Brocade and IBM extend OEM relationship to enterprise IP networking 
ConvergenceAsia staff
29/04/2009

IBM will rebrand and sell Brocade's enterprise IP networking family of products through IBM’s global sales force and authorised IBM Business Partners.

This original equipment manufacturer (OEM) agreement complements and extends the existing relationship between Brocade and IBM for storage area networking (SAN) products. Initially, IBM plans to sell the following Brocade IP networking product lines under the OEM agreement, with additional products added over time. IBM will offer multiple models in each product line:

- Brocade NetIron MLX Series as IBM m-series Ethernet routers;
- Brocade NetIron CES 2000 Series as IBM c-series Ethernet switches;
- Brocade FastIron SX Series as IBM s-series Ethernet switches;
- Brocade FastIron GS Series as IBM g-series Ethernet switches.

In support of this agreement, Brocade has been working with IBM to develop customised programmes across many key functional areas including sales, marketing, training/certification, and technical support/service.

"This agreement supports IBM's view of networking as an integral component of our dynamic infrastructure initiative, which helps customers manage the convergence of business and IT infrastructures,” said Barry Rudolph, vice president, IBM System Storage.

IBM currently rebrands and sells a broad portfolio of Brocade's data centre networking products and technologies including the multi-protocol Brocade DCX Backbone along with Fibre Channel directors, stand-alone and embedded switches, host bus adapters and related software. The amended agreement strengthens and further diversifies Brocade's go-to-market routes for its enterprise IP networking portfolio. Customers will now be able to purchase Brocade networking products and services through any combination of channels including OEM sellers, global resellers and direct from Brocade.

This agreement with IBM underscores Brocade’s long-term commitment to its OEM customers, a strategy we believe delivers the full promise of next-generation enterprise networking solutions in a pragmatic, non-proprietary way to protect customers’ IT investments, said Mike Klayko, CEO of Brocade. "IBM’s selection of Brocade’s high-performance, high-volume networking product family provides customers with a very competitive choice in their IT infrastructure and we look forward to bringing these solutions to market through IBM’s global sales channel.”

IBM expects to make these products generally available to customers in May 2009.

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