EMC Corporation, the world leader in information management and storage, today announced availability of the new EMC® Connectrix® MDS-9020 Fabric Switch. Based on technology from Cisco Systems, Inc.®, the Connectrix MDS-9020 simplifies the deployment and management of storage area networks (SANs), enabling mid-size enterprises to cost-effectively build the foundation of an infrastructure for information lifecycle management.

As the newest member of the EMC Connectrix family of switches and directors, the 20-port Connectrix MDS-9020 offers full non-blocking 4-Gigabits per second (Gbps) Fibre Channel performance combined with built-in management capabilities. These capabilities enable mid-size enterprises to cost-effectively and easily deploy an intelligent SAN to more effectively consolidate and protect their information and move it among various storage tiers based on business requirements.

"The Connectrix MDS-9020 delivers capabilities previously only found in higher- end switches," said Marty Lans, EMC Director of Storage Network Marketing. "We've worked closely with Cisco to qualify the Connectrix MDS-9020 through rigorous EMC E-Lab testing. The end result is a high-performing, cost-effective switch that gives mid-size enterprise customers a simple way to consolidate their information onto fewer storage systems for better management, protection and availability."

With an aggregate bandwidth of 160 Gbps full duplex, the Connectrix MDS-9020 is powerful enough to handle the requirements of the most demanding small and medium SANs. Non-disruptive software upgrade capabilities minimize service disruptions and ensure high availability of information. The built-in management features can be accessed through a command line interface or through the integrated Cisco® Fabric Manager software, which has been tailored to meet the needs of mid-size enterprises.

"Cisco and EMC are helping businesses easily deploy and manage storage area networks," said Ed Chapman, Senior Director of Product Management, Data Center and Storage Business Unit, Cisco. "We are also providing our customers with investment protection as they grow from single switch to multi-switch environments by leveraging the full-fabric capabilities of the MDS 9020."

The EMC Connectrix family offers the industry's most extensive selection of networked storage connectivity products, ranging from highly available enterprise-class directors to edge switches and management tools. All Connectrix systems concurrently support multiple hosts and operating systems, enabling multiple servers to connect to multiple storage systems from EMC as well as other vendors. This flexible family of platforms helps facilitate the consolidation of information onto fewer storage systems for improved management, protection and availability.

Pricing and availability:

The Connectrix MDS-9020 is available immediately from EMC and its Velocity Channel Partners with list prices starting at $10,800.