Brocade Nabs Ex-Exodus Exec

Brocade Communications Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: BRCD) has moved swiftly to tap veteran engineer Morris Taradalsky as its chief technology officer.

Brocades gain is only the most recent loss for Exodus Communications Inc. (OTC: EXDSQ). Taradalsky previously was executive VP of engineering at the doomed hosting provider, whose assets were picked up by Cable & Wireless PLC (NYSE: CWP) last week for $580 million (see Cable & Wireless Takes On Exodus).

Taradalsky will also hold the title of VP of engineering at Brocade, and he will oversee all product development and research and development activities. Brocade co-founder Paul Bonderson will step aside as VP of engineering and assume a new role as VP of strategic development, overseeing the company’s long-range product strategy.

Taradalsky, who will report directly to CEO Greg Reyes, joins Brocade amid concerns that the company’s Silkworm 12000 switch is behind schedule (see Brocade Under Pressure). Job number one for Taradalsky, presumably, will be to iron out any kinks in that product and get it to market.

A former colleague gives Taradalsky high praise. Prabakar Sundarrajan, who himself recently quit Exodus to become CTO of NetScaler Inc., a vendor of Web traffic management tools, worked closely with Taradalsky when both were at Exodus.

“He brings a lot of strength to a CTO position,” Sundarrajan says. “He’s not only a strong technologist, he’s a strong manager, and he has a very strategic way of thinking.”

Taradalsky's resumé shows tours of duty at several high-tech companies. Prior to Exodus, he headed up the software development and professional services of now-defunct NetObjects, a software tools developer. From 1994 to 1997, he was president and CEO of storage subsystem developer MicroNet Technology Inc., and before that he spent six years at Apple Computer Inc., where he was general manager of the Apple Business Systems Division. Taradalsky got his start at IBM Corp. (NYSE: IBM), where he spent 18 years in various positions, including a stint managing IBM’s largest programming laboratory.

— Todd Spangler, special to Byte and Switch