Brocade stirs up IT networking channel

Vendor looks to grab market share from the likes of Cisco following its acquisition of Foundry

Amanda Giddens: Brocade will take market share from its competitors

Storage vendor Brocade is gunning for a slice of the IP networking market and has issued a war cry to the likes of Cisco, Juniper and Nortel.

The vendor is due to launch a new European partner programme and channel strategy in conjunction with its attack on the space over the next few weeks.

Brocade commenced its quest into the IP networking arena in December with the acquisition of switch and router company Foundry Networks, and recently appointed Amanda Giddins as EMEA channel sales director to drive the strategy.

Giddins, previously from arch rival Nortel, said: “We will be integrating the Brocade LAN and SAN programmes over the next few weeks and internally we have been combining the IP and SAN sales teams.

“Brocade will grow its IP networking channel and take market share from its competitors. To expand our partner base we will introduce a multi-tiered channel with a distributor in place over the next coming months.”

Clive Longbottom, IT service director at market watcher Quocirca, said: “The only thing against them is the current economic climate. Brocade should be successful in the IP networking space, provided it carefully positions itself against the bigger players, as a cheaper alternative.”