers on Cisco and Cisco & IBM Serve Virtual Combo.)

“This is different,” Cisco spokesman John Noh says. “The functionality in those resided on the switches themselves. They were much more integrated with the SAN. ”

It will be some time before McData and Cisco can show off these advanced capabilities to customers. The time to market for McData’s switches depends on how fast software companies develop and port software for the switches. So far, only EMC has agreed to develop software for its intelligent switches, although partners are sure to follow (see EMC & McData Get Smart). McData product manager Jim Nollsch says he doesn’t expect the intelligent switches to ship until 2005. “We still see it as a little early,” he says.

Noh declines to say when Cisco’s Data Tap Service will ship, but it probably won’t be before late this year.

— Dave Raffo, Senior Editor, Byte and Switch