Inline has a range of things going for it as it seeks to play in the storage networking big leagues. For one thing, there's its existing customer base, which can be mined as prospective customers for the firm's new wares. The list includes Nortel Networks Corp. (NYSE/Toronto: NT), StorageTek (NYSE: STK), Sprint Corp. (NYSE: FON), and Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ), as well a slew of educational institutions and government agencies.
On the downside, Inline is late to the party. The new NAS gear, it claims, will feature more scaleability and security than boxes from Network Appliance. But that remains to be seen, since Inline can't offer any customer references. What's more, Inline doesn't have dates set for delivering next-generation Fibre Channel, iSCSI, or other emerging standards.
And Inline isn't alone. The NAS market is getting more competitive by the day, as startups aim to take a slice of Network Appliance's pie (see Quantum Buys NAS Startup).
In short, with so much on its plate already, Inline will be challenged to gain on its competition. But the firm's determination and existing market presence could stand it in good stead.
- Mary Jander, Senior Editor, Light Reading
http://www.lightreading.com
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