Features - Enterprise Data Insights:

LUCENT AND McDATA INTRODUCE INTEROPERABLE STORAGE SOLUTIONS

Lucent Technologies and McDATA Corporation, a worldwide leader in open ultra high-availability storage networking solutions, announced recently that they had completed testing to demonstrate that products from both companies work together to enable extended distance storage networking over IP-based metropolitan and wide are networks.

The Lucent OptiStar EdgeSwitch has completed interoperability testing with McDATA Fibre Channel Sphereon 3000 Series Fabric switches and Intrepid 6000 Series Directors. With the qualification of the OptiStar EdgeSwitch, Lucent has joined the McDATA OPENready Interoperability Partner Program and the two companies will collaborate in bringing joint solutions to enterprise and service provider customers for mission-critical, site-to-site storage area network (SAN) connectivity.

"Lucent is pleased to have completed the McDATA OPENready qualification and we are looking forward to continuing our relationship with McDATA as we roll out the OptiStar EdgeSwitch and other storage solutions through our direct and Business Partner channels", said Joseph Mele, vice president and general manager of Lucent's Optical Edge and Network Management business unit. "With storage networking solutions built using McDATA and Lucent products, enterprises and service providers can leverage the experience and technical innovation of both companies to deliver cost-effective, next-generation storage applications and services."

Together the Lucent and McDATA products enable enterprise-class solutions for high availability business continuity, disaster recovery, and outsourced storage services. McDATA Sphereon Fabric switches and Intrepid Directors provide reliable and scalable core-to-edge Fibre Channel switching within a SAN, while the OptiStar EdgeSwitch uses Fibre Channel Over IP (FCIP) technology to enable interconnection of distributed SANs over carrier networks. During the OPENready qualification process, the OptiStar EdgeSwitch was tested and qualified with a variety of McDATA Fibre Channel fabric switches and directors, including Intrepid 6000 Series Directors and Sphereon 3000 Series Fabric Switches.

The OptiStar EdgeSwitch is an integrated optical IP and storage router that offers tremendous flexibility for customers. By using IP for transport, the OptiStar EdgeSwitch can directly connect to a wide variety of Wide Area Network(WAN) architectures, including those based on IP, Ethernet, DWDM, SONET or SDH. It also provides Fibre Channel fabric switching, zoning and management capabilities, as well as IP routing, which enables point-to-multipoint connectivity across the WAN. The latest OptiStar EdgeSwitch release was generally available on Sept. 4, 2002.For more information on the EdgeSwitch: www.lucent.com/edgeswitch.

McDATA's OPENready qualification of the Lucent OptiStar EdgeSwitch is the first step toward a broadening partnership between the two companies. Lucent and McDATA have also completed an equipment exchange program and are cooperating toward the goal of higher levels of interoperability and integration to better meet the needs of their customers.

"Enterprises and service providers today are seeking to maximize the business value of their investments in storage and backbone networks, while ensuring higher levels of availability, access, and protection for their stored data," said Peter Dougherty, vice president, Strategic Business and Strategic Alliances for McDATA. "Working together, McDATA and Lucent can uniquely meet these needs by providing complete end-to-end storage networking solutions for high performance SAN transport over regional and long-haul carrier networks, combined with world class installation, service and support."

McDATA offers the OPENready program to provide the assurance of interoperable storage networking solutions that are audited and backed by the technical expertise of McDATA's industry-leading System Integration Lab. OPENready qualification of the OptiStar EdgeSwitch consisted of testing performed by McDATA in Broomfield, Colorado, as well as Lucent testing with McDATA fabric switches and directors in Lucent's Next Generation Networks (NGN) Lab in Holmdel, New Jersey and OptiStar Innovations Lab in Cary, North Carolina. This extensive interoperability testing was governed by McDATA-approved test plans to help eliminate potential hardware and software problems, while enabling easier deployment for enterprise customers.

To help promote the new partnership and joint solutions to enterprise end user customers, McDATA is participating with Lucent and its business partners in each of ten cities scheduled for the Lucent enterprise conference series: "Best Practices for Enterprise Security, Data, Storage, and Network Management." The series has already completed stops in Chicago, Washington DC, New York City and Dallas. Upcoming sessions during October and November 2002 include Denver, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Toronto, Atlanta and Miami. Registration for this conference is at www.lucentbusinesspartner.com.

About McDATA

McDATA is a world leader in open, high-availability storage networking solutions and provides highly available, scalable and centrally managed storage area networks (SANs) that address enterprise-wide storage problems. McDATA's core-to-edge enterprise SAN solutions improve the reliability and availability of data to simplify SAN management and reduce the total cost of ownership. McDATA extensively pre-tests its solutions to provide IT organizations with the comprehensive tools, methodologies and support essential to robust SAN implementation. McDATA distributes its products through its OEMs, network of resellers and Elite Solution Partners.

About Lucent Technologies

Lucent Technologies, headquartered in Murray Hill, NJ, USA, designs and delivers networks for the world's largest communications service providers. Backed by Bell Labs research and development, Lucent relies on its strengths in mobility, optical, data and voice networking technologies as well as software and services to develop next-generation networks. The company's systems, services and software are designed to help customers quickly deploy and better manage their networks and create new, revenue-generating services that help businesses and consumers. For more information on Lucent Technologies, visit its Website at www.lucent.com.

Contact: Jenn McManus of Lucent Technologies, 908-582-5703 (office) or 908/582-1209 (fax), mcmanusj@lucent.com.