Brocade Builds SANs For Small Biz, Remote Use: Page 2 of 2

Brocade also updated the architecture of the Silkworm control plane so that all its switches are compatible up and down its product line. "This lets customers put the same attributes on all their switches and manage them in a common way," Kidd said.

Brocade and its competitor McData continue to drive down the cost of switches with implementations that are very cost-effective and provide customers more choices, according to Randy Kerns, senior partner of consultancy the Evaluator Group. "This is a very competitive battlefield and Brocade's doing some good things," he added.