VINCI PLC Constructs Campus Wide Unified Communications and Application Delivery Platform With Brocade

Press release:

VINCI PLC Constructs Campus Wide Unified Communications and Application Delivery Platform With Brocade

Share on facebookShare on twitterShare on diggShare on stumbleuponShare on newsvineShare on redditShare on emailShare on print

Leading Construction and Facilities Firm Selects Brocade ICX 6450 Campus LAN Switches and BROCADE Ethernet Fabric to Enable Microsoft Lync and Building Information Modeling Deployment

LONDON--(Marketwire - Sep 18, 2012) - The £122 billion UK construction industry, employing over 3.1 million people across 350,000 businesses¹, relies on close collaboration and effective sharing of data intensive files and assets between multiple partners on any given project. To support a Unified Communications (UC) environment across its sites, which can be extended to partners and contractors, and to facilitate the delivery of Building Information Modeling (BIM) across its construction projects, VINCI PLC selected a fabric-based, unified campus networking solution from Brocade^® (NASDAQ:BRCD).

VINCI PLC, part of the global VINCI conglomerate -- a world leader in concessions and construction, is involved in a number of major construction programs with its partners, including the Kings Cross Station Re-development, Nottingham Tram system expansion, and some of the UK's most familiar landmark projects in locations such as London. To extend network intelligence, scalability and resilience across its networks, and deliver a consistently high Quality of Experience (QoE) to staff, partners and contractors, VINCI PLC selected a Brocade Ethernet fabric and campus network solution. Presented by systems integrator CoolSpirit, the solution both met VINCI PLC's immediate needs, while providing a blueprint for the future.

Brocade ICX 6450 Campus Network switches were selected to enable effortless networking; providing a high performance, yet simple to manage and scale, campus network. Brocade ICX stackable switches deliver unprecedented levels of availability and flexibility by combining the capabilities of a chassis with the flexibility and cost-effectiveness of a stackable switch. This unique approach helps ensure an optimal user experience for streaming video, Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI), UC and other mission-critical applications. Brocade ServerIron® ADX Series switches were also chosen to provide the high availability, security and scalability required to support Microsoft Lync in a virtualized environment.

Ben Paddick, Technical Design Architect, at VINCI PLC explains, "Time and again, VINCI PLC is praised for its ability to work in partnership and as part of a team to deliver a project. We wanted an end-to-end solution that enabled us to collaborate more effectively with partners, and supported BIM across projects so we can offer improved service to customers, project efficiency and risk management. The right network solution was key."

Recognising how important it is to establish the right foundation, whether building a superstore or an IT infrastructure, they also selected Brocade VDX™ 6730 Data Center switches with Virtual Cluster Switching (VCS™) technology, to enable a high performance Ethernet fabric that provides the low-latency, auto-healing resilience required to support VINCI PLC's virtualised data centre environment.

"We needed 10 Gigabit Ethernet performance as capacity was strained, but we weren't ready for a full refresh and wanted to deploy Microsoft Lync campus-wide, with a plan to offer this as a hosted solution to other divisions and partners. The Brocade solution offered a perfect fit for our demands," Paddick concluded.

Marcus Jewell, Country Manager UK and Ireland, at Brocade said, "Enterprises are increasingly looking to their campus networks to deliver better efficiencies and services to improve business functionality. UC and virtualized environments can provide significant business benefits, but are very latency-sensitive and so require Ethernet fabric and Application Delivery solutions to be deployed effectively. VINCI PLC understands the importance of clear and open communications, and developing a strong, dependable infrastructure to serve as the foundation. They have reflected those values clearly in their choice of Brocade as their network infrastructure provider."

