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McDATA EXPANDS EUROPEAN COVERAGE BY OPENING OFFICE IN ITALY

McDATA Corporation, a world leader in open, ultra-high availability storage networking solutions, has expanded its focus on the European market with the opening of a sales office in Peschiera del Garda, Italy. The office was opened to better serve the countries of the European market with McDATA's full family of ultra-high availability core-to-edge storage networking solutions. In addition to the European headquarters in Ottobrunn, Germany, McDATA also runs subsidiaries and offices in Switzerland, Norway, France and Great Britain.

"As the market leader in open, ultra-high availability storage networking solutions, McDATA enhances its activities in a market whose growing demands can now be met locally," says Andy Reid, McDATA Country Manager for Italy. "McDATA's presence in Italy helps to support existing and future partnerships throughout Italy and better allows us to deliver industry-leading storage networking solutions to customers throughout the region."

McDATA's complete core-to-edge product family is marketed in Italy through certified partners such as EMC, Hewlett-Packard Company, IBM and Hitachi Data Systems. Other European partners are HPS, CNT, CDS, Comparex, Selesta Networks, TDG and T-Systems.

McDATA's product portfolio of hardware, software and services includes the 2Gb/s Sphereon 3000 and 4000 Series Sphereon Fabric Switches featuring McDATA's exclusive FlexPort Technology, the Intrepid 6000 Series Directors and McDATA's award-winning SANavigator software.

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.