Cisco, EMC Tap NAS For Remote Data

Cisco Systems Inc. and EMC Corp. said today they will combine Cisco's wide area file services (WAFS) technology and EMC's network attached storage gear to provide customers a way to consolidate branch office data into the data center, and allow company data to be centrally stored, managed, protected and accessed.

EMC and Cisco said they will develop an OEM agreement, whereby Cisco will sell and support EMC's NS Series/Integrated NAS solutions. Cisco will combine the NAS equipment with its recently introduced Cisco File Engine for handling storage consolidation over wide area networks. The integrated solution will be sold and supported by Cisco directly and through its worldwide partner channel.

File Engine uses WAFS, an emerging technology championed by Cisco for accessing central files from remote locations.

EMC brings its Celerra network server and Clariion networked storage to the mix, along with its NS500 and NS700 NAS lines. Both NAS systems support either Fibre Channel or ATA disk drives.

Enterprises will be better positioned to handle centralized backup and disaster recovery to protect branch-office data. The vendors said the centralized management aspect will simplify administration and save money on remote data management. Customers will also get a single point of contact for support and services."Today's announcement will help our mutual customers manage information throughout its lifecycle and solve some of their most pressing business challenges," said Howard Elias, executive vice president of corporate marketing at EMC, in a statement.