About Brocade Unified Campus SolutionsToday's enterprise campus networks are expected to deliver services thought impossible just a few years ago. Video conferencing, real-time collaboration, distance learning, and virtual desktop integration are just a few of the applications that organizations are deploying to enhance employee productivity, improve customer service, and create a competitive advantage. Additionally, anytime, anywhere mobile access has become ubiquitous with an explosion of wireless devices connected to the network, along with rising user expectations. At the same time enterprises face continued pressure to reduce costs. In short, IT is being asked to do more with less. Brocade is uniquely positioned to help organizations address these challenges. Leveraging proven expertise in world-class networking solutions, Brocade develops data center-class enterprise campus wireless and wired solutions with industry-leading availability and price/performance value. Brocade enterprise campus switch family helps customers maximize ROI without compromising reliability or performance.

1. Construction in the UK - Contractors Group; May 2012

About Brocade

Brocade (NASDAQ: BRCD) networking solutions help the world's leading organizations transition smoothly to a world where applications and information reside anywhere. (www.brocade.com)

About VINCI

VINCI is a world leader in concessions and construction. The VINCI name symbolises the best in innovation, creativity and technological mastery, befitting for a Group that harnesses a culture of innovation to deliver technical expertise in tackling the most complex of projects. The combination of financial strength, market-leading positions and a commitment to sustainability give VINCI its competitive edge.

VINCI Construction UK has a turnover exceeding £1bn and employs in the region of 4,000 staff. The UK is the second largest geographic operating sector outside France and represents 6% of VINCI's €37 billion turnover. VINCI employs around 180,000 people in 100 countries around the world.

© 2012 Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

ADX, Brocade, Brocade Assurance, Brocade One, the B-wing symbol, DCX, Fabric OS, ICX, MLX, MyBrocade, SAN Health, VCS, and VDX are registered trademarks, and AnyIO, HyperEdge, NET Health, OpenScript, and The Effortless Network are trademarks of Brocade Communications Systems, Inc., in the United States and/or in other countries. Other brands, products, or service names mentioned may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Curt Beckmann of Brocade Appointed as Chair of Open Networking Foundation's Forwarding Abstractions Working Group

Press release:

Curt Beckmann of Brocade Appointed as Chair of Open Networking Foundation's Forwarding Abstractions Working Group

Share on facebookShare on twitterShare on diggShare on stumbleuponShare on newsvineShare on redditShare on emailShare on print

SAN JOSE, CA--(Marketwire - Sep 6, 2012) - Brocade (NASDAQ: BRCD) today announced the appointment of Curt Beckmann, Brocade Principal Architect, as the chair of the Open Networking Foundation's (ONF) newly formed Forwarding Abstractions Working Group (FAWG), which will define the standard on how software-defined networking (SDN) and OpenFlow should be implemented in networking products. Beckmann's appointment reinforces Brocade's leadership in SDN and underscores the joint commitment between Brocade, the ONF and its member companies to deliver open, standards-based implementations of SDN and OpenFlow.

The FAWG will accelerate the innovation of next-generation OpenFlow-based networking models and frameworks, and will improve OpenFlow adoption on hardware forwarding targets such as ASICs, network processing units (NPUs) and network flow processors. During the first phase of the working group, members will also work to enhance testing and certification by establishing canonical Table Typing Patterns (TTPs), and simplify controller implementation by encouraging broad adoption of common TTPs.

"I am pleased to congratulate Curt Beckmann on his appointment as chair of the newly formed Forwarding Abstractions Working Group," said Dan Pitt, executive director of the Open Networking Foundation. "This working group will help us advance the adoption of SDN and the OpenFlow protocol, and active member companies within the group will help us simplify the OpenFlow framework for implementation on hardware forwarding targets."

In his role at Brocade, Beckmann focuses on enhancing OpenFlow to simplify support of complex forwarding behaviors on hardware platforms. The company's recent introduction of the world's first 100 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) OpenFlow product was in part due to Beckmann's work. He entered the networking industry as an ASIC architect in 1995, where he worked on 10/100 Mbps Ethernet switching and early Layer 3 gigabit switches. He moved on to manage and architect Fibre Channel storage virtualization and iSCSI/FCIP protocol-conversion system-on-a-chip ASIC designs. In April 2012, ONF presented Beckmann with an "Outstanding Initiative" award for his work on OpenFlow and SDN.

