Nortel Networks, EMC, And WiTel Launch Innovative Network Storage Solution

Nortel Networks, EMC, and WiTel have teamed to provide a fully managed network storage solution that allows companies to buy storage in scalable bandwidth in 50 Mbps increments. The solution is designed to allow enterprises to implement network-based business continuity, disaster recovery, server and storage consolidation.

The storage-over-SONET service, StorageXtend, offers enterprises an alternative to traditional optical SONET services, which are typically available in 150, 600 or 2,500 Mbps increments. StorageXtend also lets enterprises to converge LAN and SAN application traffic over the same SONET access facility with application isolation.

The service is offered by WilTel in more than 100 cities throughout the United States and features an end-to-end service-level agreement (SLA). The fully managed solution bundles Nortel Networks Optical Metro 3500 SONET platform with WilTel Protected Private Line service. It is interoperable with EMC Symmetrix DMX and EMC CLARiiON CX families of networked storage systems and EMC SRDF (Symmetrix Remote Data Facility) and EMC MirrorView software for remote data replication.

"StorageXtend offers the benefits of a secure, end-to-end protected private line connectivity service with enhanced flexibility through incremental bandwidth options," Tony Tomae, senior vice president of marketing for WilTel said in a statement. Additionally, because it is fully managed, customers are not required to deploy any capital."