TeamKCI Blog: Brocade® Confusion

Brocade^® Blog by Jeff Klein

“A sales restructuring at Brocade^® Communications has added confusion and delay to the storage and networking vendor’s field engagement model, making it difficult for solution providers to close deals and, in some cases, causing them to move business to rival vendors, partners told CRN.”

“We feel like we’re getting into the homestretch right now of a very disruptive year…“, Brocade^® Channel Chief Sandra Glasser Cheek added.

And, all this was before the closing date for the Brocade^® acquisition by Broadcom was moved back from early third quarter to the fourth quarter of 2017.

If you have doubts about your coverage we’d like to recommend that you call TeamKCI. In addition to our Brocade^® Hardware Sales, we’re tracking the Brocade^®/Broadcom merger and divestiture and stand ready to guide you through the pitfalls of what is turning into a sticky and oft times confusing realignment. Call us to discuss the latest developments and find out your best strategies to keep your equipment covered until the merger is completed.

Other Articles to Read: Brocade^® Introduces Generation 7

It all began benignly in November 2016 when chip maker Broadcom, Ltd, agreed to buy Brocade^® Communications Systems, Inc. for $5.9 B. Brocade^® a leading manufacturer of Data Center, Campus Network and Ethernet switches is best known as the leading manufacturer of fiber channel SAN switches and directors. Brocade^® claims that 90% of the world’s 1000 largest companies use Brocade^® products in their SANs.

Broadcom’s said its interest in Brocade^® was limited to Brocade^®’s fiber channel Storage Area Network (SAN) business. Perhaps true but Broadcom, the largest manufacturer of chips for Cisco^® Systems, made sure to announce simultaneous with the Brocade^® acquisition that it intended to sell off the IP networking segment of Brocade^®’s business along with other non SAN related platforms in order not to be in conflict with Cisco^®. Recent quarterly numbers show that fiber channel SAN comprised roughly 60% of Brocade^®’s revenue while IP networking products made up the remaining 40%.

Other Articles to Read: Brocade^® Has announced EOL Data Center Fabric Manager

Broadcom has also agreed to wall off the divisions that make ASICs for Brocade^® from the division making ASICs for Cisco^® to avoid conflicts of interest.

Brocade^®’s Ethernet networking business was built primarily on the acquisition of Foundry Networks in 2008 and the organic expansion of Foundry product lines from 2008 to 2016. Brocade^® expanded into wireless networking with the acquisition of Ruckus Wireless in 2015.

On February 22, 2017 Brocade^®/Broadcom agreed to sell the former Ruckus Wireless unit that Brocade^® had acquired in 2015 to the Arris Group, an American company that provides cable operators with high speed data, video and telephony systems for home and business. Also included in the deal was Brocade^®’s ICX campus switching line of products which Brocade^® once called “the next-generation” of IP networks.

Other Articles to Read: EOL alert Brocade^® DCX 8510 blog article page

Followed on March 29, 2017 when Broadcom announced that it sold its data center switching, routing, and analytics business to Extreme Networks™, Inc. (EXTR) a company that itself has been involved in a raft of acquisitions recently.

Broadcom then sold Brocade^®’s Virtual Traffic Manager, (formerly known as the SteelApp Traffic Manager) to F5 as part of further divestiture of its IP product lines.

Other product line sales include the Vyatta and vRouter products to AT&T.  Its Virtual ADC product to Pulse Secure. And, its Connectem product to Mavenir.  In an unusual move, Brocade^® is spinning off its SDN controller to a new startup called Lumina Networks.  And lastly, Brocade^® sold off its Federal maintenance group to Hitachi Data Systems Federal.

Seem confusing? Ponder this: even Broadcom is not really Broadcom.  A little more than a year ago Avago Technologies agreed to acquire Broadcom; then took the Broadcom name for itself. But Broadcom still goes by the Avago ticker symbol (AVGO) on the NASDAQ. Prior to acquiring Broadcom the Avago management team had made a half-dozen acquisitions of technology companies including Emulex and LSI.

The chip industry has had a wave of acquisitions recently. Industry analysts point to more than $100 billion in deals in the last two years.  Just following all of these moves is exhausting.