"Brocade's close involvement with the ONF and the Forwarding Abstractions Working Group demonstrates our commitment to drive standardization and market adoption of SDN," said Ken Cheng, vice president of Service Provider and Application Delivery Products at Brocade. "Curt Beckmann's appointment as chair of the FAWG is a testament to his technology expertise and his ability to drive innovation and consensus in the industry."

Earlier this year, Brocade outlined its strategy and vision for SDN, and also announced integrated hardware-based OpenFlow support on Brocade^® MLX^® Series routers. Brocade was the first to deliver OpenFlow at wire-speed 100 GbE performance and in true Hybrid Mode OpenFlow, enabling customers to integrate SDN into their existing networks and concurrently support both OpenFlow and existing networks. Last month, Internet2^®, a member-owned advanced technology community, announced it will be deploying OpenFlow-enabled Brocade MLX routers as part of its newly upgraded 100 GbE Internet2 Network.

About Brocade Brocade (NASDAQ: BRCD) networking solutions help the world's leading organizations transition smoothly to a world where applications and information reside anywhere. (www.brocade.com)

Brocade Delivers Comprehensive Fabric Networking Support for Windows Server 2012

Press release:

Brocade Delivers Comprehensive Fabric Networking Support for Windows Server 2012

Share on facebookShare on twitterShare on diggShare on stumbleuponShare on newsvineShare on redditShare on emailShare on print

Brocade and Microsoft Collaboration Enables SAN and IP Networking Solutions to Support Private Cloud, Server and Network Virtualization

SAN JOSE, CA--(Marketwire - Sep 4, 2012) - Brocade (NASDAQ: BRCD) today announced support for Microsoft Corp.'s Windows Server 2012 server operating system across all product lines, including the company's Fibre Channel storage area network (SAN) and Ethernet fabric solutions. Together with Windows Server 2012, Brocade^® networks simplify operations and management for highly virtualized cloud data centers, which serve as the infrastructure for enterprises and service providers in supporting their key data center initiatives such as scale-out server virtualization, private cloud deployments and software-defined networking (SDN).

To ensure compatibility and enable new networking functionality with Windows Server 2012, Brocade has implemented enhancements across its SAN and Ethernet fabric switching and adapter products that help enable new features such as:

• Virtual Fibre Channel: Simplifies and enables direct access to ultra-reliable, high-performance Fibre Channel SAN storage by multiple-guest virtual machine (VM) partitions in Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V environments. This enables distributed workload clustering and dynamic live migration of high-availability applications such as Microsoft Exchange or SQL Server across VMs without impacting workflows or requiring SAN reconfiguration.
• Dynamic Circuit Network (DCN): Enables Quality of Service (QoS) configuration from a Data Center Bridging (DCB) network. This allows users to initiate ad-hoc dedicated allocation of network bandwidth for high-demand, real-time applications and network services. DCN support has been added to the Brocade adapter family, with DCB enabled in all products.
• Network Virtualization Using Generic Routing Encapsulation (NVGRE): As a component of Brocade's network virtualization strategy, the company is reaffirming its commitment to provide future support for NVGRE in Brocade Ethernet fabric switches. NVGRE is the Microsoft-recommended virtualization mechanism for Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V Network Virtualization deployments.

These new capabilities offer enterprise IT and cloud providers new storage and networking options that help ensure non-stop operations, increase business agility and optimize application performance. Brocade also now supports interoperability and integration with Microsoft System Center 2012. By working closely with the System Center team to test and build integrations, organizations can easily manage any Brocade network as part of a complete Windows-based cloud environment.

