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  5. Shockwaves In The Fibre Channel Switching Space: Page 2 of 2
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Shockwaves In The Fibre Channel Switching Space: Page 2 of 2

Earlier this week I saw an article from the Motley Fool advising investors to be bearish on Brocade (to sell), highlighting the competitive challenges facing the company. Then, this morning I saw the challenges only get worse for Brocade, as HP and QLogic announced an OEM pact for Fibre Channel edge switches.
Tom Trainer
February 18, 2010

Tier 1 vendors will also focus more on selling products with their own brand name and logo applied. The days are rapidly disappearing when vendors would allow another vendor's brand name to gain traction in their own customers' backyard. If it goes in a Tier One OEM environment, the major supplier is going to have their brand affixed to it, whether they make it or not. Case in point, QLogic's FC stackable switches are branded the HP H-Series SN6000.

Brocade may be facing an uphill battle in 2010, as sectors that it once dominated are now being opened up to more agnostic, hungry competitors eager to gain share and translate this macroeconomic downturn into a business opportunity. 

It promised to be an interesting year for OEM deals and vendor alignments.  Let's check back in a few months and see how the competitive Fibre Channel switching landscape has further changed.

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