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Brocade Scores An 'A' In Enterprise Campus Networking: Page 2 of 2

IDC's Rohit Mehra, director, enterprise communications infrastructure, says the ICX 6610 switch platform is in the premium segment of the access switching market, and supports advanced functionality including high availability built on a non-blocking, wire-speed architecture with 40 Gigabit Ethernet stacking ports. "Given the high performance of this new switch, it can also be positioned as an entry-level aggregation switch."

The second and equally relevant aspect is that this launch makes Brocade's switching portfolio that much more appealing for value-oriented IT buyers than before, he adds. "With reduced capex to opex across the switching product line, Brocade has also looked ahead in introducing its new Network Subscription Service, which provides enterprises with another option of acquiring network infrastructure under a flexible format that helps them align infrastructure closely with business needs."

Network Subscription is an acquisition model that lets companies pay for network ports when they are used. As monthly demand changes, the port count and costs rise and fall. This is a good model for companies with large differences between normal and peak usage, though subscribers pay more over time compared with a capital purchase.

Mehra says the ICX 6610, along with the revised price positioning of the FSX series, changes the economics behind Brocade's campus switching portfolio, offering higher performance and advanced capabilities at a much more attractive price than before. "Existing and new customers will certainly want to take a closer look at the Brocade's enterprise campus switching portfolio."

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