Dell Stretches Its Networking Reach

While better known for its PCs and servers, Dell has been morphing into more of a full-line IT vendor with storage, appliances and software capabilities. So it should come as no surprise that the company is flexing its networking muscles at this week's Interop. The latest additions to its PowerConnect lineup include the M8024-k Ethernet switch, W-Series wireless solutions and B-Series switch solutions.

The company says the announcements are significant for three complementary reasons: They bring new capabilities to market; offer integrated solutions; and extend Dell's portfolio so it can be more of a one-stop-shop for its customers and prospects. Only by having broader solutions can it be successful, says the company.

Delivering 1/10 Gigabit Ethernet capabilities and support for the latest industry standards, the M8024-k is an Ethernet switch for the PowerEdge M1000e blade enclosure that comes with 20 ports (expandable to 24 via a FlexIO expansion module) and Dell Simple Connect mode to streamline switch deployment, simplify management and reduce operating costs. The W-6000 mobility controller chassis can support 2,048 access points and up to 32,768 mobile users. The W-AP175P Outdoor Access Point features two 2x2 MIMO dual-band 2.4GHz/5GHz radios with four antenna interfaces.

Also new are three members of the PowerConnect B-Series switch solutions. The B-TI24x Ethernet switch features 24 dual-speed ports. The B-FCX(s) series is a top of rack (ToR) Ethernet solution featuring simplified deployment through auto-configuration and able to stack up to eight switches, manageable as a single, logical unit for high performance and high availability. And the B-FCoE 1024 blade delivers 24 ports of Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) connectivity for the PowerConnect B-DCX 4S Director Chassis, enabling SAN and LAN traffic over a unified fabric to reduce operating expenses and lower TCO. The Dell PowerConnect M8024-k Ethernet switch, B-series and W-series are shipping worldwide immediately with pricing starting at $11,259 USD, $4,945 USD and $4,463 USD, respectively.

With these announcements, Dell is significantly extending its reach and enhancing its networking credentials, says IDC's Rohit Mehra, director, enterprise communications infrastructure. This is true, says Mehra, from a product portfolio perspective, from the edge of the network to the core and data center, and from a customer perspective, from small to midsize businesses, but also larger enterprises, as they embark on their journey toward private and hybrid cloud deployments. "And when you start to look at the transition toward converged infrastructure in the years ahead, the completeness of their portfolio will make them a contender."These platform announcements and enhancements give Dell a chance to meet customer needs from a networking perspective, especially those Dell customers that are already deploying servers and/or storage solutions, irrespective of whether these are in the data center or the enterprise campus, or are specific to vertical segments such as education or health care, where Dell has leadership, he says. "From integrating networking in the PowerEdge M1000e to specific data center or wireless LAN solutions, these solutions will allow Dell to get incremental mind share in the larger IT infrastructure market."

For Charles King, principal analyst, Pund-IT, the two biggest aspects of Dell's networking announcements are the expansion of Dell's enterprise solution set and its continuing focus on simplified IT. "It isn't so much a matter of the company retreating from or putting pressure on networking partners, including Cisco, Juniper and Nortel. Plenty of Dell's clients prefer those vendors' solutions and will continue to do so. But many companies, particularly cost-sensitive small and midsize businesses, will find much to like in Dell's new PowerConnect solutions. I was particularly struck by the new wireless controller and access point, and the value they could provide companies trying to expand mobility options for employees."

It comes down to the company's commitment to expanding customers' choice and flexibility, he says. Over time, King expects these new products to play significant roles in increasingly integrated Dell business solutions.

"We saw the direction the company is taking in the new vStart virtualization systems released last month and it would not be surprising to see additional pre-integrated and optimized Dell products emerge over time. Given the critical role networking plays in enterprise computing and business processes, PowerConnect should help Dell continue to enhance the price/performance value proposition of its business IT solutions."

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