"Windows Server 2012 was built from the cloud up and introduces innovations such as software-defined networking and NVGRE for network virtualization and isolation to help enable cloud deployments," said Mike Schutz, general manager, Windows Server Marketing, Microsoft. "From the early design stages of Windows Server 2012, Microsoft worked closely with Brocade to give customers new networking technologies such as software-defined networking via NVGRE and virtual Fibre Channel for more dynamic connectivity to storage resources."

Introduced today, Windows Server 2012 is a highly dynamic, available and cost-effective server platform that enables organizations to deploy private or hybrid clouds in a flexible IT environment that adapts to changing business needs. New and enhanced features provide high performance and scalability to enable a truly multitenant infrastructure where networking, compute, and storage resources are completely isolated between tenants on the same host. For hosting providers, Windows Server 2012 includes the ability to isolate tenants, gain insight into infrastructure resource usage, and provide new services to help create additional revenue streams. It also offers tools to help customers make the transition from on-premises to hosted environments, while continuing to provide the services and reliability demanded by enterprise, mid-market, and small businesses.

"To support next-generation cloud environments, many new networking technologies require support in the operating system to help organizations realize the full benefit of highly virtualized IT architectures," said Jason Nolet, vice president, Data Center Networking Group, at Brocade. "By working closely with the Microsoft engineering team in the early stages of the new OS's development, we have ensured that Brocade Ethernet and Fibre Channel fabric solutions work seamlessly with Windows Server 2012 as well as deliver innovative new networking functionality for highly virtualized, cloud-based data centers."

More Information

Video: Brocade Vice President Jason Nolet, Data Center and Enterprise Networking discusses Brocade's collaboration with Microsoft to help ensure the OS and network together can deliver important new networking functionality in the virtualized cloud-based data center.

Video: Mike Schutz, GM, Windows Server Marketing, explains why Microsoft chose to work with Brocade as a development partner for Windows Server 2012, including work in the areas of SDN and virtual fibre channel.

About Brocade

Brocade (NASDAQ: BRCD) networking solutions help the world's leading organizations transition smoothly to a world where applications and information reside anywhere. (www.brocade.com)

Brocade ADX Series to Unveil VXLAN Gateway and Application Delivery Services

Press release:

Brocade ADX Series to Unveil VXLAN Gateway and Application Delivery Services

Share on facebookShare on twitterShare on diggShare on stumbleuponShare on newsvineShare on redditShare on emailShare on print

Brocade Advances Software-Defined Networking and Enables Scalable Virtual Networking Services

SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwire - Aug 27, 2012) - VMworld -- Brocade (NASDAQ: BRCD) today announced significant progress in its software-defined networking (SDN) vision, strategy and innovation roadmap by unveiling the Brocade^® ADX^®Series application delivery switches, capable of delivering highly scalable VXLAN (Virtual eXtensible Local Area Network) gateway services for virtualized cloud networks developed in partnership with VMware.

Using the Brocade ADX VXLAN gateway solution, Brocade and VMware customers can virtualize their networks at enterprise and service provider scale, and with hardware-based performance, using VXLAN. Customers can use the Brocade ADX switches to connect VXLAN environments to the traditional Internet as well as run applications that span VXLAN and existing non-VXLAN networks. This enables organizations to use their current infrastructure while leveraging the benefits of VXLAN to support multitenancy and large-scale deployment of applications and virtual machines (VMs).

Network virtualization is a core element of Brocade's SDN vision, and VXLAN enables cloud service providers to build virtual networks on top of their existing infrastructure. VXLAN is a network virtualization technology that addresses the emerging challenges in the cloud data center. VXLAN enables multitenancy, scale for large numbers of applications and flexible provisioning with minimal interruption of infrastructure services. By leveraging Ethernet technology, VXLAN enables large numbers of virtual domains to be created above existing networks.

