QLogic Ships First 2 Gigabit Switches into Distribution Channel
SANbox2 Available Now to Resellers at 1 Gigabit Prices
[The next Reyes proclamation: "2Gig in the channel is a non-issue." <g>]
biz.yahoo.com
ALISO VIEJO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 27, 2001-QLogic Corp. (Nasdaq:QLGC - news), the only end-to-end SAN infrastructure provider, today announced it has cemented its position as first to market with 2 gigabit Fibre Channel switch products. The company is now shipping its SANbox2(TM) 16 port Fibre Channel switches to distribution partners such as Bell Microproducts, Consan and Tech Data Corporation. The SANbox2 switch joins QLogic's SANblade 2300 Series host bus adapters to complete the channel's first and only end-to-end 2 gigabit SAN infrastructure.
The QLogic SANbox2, which operates at 2 Gigabits per second, offers double the throughput speed and twice as many ports in the same form factor and at a lower price than existing 1 Gigabit switch products. With auto-sensing and self-configuring ports, QLogic SANbox2 products protect customers' existing technology investments and simplify installation by operating with both 1 Gigabit and 2 Gigabit devices. QLogic SANbox2 switches maintain compatibility with legacy and competitive products, making it easy for customers to migrate SAN solutions to superior performance levels.
``The SANbox2 offers 2 gigabit performance at 1 gigabit prices, making it a highly compelling value to resellers,'' said Roy Appelbaum, vice president and general manager of networking and high-end storage technologies, Tech Data Corporation. ``Solutions providers and VARs can now work with Tech Data to begin upgrading their storage networking solutions to the next wave of Fibre Channel technology with QLogic's end-to-end 2 Gigabit Fibre Channel solutions from SANblade 2300 Series host bus adapters to the SANbox2 16 port Fibre Channel switch.''
``By offering QLogic's end-to-end line of 2 gigabit Fibre Channel solutions, we are able to provide our VARs and resellers with a complete 2 gigabit SAN hardware and software bundle pre-tested as interoperable through our Bell StorSolutions center,'' said Karen Duarte, Director, Storage Solutions Product Management for Bell Microproducts. ``The SANbox2 Fibre Channel switch simplifies buying decisions by offering 2 gigabit performance at 1 gigabit prices while maintaining compatibility with the large installed base of Fibre Channel devices.''
``Time-to-market has been critical in our strategy with the SANbox2 line,'' said Dave Hubbard, vice president and general manager of QLogic's Switch Products Group. ``When customers need an ally in building advanced SAN infrastructures, they can turn to QLogic for timely solutions that integrate easily with their legacy products as well as competitive solutions. Our channel partners will play a critical part in the industry's migration to 2 gigabit Fibre Channel technology.''
The SANbox2 family of switches is the foundation for the world's highest performing SANs, providing fabric connections to servers, storage devices, directors and other switches. With QLogic's sixth-generation, highly integrated 16 port ASIC, customers will double throughput, and quadruple transaction speeds -- when they configure SANs based on the SANbox2 and QLogic SANblade(TM) QLA2300 Series 2 Gigabit host bus adapters.
The SANbox2 is the only 2 Gigabit switch solution with true address translation, which fully protects the extensive installed base of private loop devices. In addition, the switch complies with all interoperability standards and works with all components of multi-vendor SANs, including competitive switch products, simplifying SAN solutions for IT managers.
QLogic's 2 Gigabit switches have the capability of networking storage at distances in excess of 100 km and offer extended multi-stage fabric capabilities, scalable to over seven million nodes. The SANbox2 family includes dual power supplies for built-in high availability and easy-to-use In-Band and Out-of-Band management utilities. |
