QLogic Unveils 8-Gbit/s Switches

ALISO VIEJO, Calif. -- QLogic Corp.(NASDAQ:QLGC), a leader in networking for storage and high performancecomputing, today revealed that it has begun testing its completeportfolio of 8Gb Fibre Channel switches and host bus adapters (HBAs)and is readying samples for major OEMs to qualify. QLogic 8Gb FibreChannel end-to-end solutions, consisting of switches and HBAs, aredesigned to fulfill the ever-increasing need of enterprise-classbusiness applications, and select vertical applications, for maximumperformance. 8Gb Fibre Channel doubles the performance of today's 4GbFibre Channel products while maintaining full backward compatibilitywith the large installed base of 4Gb and 2Gb Fibre Channel solutions.

"Administrators of infrastructure applications like disk-to-diskreplication and vertical business applications like video postproduction are already asking for higher performance storage networksto reduce the time it takes to move their data sets," said BrianGarrett, industry analyst, Enterprise Strategy Group. "The backwardscompatibility of 8Gb Fibre Channel with their existing 2Gb or 4Gb FibreChannel networks will be warmly embraced in the data center, videoproduction houses, and other application environments where performancecounts."

"Early adopters of storage networking technologies look to QLogic forthe most compelling end-to-end solutions in the market," said JeffBenck, president and chief operating officer, QLogic Corp. "Our goal isto satisfy that demand for 8Gb Fibre Channel with a complete set ofsolutions spanning HBAs, stackable edge switch products, enterpriseclass directors, blade switch products and routers that are easy toacquire and easy to deploy."

QLogic Corp.