SIEMENS COMPUTER SYSTEMS: Siemens Computer Systems joins
FibreAlliance
M2 PRESSWIRE-23 June 1999-SIEMENS COMPUTER SYSTEMS: Siemens Computer Systems joins
FibreAlliance (C)1994-99 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD
* Siemens Computer Systems joins FibreAlliance to speed the standardisation of Storage Area Networks
Siemens Computer Systems has announced that it has joined the FibreAlliance, a collaborative venture
between leading IT and networking companies formed in February 1999 to standardise the development and
implementation of Storage Area Networks (SANs). Siemens is already a leader in enterprise storage solutions,
and works closely with EMC Corporation - the world's leading vendor of storage systems, software and services,
and the driving force behind the FibreAlliance - to provide UK companies with new levels of enterprise
information management, sharing and protection.
Siemens is committed to safeguarding customers' IT investments by supporting standards such as
FibreAlliance that are recognised across the industry. The FibreAlliance now has some 19 members who are
working together to accelerate the development and implementation of SAN technology, and have already
drafted a specification for an integrated management framework that gives software products a high-level view
of the storage network. As part of the Alliance, Siemens will contribute its extensive experience in providing
enterprise storage solutions across a heterogeneous IT environment.
Graham Turner, Manager of Siemens Computer Systems' Storage Business in the UK, believes joining
FibreAlliance will further strengthen the position of Siemens Computer Systems as an independent storage
partner. "Storage is an increasingly critical component for enterprise systems customers, and Storage Area
Networks will play a major role as technologies such as ERP, data warehousing and e-commerce generate
more information and companies look to consolidate their server and storage systems.
"Siemens already works closely with EMC, we're a leader in IA-64 development, and with our unrivalled expertise
in implementing major storage solutions we'll be using SAN technology to support our customers' Enterprise
Storage, High Availability, Total Cost of Ownership and Systems Management requirements," he continued.
Siemens Computer Systems is an acknowledged leader in the implementation of comprehensive
enterprise-wide storage solutions, combining products from leading storage hardware vendors such as EMC,
Storage Tek and ADIC GRAU to offer full solutions ranging from high-end RAID systems to automated tape
library systems with Petabyte capacity. SAP, for example, uses a Siemens storage solution for the overnight
back-up of critical R/2 and R/3 data residing on more than 500 systems - each with a data capacity of over three
Terabytes; and Commerzbank uses a Siemens data warehousing and enterprise storage application to
process current data for senior management reports.
The FibreAlliance was formed in February 1999 to develop standards and processes to ensure Storage Area
Network management interoperability. Now 19 companies strong, the FibreAlliance is clearly focused on driving
standards relating to the management of FC connectivity components. As well as Siemens Computer Systems
and EMC, the following companies also belong to the FibreAlliance: Anchor Communications, Inc., Emulex
Corporation, Gadzoox Networks, G2 Networks Inc., Hewlett-Packard, JNI, McData Corporation, QLogic
Corporation, Veritas Software Corporation and Vixel Corporation.
SANs provide a flexible and efficient way of consolidating and managing the ever-increasing quantities of data in
companies. The growing SAN segment makes it necessary to use Fibre Channel technology as the basic
infrastructure for combining the heterogeneous components of a storage network, such as host bus adapters,
hubs, switches, routers, servers and storage systems. In a recent statement, the Meta Group commented:
"when users need to install SAN installations as quickly as possible they should focus on real, de facto
standards, 'such as EMC's Fibre Alliance'."
About Siemens Computer Systems
Siemens Computer Systems is the leading European supplier of information technology. It is scheduled to
become part of the major new joint venture company, Fujitsu Siemens Computers, which Siemens and Fujitsu
intend to create following a Memorandum of Understanding signed on 17 June, 1999. Fujitsu and Siemens aim
to jointly capture a top three industry position within the combined worldwide markets for personal computers,
Intel based and UNIX servers and large-scale enterprise systems.
Siemens Computer Systems offers the industry's broadest range of computer systems from a single supplier,
ranging from Net PCs through to notebooks, desktops, workstations, high-end servers and mainframe systems.
It is part of the DM50 billion turnover Siemens Information and Communications business segment which was
formed on the 1st October 1998 in response to the growing requirement for converged IT and communications
products, solutions and services.
CONTACT: Rebecca Hartley, Press Relations, Siemens Computer Systems Tel: +44 (0)1252 555396 e-mail:
rebecca.hartley@siemens.co.uk Siemens Computer Systems Customer Helpdesk Tel: +44 (0)1252 555300
WWW: siemens.co.uk |