The Brocade ADX switch VXLAN gateway offers benefits such as:

• Efficient network and compute utilization while retaining access to traditionally connected resources;
• Scalable and secure multitenant network virtualization across large Layer 3 networking domains;
• More flexible VM placement and mobility, reducing operational and management complexities and cost;
• Delivery of load balancing services across both physical and virtual resources, combining physical servers and VXLAN-connected virtual machines at any location in the data center.

Brocade will demonstrate this VXLAN gateway capability in the Brocade booth (#901) at VMWorld® 2012 this week.

"As a leader in data center networking innovation, Brocade recognizes the need to bridge emerging technologies such as VXLAN with existing data center investments. By working closely with VMware, and leveraging the Brocade ADX application delivery switch, we are excited to be demonstrating VXLAN gateway functionality. This innovation will be essential to enabling real-world deployments of VXLAN and other overlay networking technologies," said Jason Nolet, vice president of data center networking, Brocade.

"Networking is a key resource of today's software-defined data center and its integration and alignment with other virtualized services is important. We are pleased Brocade is demonstrating the Brocade VXLAN gateway, which will enable customers to use VXLAN's scalability with applications and databases running in non-VXLAN networks," said Allwyn Sequeira, CTO & vice president, Networking and Security, VMware.

Brocade networking capabilities are integrated with VMware vCenter™ Server today via Brocade Network Advisor, giving vCenter users clear management visibility to Brocade storage network products. In addition, the Brocade ADX switch and Brocade Application Resource Broker integrate with VMware vCenter Server to elastically scale up and down workload resources in response to real-time end-user application experience.

Brocade at VMworld 2012Brocade is a leading network provider whose solutions are utilized by the world's leading enterprises and service providers. Brocade is a trusted data center partner in 90 percent of the Fortune 1000 data centers due to the company's focus on helping customers optimize their use of their existing data center infrastructure while providing a smooth transition to the cloud.

Brocade sessions at VMworld 2012 will focus on the latest requirements and options for building an optimized data center for cloud computing.

• Demonstrations at the booth (#901)
  • Cloud-optimized networking with Brocade and VXLAN
  • Large-scale virtual end-user computing across data centers
  • Disaster avoidance for critical applications

Spotlight Session:

• Building the Next-Generation Data Center for the Cloud
  • Date: Wednesday, August 29
  • Time: 2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
  • Location: Moscone South, Lower Level: Gateway 104

This session will focus on how to combine best practices with new options for building next-generation data centers, including Ethernet fabrics, network virtualization with VXLAN and other innovations in software-defined networking. #BRCDVMworld

Breakout Sessions:

• Deploying Large-Scale Virtual End-User Computing Across Data Centers
  • Date: Monday, August 27
  • Time: 12:30-1:30 p.m.
  • Location: Moscone South, Level 3, Room 307

This session examines a proven reference architecture consisting of EUC/VDI deployment across multiple data centers with end-to-end network flow monitoring and VMware SRM to provide business continuity. #BRCDVMworld

• Disaster Avoidance for SAP-Critical Applications
  • Date: Wednesday, August 29
  • Time: 9:30-10:10 a.m.
  • Moscone West, Level 2, Room 2002

This session will describe a solution that increases the availability of SAP applications by eliminating single points of failure at all layers in the environment. #BRCDVMworld

Sessions will be led by Brocade speakers Chip Copper, Ph.D. Global Solutions Architect, and Jonathan Hudson, Global Solutions Architect.

San Francisco Moscone Convention Center, Booth #901 and selected room locations as indicated for speaker sessions.

• Register here: www.vmworld.com/community/conference/us
  
• Follow the conversation at #BRCDVMworld and #VMworld.

