PRESS RELEASE:Sony Pictures Picks Brocade's Network Pdt
Dow Jones Newswires
4/10/2000
Sony Pictures Entertainment Implements BROCADE-Based Storage Area Network for
Entire DVD Title Mastering Center One of World's Largest Providers of DVD Masters Standardizes on BROCADE Fibre
Channel Fabric Switches
NAB 2000 CONFERENCE, LAS VEGAS, Nev., April 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. (BROCADE(R)) (Nasdaq: BRCD), the leading supplier of Fibre Channel fabric solutions for Storage Area Networking, announced today that Sony Pictures Entertainment, a creator and distributor of entertainment products, services, and technology, has standardized on BROCADE solutions as the storage networking foundation for its state-of-the-art DVD production center.
The BROCADE SilkWorm(R) family of Fibre Channel switches and software connects servers with storage devices through a Storage Area Network (SAN), allowing companies to access and share stored data in a reliable, manageable, and scalable environment. Relying on BROCADE's full-fabric Fibre Channel switches to provide a high performance storage networking infrastructure, Sony Pictures Entertainment installed the new Fibre Channel-based SAN to meet the storage requirements of DVD mastering, which is a complex and highly data-intensive process of converting film into DVD. The Fibre Channel-based SAN design was developed and deployed by SAN Solutions, Inc., a solutions integrator specializing in Fibre Channel implementations and technical expertise for large-scale SANs.
"As one of the top three providers of DVD titles in the world, we needed a high-speed network to satisfy the capacity and bandwidth demands of our growing DVD business," said Don Eklund, vice president of engineering of Sony Pictures Entertainment's DVD Center. "In order to keep pace with production and optimize cost savings, we chose to implement the BROCADE switches as the backbone of our SAN, and as a result, we now have the storage infrastructure in place to meet our needs today, and in the future as the digital entertainment industry continues to expand."
The Sony Pictures Entertainment DVD center, located in Culver City, California, is one of the world's top DVD mastering facilities, driving the market for this important new format, which is a rapidly growing choice for high quality film and content distribution. During each stage of the extensive mastering process, large amounts of data are saved to centrally shared storage, and then later directly accessed for the next stage in the process. With typical DVDs requiring 10 Gigabytes of storage, and more complex titles requiring up to 15 Gigabytes, scalable mass storage is critical.
"The BROCADE SilkWorm Fibre Channel fabric switches play an essential role in delivering a reliable networking model for storage to environments where performance and scalability are crucial," said Peter Tarrant, BROCADE vice president of marketing and business development. "We are pleased to provide the scalable networking foundation for the Sony Pictures Entertainment storage area network."
In production today, the Sony Pictures Entertainment SAN consists of more than 26 workstations and components, including three BROCADE SilkWorm 2800 fabric switches, which support more than two Terabytes of storage. The new Fibre Channel-based SAN is faster and more efficient than the previous system, further optimizing Sony Pictures Entertainment's valuable DVD mastering resources, and has also increased the scalability and resiliency of the DVD system with the ability to dynamically scale storage and workstations as needed.
"We are committed to delivering high-quality SAN solutions, service, and support to provide leading companies with a manageable and scalable storage environment that supports data intensive applications such as content creation, post production, and distribution," said Harry Aine, president, SAN Solutions, Inc. For more information on SAN Solutions, visit the web site at www.sansolutions.com or email info@sansolutions.com.
About Brocade Communications Systems, Inc.
BROCADE is the leading supplier of open Fibre Channel fabric solutions that provide the intelligent backbone for Storage Area Networks (SANs). The BROCADE SilkWorm(R) family of Fibre Channel switches and software is designed to optimize data availability in the storage enterprise. Using BROCADE solutions, companies can simplify the implementation of Storage Area Networks, reduce the total cost of ownership of data storage environments, and improve network and application efficiency and performance.
BROCADE is committed to maintaining open, standards-based solutions. Leading systems, applications, and storage vendors have selected BROCADE as their Fibre Channel connectivity standard, including Amdahl, CNT, Compaq Computer, Data General, Dell Computer, Fujitsu Siemens Computers, Groupe Bull, HP, IBM, NEC, Network Appliance, SGI, and StorageTek. In addition, BROCADE counts industry leaders Computer Associates, Emulex, Hitachi Data Systems Inc., Legato, LSI Logic, ONI Systems, QLogic, StorageNetworks, Tivoli Systems, and VERITAS among its strategic partners. For more information, visit the BROCADE website at www.brocade.com or contact the company at info@brocade.com.
This news release contains forward-looking statements based on current expectations that involve risks and uncertainties. BROCADE's actual results may differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause such a difference include risks surrounding the development of the emerging market for Storage Area Networks and for SAN switching products, the timely development, production and acceptance of new products and services, and BROCADE's ability to compete in a highly competitive and rapidly changing marketplace. These and other risks are detailed in the form 10-K, for the year ended October 31, 1999, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. BROCADE assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking information contained in this press release.
NOTE: BROCADE, SilkWorm, SilkWorm Express, Fabric Integrator, Fabric OS, Fabric Weaver, and QuickLoop are trademarks or registered trademarks of Brocade Communications Systems Incorporated, in the United States and/or in other countries. All other brands, products, or service names are or may be trademarks or service marks of, and are used to identify, products or services of their respective owners. SOURCE Brocade Communications Systems, Inc.
/CONTACT: Kelley MacMaster, Media Relations, 408-501-8777, or Kmac@brocade.com; or Bill Murphy, Investor Relations, 408-487-8089, or Investor-relations@brocade.com, both of Brocade Communications Systems, Inc./
/Web site: brocade.com
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Not familar with the NAB conference.
Jack |
