Ancor Signs Agreement to Provide Fibre Channel Switches For ADIC Open SAN Solutions
Need for Scalable Storage Networking Drives Decision
MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Ancor Communications Inc. (Nasdaq: ANCR), the leader in proven, scalable Fibre Channel fabrics, today announced an agreement to provide its GigWorks(TM) MKII Fibre Channel eight-port switches for Advanced Digital Information Corporation's (Nasdaq: ADIC) complete storage area network (SAN) solution, called Open SAN Solutions.
"We are extremely pleased to be able to offer the Ancor Fibre Channel switches in our Open SAN Solutions package," said Bill Britts, ADIC's executive vice president of sales and marketing. "The Ancor switch's ability to create a highly scalable SAN fabric with flexible, high-bandwidth throughput is a key element in our efforts to give IT departments proven tools to handle their 100% a year data growth. The two companies are working closely to provide high performance backup solutions today with proven interoperability and a growth path to expanded SAN capabilities tomorrow."
With more than 45,000 automated tape libraries installed, ADIC is a leader in storage backup and data recovery hardware and software. Increasingly, these applications require the flexibility and gigabit-speed performance of Fibre Channel switched fabrics. Ancor switches eliminate performance bottlenecks as more devices are added to the SAN. In addition, Ancor uniquely supports a path lock-down mechanism that guarantees delivery of streaming data to tape backup devices in multiple switch environments.
Other factors involved in ADIC's decision included the high level of interoperability Ancor switches have with other SAN products, as well as switch features that help network managers quickly implement and manage a SAN, such as self-configuring ports and embedded switch management.
"ADIC's decision to use Ancor switches validates the importance of a switched fabric's ability to scale," said Carla Kennedy, Ancor's vice president of marketing. "We continue to advance our proprietary chip technology to provide customers with the most features and the fastest performance no matter how many terabytes of data are stored. We're confident ADIC customers will be excited about that kind of flexibility."
"We are excited to welcome ADIC as part of Ancor's customer base of leading storage providers," said Ken Hendrickson, Ancor's CEO. "These customers lay the groundwork for a realignment of the SAN switch market share as they ramp their business over the next few quarters."
ADIC's Open SAN solutions combine the company's FibreReady tape libraries with networking and software products from leading open-system providers of hubs, switches, adapters and cabling. Ancor is currently the exclusive provider of switches. The Open SAN solutions, including Ancor's switches, will be sold through ADIC's value-added reseller channel.
ADIC's Open SAN Solutions will be available later this month from ADIC resellers.
About Ancor Fibre Channel Switches
Ancor's Fibre Channel switches are reliable, highly scalable devices that link multiple servers and storage devices in storage area networks. Ancor's leading chip technology supports features such as hard zoning for superior data security and Multistage configurations that enable SANs to grow while maintaining high performance and storage network reliability. Ancor switches are available in both eight- and 16-port configurations and are sold to OEMs and select distributors.
About Ancor Communications
Ancor Communications Inc. provides GigWorks(TM) high-performance Fibre Channel switches for storage and data-intensive network solutions, including storage area networks (SANs). The company's customers include Sun Microsystems, Hitachi Data Systems, and MTI, as well as select distributors. The company was the first to deliver a Fibre Channel switch, and the first to top the one-gigabit performance level. Ancor is a member of the Fibre Channel Industry Association, the Storage Networking Industry Alliance, the ANSI Standards Committee, and the University of New Hampshire Fibre Channel Consortium to promote the advancement of Fibre Channel standards and interoperability. Information on Ancor is available on the World Wide Web at ancor.com .
About ADIC
With more than 45,000 automated tape libraries installed and a suite of innovative software solutions and Storage Area Networking (SAN) products, ADIC is a leading global provider in the growing market to manage and protect information for computer networks. Marketed under ADIC and ADIC/GRAU brands and the brands of OEM partners, including Dell, Exabyte and Unisys, automated tape libraries are available with DLTtape, D2, half-inch, AIT, and 4mm tape technologies, and are supported by leading backup and storage management software products for Windows NT, UNIX, and mainframe operating systems. The Company's own storage management tools include AMASS direct data access software which provides network users shared access to information stored in automated libraries. A pioneer in marketing products for Storage Area Networks, ADIC offers Fibre Channel routers and tape libraries with direct Fibre Channel connectivity. Further product information is available via the internet at www.adic.com .
Forward-looking statements as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 are qualified by the risk factors outlined in the documents Ancor Communications, Inc. and ADIC file with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Statements contained in this press release regarding ADIC's market and future purchases and sales of Ancor's products, including the timing of shipments of ADIC's products integrating Ancor's switches, are forward-looking statements. We cannot guarantee the size of the actual market, timing or amounts of purchases of Ancor products by ADIC, if any. Factors which may affect Ancor and ADIC's ability to achieve the results implied by such forward-looking statements include whether, as the Fibre Channel market matures, Ancor is able to continue to provide the technology and features required by the SAN market, or whether our products will ultimately meet our customers' needs. Additional factors are outlined in the risk factors contained in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
SOURCE Ancor Communications, Inc.
CO: Ancor Communications Inc.; Advanced Digital Information Corporation
ST: Minnesota
IN: TLS CPR MLM
SU:
09/14/1999 08:05 EDT prnewswire.com |
