- In a move declared to be the company's biggest within the data center since the 2009 launch of its UCS server line, Cisco (NASDAQ:CSCO) has unveiled HyperFlex, a line of integrated server/storage systems that the company promises can be set up in minutes and independently scale server (compute) and storage capacity. (Press Release)
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HyperFlex supports both SSDs and hard drives, and both blade and rack server nodes. It also integrates with Cisco's UCS management software and fabric interconnect switches. Like some rival systems, storage from different nodes is pooled into a common data store, and data is dynamically placed within different tiers (DRAM, flash, disk) based on performance needs.
- Cisco has also launched new hardware for its Nexus 9000 data center switch line. The new switches support 100Gbps ports - Cisco promises pricing on par with what has been provided for 10/40Gbps switches - as well as cloud services for managing capacity and dealing with congestion. The older Nexus 3000 switch line has also been updated.
- HyperFlex takes aim at EMC's VCE converged infrastructure unit - in 2014, Cisco cut its stake in VCE to 10% from 35%. It will also square off against Oracle's engineered systems, IBM's PureSystems line, and HP Enterprise's ConvergedSystem line. IDC estimates EMC/VCE, HP, and Oracle each had over 20% of a $1.6B integrated systems market in Q3.
- ABR Investment's Brad Gaswirth considers the HyperFlex launch a negative for both EMC and NetApp (NTAP) - Cisco and NetApp have partnered to provide FlexPod, a reference architecture featuring the former's UCS servers and Nexus switches, and the latter's FAS storage systems. IDC estimates Cisco/NetApp's reference system sales totaled $309M in Q3.
- Gaswirth also deems the broader adoption of converged infrastructure hardware a negative for storage connectivity hardware provider QLogic (QLGC) - QLogic's Fibre Channel adapters/switches help connect standalone servers and storage arrays.
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Earlier: Cisco paying $260M+ to buy cloud app management software firm