Other Articles to Read: NY State Passes Right to Repair Bill

So while we are all waiting for the Brocade^®/Broadcom merger to sort itself out feel free to call TeamKCI.  We’re tracking the Brocade^®/Broadcom merger and will gladly discuss developments and provide guidance as merger details continue to evolve. For solid advice to guide your Brocade^® and Foundry strategy call TeamKCI. We’ve been following the switch business for the last 35 years!
We maintain all Brocade equipment including Brocade^® 6510, Brocade^® 300, Brocade^® 7600, Brocade^® 6505, Brocade^® FC16 48, Brocade 5300, Brocade^® DCX 8510 Backbone.

Disclaimer:

KCI, Inc (dba TeamKCI) is the industry leader in premier Third-Party maintenance support. TeamKCI is not an authorized reseller, distributor, partner of nor an affiliate of any Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) or related to any manufacturer’s authorized service center. All offers for maintenance support are from our world-wide award winning support group not the OEM. All trademarks, service marks, logos remain the property of the corresponding company. All rights reserved. 

Brocade^®is the registered trademark of Broadcom Inc.

Your Brocade® DCX is Now 2 Generations Back

Are you still paying full price for maintenance?

TeamKCI, America’s leading Brocade^® third party maintenance provider, is now offering DCX maintenance at 75% off the Brocade^® list.

The DCX, once Brocade^®‘s flagship SAN director, was designated End-of-Life on May 15, 2014 and it will go End-of-Support on November 14, 2019.

While the manufacturer is winding down DCX support, here is a great way to save 75%. Simply let TeamKCI support your older Brocade^® SAN equipment.

Why should you trust TeamKCI with your SAN?

• We are Brocade^® subject matter experts.
• We offer the highest quality Brocade^® service.
• We store a complete complement of spare parts on your premises.
• We provide access to a technical specialist trained on the Brocade^® DCX within 15 minutes of making a service request.
• Four-hour onsite response time.
• 75% off the manufacturer’s list price.
• And we won’t raise your rates 10% per year like the manufacturer does

We not only maintain the Brocade^® DCX, we also maintain all badged versions of the Brocade^® DCX sold by:
• EMC^® ED-DCX-B
• HPE® DCX Backbone
• HDS DCX
• NetApp^® DCX

Save now to help pay for your next infrastructure upgrade. Call, email or go to our website, TeamKCI.com, and we’ll start covering your DCX immediately.

Brocade® 7500 Reaches End-of-Support

The Brocade^® 7500 extension switch will reach End-of-Support on August 15, 2016 (see announcement). After which this widely popular SAN extension switch will no longer be supported by Brocade^®.

As Brocade^® support ends you have several alternatives:

• Rush out and buy Brocade^®’s latest extension switch the 7840; but the 7840 is expensive and you may not have any CapEx budget for it.
• Buy the somewhat newer Brocade^® 7800 extension switch; but why change one extension switch for another when your current switch is working fine?
  Ask TeamKCI to maintain your Brocade^® 7500.With TeamKCI support for your 7500 you don’t have to make any new capital expenditures or rip and replace a switch that is doing its job. Plus our rates are well below what you are now paying Brocade^®. We offer low cost support without sacrificing quality. And unlike other third-party maintenance providers we are true Brocade^® subject matter experts. We can even help with software issues or re-configuration.Don’t let support for your critical infrastructure lapse. Call, email or follow this link for a same day quote on any Brocade^® 7500 extension switch or for a maintenance quote on any other Brocade^® product.

Disclaimer:

KCI, Inc (dba TeamKCI) is the industry leader in premier Third-Party maintenance support. TeamKCI is not an authorized reseller, distributor, partner of nor an affiliate of any Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) or related to any manufacturer’s authorized service center. All offers for maintenance support are from our world-wide award winning support group not the OEM. All trademarks, service marks, logos remain the property of the corresponding company. All rights reserved. 

Brocade^®is the registered trademark of Broadcom Inc.

Foundry^® Fades into Networking History

July 21st marks eight years since Brocade^® Communications agreed to buy Foundry^® Networks. Since then the name Foundry^® and the Foundry^® logo have disappeared from the networking landscape. Industry intelligence sources tells us that there are still hundreds if not thousands of customers world-wide that continue to use Foundry^® products.

If your company is one of them you are likely evaluating these three options:

1. “Go Commando” – Doing your own maintenance is never a good idea.
2. “Rip & Replace” – Replacing all your legacy Foundry equipment with new products is expensive and not necessary when it is still working.
3. Third Party Maintenance – Find an experienced 3rd party maintenance provider who can provide top quality Foundry^® support at 80% below manufacturer’s pricing.

