ALISO VIEJO, Calif., Sept. 15, 2008 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- VMworld -- QLogic Corp. (Nasdaq:QLGC), a leading supplier of high performance network infrastructure solutions, today announced that its 8000 Series 10GbE Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) converged network adapters (CNAs) are now certified for VMware ESX, enabling customers to consolidate data and storage networking into a single adapter.
The QLogic 8000 Series integrates seamlessly with existing Fibre Channel devices and provides all the benefits of QLogic Fibre Channel adapters, including port virtualization. QLogic CNAs reduce total cost of ownership (TCO) through reduced hardware, power, cabling, cooling and management costs, while providing superior performance through 10Gig Ethernet speeds with full FCoE offload.
QLogic, the first company to ship converged network adapters, designed the 8000 Series CNAs to meet the high-performance needs of VMware ESX through 10Gb Ethernet speeds and throughput, and full hardware offload for FCoE protocol processing, unlike NIC solutions that will rely on FCoE software initiators. The 8000 Series leverages the same Fibre Channel adapter architecture that has been deployed and battle-hardened in millions of previous installations, for full compatibility with current data center investments.
"As customers continue to rapidly increase their VMware virtualization footprint in datacenters, QLogic's FCoE technology aims to simplify cabling and provide higher performance storage connectivity through converged data and storage networking," said Shekar Ayyar, vice president of alliances at VMware. "QLogic 10GbE CNAs are a great complement to the VMware platform, allowing customers to take full advantage of the enhanced performance and manageability features of VMware virtualized environments."
"QLogic continues its longstanding collaboration with VMware to provide emerging technologies that solve end-user needs in a virtualized data center," said Amit Vashi, vice president of marketing, QLogic Host Solutions Group. "VMware-certified CNAs are the latest joint effort by our companies to provide high-performance I/O convergence technology in a virtualized data center."
"As businesses begin to move to 10Gb Enhanced Ethernet networks, we see significant market potential for FCoE," said Dennis Martin, founder and president of computer industry analyst firm Demartek. "In the recent Fibre Channel Test Drive conducted by QLogic and numerous other industry participants, we observed QLogic CNAs to be fully compatible with existing Fibre Channel products, and with their ability to fully offload FCoE processing from the server CPU, the 8000 Series should prove to be a worthy FCoE solution in virtualized environments like VMware ESX."
Fibre Channel over Ethernet -- Unifying Data and Storage Networks
FCoE, the standard for transporting Fibre Channel frames over Ethernet, is designed to make converged networks possible for data centers. With converged networks now on the way to becoming a reality, servers will no longer require separate interfaces for data and storage networking. IT professionals can increase functionality while reducing cost and complexity by using a single set of cables and switches.
QLogic 8000 Series CNAs -- Make Your Network Fly
The QLogic 8000 Series is a family of converged network adapters designed for next-generation, virtualized and unified data centers with powerful multi-processor, multi-core servers. QLogic 8000 Series CNAs are optimized for both data and storage (FCoE) networking virtualization with fierce 10GbE performance to handle large numbers of virtual machines. QLogic 8000 Series CNAs also reduce data center TCO by enabling consolidation of data and storage networking onto a single adapter to reduce cabling, power and cooling. By using the same industry-standard storage area network (SAN) services, QLogic driver architecture and QLogic management tools already deployed with the largest installed base of Fibre Channel HBAs in the world, the QLogic 8000 Series CNAs completely protect customer investments in their existing Fibre Channel SANs.
About QLogic
QLogic is a leading supplier of high performance network infrastructure solutions, which include the controller chips, host adapters and fabric switches that are the backbone of storage networks for most Global 2000 corporations. The company delivers a broad and diverse portfolio of products that includes Fibre Channel adapters, blade server embedded Fibre Channel switches, Fibre Channel stackable switches, iSCSI adapters and iSCSI routers. The company is also a leading supplier of InfiniBand switches and InfiniBand host channel adapters for the emerging high performance computing market. QLogic products are delivered to small-to-medium businesses and large enterprises around the world via its channel partner community. QLogic products are also powering solutions from leading companies such as Cisco, Dell, EMC, Hitachi Data Systems, HP, IBM, NetApp and Sun Microsystems. QLogic is a member of the S&P 500 Index.
Disclaimer -- Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains statements relating to future results of the company (including certain beliefs and projections regarding business trends) that are "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or implied in the forward-looking statements. The company advises readers that these potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: potential fluctuations in operating results; gross margins that may vary over time; revenues may be affected by changes in IT spending levels; the stock price of the company may be volatile; the company's dependence on the storage area network market; potential adverse effects of server virtualization technology on the company's business; potential adverse effects of increased market acceptance of blade servers; the ability to maintain and gain market or industry acceptance of the company's products; the company's dependence on a limited number of customers; seasonal fluctuations and uneven sales patterns in orders from customers; the company's ability to compete effectively with other companies; declining average unit sales prices of comparable products; a reduction in sales efforts by current distributors; dependence on sole source and limited source suppliers; the company's dependence on relationships with certain silicon chip suppliers; declines in the market value of the company's marketable securities; the complexity of the company's products; sales fluctuations arising from customer transitions to new products; environmental compliance costs; international economic, regulatory, political and other risks; uncertain benefits from strategic business combinations; the ability to attract and retain key personnel; difficulties in transitioning to smaller geometry process technologies; the ability to protect proprietary rights; the ability to satisfactorily resolve any infringement claims; reliance on third party technology; the use of "open source" software in the company's products; changes in the company's tax provisions or adverse outcomes resulting from examination of its income tax returns; computer viruses and other tampering with the company's computer systems; and facilities of the company and its suppliers and customers are located in areas subject to natural disasters.
More detailed information on these and additional factors which could affect the company's operating and financial results are described in the company's Forms 10-K, 10-Q and other reports filed, or to be filed, with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company urges all interested parties to read these reports to gain a better understanding of the business and other risks that the company faces. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made only as of the date hereof, and the company does not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
QLogic and the QLogic logo are registered trademarks of QLogic Corporation. Other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of the companies with which they are associated.