Brocade Executive to Present at Upcoming Financial Conference

Press release:

Brocade Executive to Present at Upcoming Financial Conference

Share on facebookShare on twitterShare on diggShare on stumbleuponShare on newsvineShare on redditShare on emailShare on print

SAN JOSE, CA--(Marketwire - Aug 22, 2012) - Brocade® (NASDAQ: BRCD) Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, John McHugh, will present at the 2012 Citi Technology Conference on Thursday, September 6, 2012 at the Hilton New York Hotel, New York, NY from 11:45 a.m. to 12:25 p.m. Eastern Time. The presentation will be available on a live Webcast via the Internet at http://www.brcd.com.

About BrocadeBrocade® (NASDAQ: BRCD) networking solutions help the world's leading organizations transition smoothly to a world where applications and information reside anywhere. (www.brocade.com)

Brocade Convenes Federal Agencies, Partners and Luminaries to Discuss the Most Critical IT Challenges

Press release:

Brocade Convenes Federal Agencies, Partners and Luminaries to Discuss the Most Critical IT Challenges

Share on facebookShare on twitterShare on diggShare on stumbleuponShare on newsvineShare on redditShare on emailShare on print

Cloud Computing, Data Center Consolidation and Alternative Acquisition Models Top Discussion Topics at the First Brocade Federal Forum

WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwire - Aug 21, 2012) - Today marks the first day of the 2012 Brocade Federal Forum, which will provide an opportunity for Federal IT professionals, technology partners, systems integrators and industry luminaries to further explore and discuss key IT challenges and opportunities for the US Federal government. The two-day event is being hosted by Brocade (NASDAQ: BRCD), a leading provider of innovative solutions for the world's most demanding service provider, data center and campus networks. 

The forum is designed to help Federal agencies that are facing significant IT challenges and opportunities, including new mandates to increase efficiencies, maximize existing resources, modernize infrastructure and adopt cloud computing while simultaneously eliminating redundant technologies and processes.

In response to these challenges top-level Brocade executives will share their perspectives on how the government can navigate this new era in networking and leverage the many benefits that result from the changing IT infrastructure.

Specific topics of discussion will include:

• Network transformation
• Cloud mandates
• Data center consolidation
• Evolving acquisition models

"With uncertain budgets, a CIO office focused on modernization and unfunded mandates, US Federal IT professionals are facing one of the most complex IT environments ever," said Anthony Robbins, vice president of federal sales, Brocade. "They need as much support as possible to help make the best decisions for their agency."

The objective of the 2012 Brocade Federal Forum is to extend the discussion from stated challenges to specific implementation examples, complete with common pitfalls and projected cost models. During the forum, speakers will outline state-of-the-art solutions and how they complement the legacy environments in which most Federal IT professionals currently work.

immixGroup is the Platinum Sponsor of the 2012 Brocade Federal Forum. Since 1997, immixGroup has helped hundreds of large and emerging companies grow and manage their public sector business while providing its government customers with reliable access to leading commercial technologies through the contract vehicles and partners they prefer.

Other sponsors include: Arrow, Avnet, Tech Data, Westcon, HDS, NetApp, PacStar and CDW-G.

Speakers at this forum will include:

• Ron Broersma, Chief Engineer, Defense Research and Engineering Network (DREN)
• Shawn McCarthy, Government Insights Research Director, IDC
• Charles McClam, Deputy CIO, USDA
• Jason Miller, Executive Editor, WFED Federal News Radio
• Tim Schmidt, CIO, Department of Transportation
• Rick Howard, Research Director, Gartner
• Simon Szykman, CIO, Department of Commerce

Additional Resources and Forum Content

• http://brocadefederalforum.com
• Visit the Agenda page for a full list of sessions.
• Follow Brocade on Twitter at @BRCDcomm or Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/brocade or join the LinkedIn Group: Brocade Federal.
• Follow the conversation at #BrocadeFederal

Social Media Tags: Brocade, Federal Forum, #BrocadeFederal, cloud computing, virtualization, data center

About BrocadeBrocade (NASDAQ: BRCD) networking solutions help the world's leading organizations transition smoothly to a world where applications and information reside anywhere. (www.brocade.com)