We’d like to introduce you to TeamKCI, America’s leading maintenance provider, for comprehensive Foundry^® networking support. If you’re concerned about continued support for Foundry^® products we may have the right answer for you.

TeamKCI offers three different levels of Foundry^® support:

• 24 x 7 with 4-hour onsite response
• 9 hours per day 5 days a week
• Next Business Day (NBD) parts.

Each level of support includes 24 x 7 tech support and help desk. Onsite support is four hour onsite and includes spare parts on premises, and is backed by the most accredited third party switch maintainer in the business. Check out the complete list of Foundry^® EOL Dates, Foundry^® parts we cover including machines such as Foundry Fast Iron Edge FES2402, Foundry Fast Iron Fi800, Foundry Edgeiron Eif4802cf.

As your network ages and parts become scarce count on TeamKCI to keep your network running the way it was designed to run.

*Brocade^® is the registered trademark of Broadcom Inc.

EMC® ED-48000B Nears End-of-Support Date

In May 2005, Brocade^® introduced its then flagship 48000 director, a 4 Gbps director with an eight (8) blade capacity, each blade capable of attaching up to 48 ports, for a total capacity of 384 ports. EMC^® re-branded the 48K and sold it as the ED-48000B.  It was designed by Brocade^® to compete with McData^® and Cisco^® its two main rivals (at the time) in the director space. Back then the EMC^® ED-48000B (Brocade^® 48K) was “state of the art”.  Now it is a bit old – legacy if you will – and was designated End-of-Life in January 2011 roughly five and one half years after its introduction. Soon, on January 31, 2016, the EMC^® ED-48000B will reach its End-of-Support date with EMC^®.

There is no need to panic or make a quick decision to upgrade. TeamKCI will pick up support the day your EMC^® support contract runs out. No need to squirrel away parts, buy spare machines to store in your parts closet or read up on maintenance procedures. TeamKCI will maintain your EMC^® ED-48000B as good as or even better than the manufacturer at prices that will shock you and make you wonder why you didn’t move your EMC^® ED-48000B maintenance over to TeamKCI earlier.

We guaranty that you will be able to talk to a technical specialist within fifteen minutes of making a service call any time of day or night. Four-hour onsite response time (though in reality we average less than two hours). A full complement of spare parts stored on premises to facilitate rapid repairs. Product engineers who speak the language and can help you reconfigure your ED-48000B or restore corrupted software. Top of the rack service at bottom of the rack prices. Exactly what you would expect from the leader in switching technology support. Our Cisco maintenance^® includes support for Cisco^® MDS 9000, Cisco^® MDS 9509, Cisco^® WS 2960, Cisco^® catalyst 4500 Series Switches, Cisco^® 2800, Cisco^® Catalyst 6500 and 6500 E series. We also provide many Cisco^® Hardware Sales.

Brocade^® is the registered trademark of Broadcom Inc.

Cisco^® is registered trademark of Cisco Systems, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the
United States and certain other countries.

EMC is a registered trademark of EMC Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.

McDATA^® is a registered trademark of Brocade Communications.

Brocade® 48000 Nears End-of-Support Date

In May 2005, Brocade^® introduced its then flagship 48000 director, a 4 Gbps director with an eight (8) blade capacity, each blade capable of attaching up to 48 ports, for a total capacity of 384 ports. The 48K as it was known was designed to compete with McData^® and Cisco^® its two main rivals (at the time) in the director space. At one time the Brocade^® 48K was “state of the art”.  Now it is a bit old – legacy if you will – and was designated End-of-Life in June 2010 roughly five years after its introduction. Soon, on February 17, 2016, the Brocade^® 48K will reach its Brocade^® End-of-Support date.

There is no need to panic or make a quick decision to upgrade. TeamKCI will pick up support the day your Brocade^® support contract runs out. No need to squirrel away parts, buy spare machines to store in your parts closet or read up on maintenance procedures. TeamKCI will maintain your Brocade^® 48K as good as or even better than the manufacturer at prices that will shock you and make you wonder why you didn’t move your Brocade^® 48K maintenance over to TeamKCI earlier.

We guaranty that you will be able to talk to a technical specialist within fifteen minutes of making a service call any time of day or night. Four-hour onsite response time (though in reality we average less than two hours). A full complement of spare parts stored on premises to facilitate rapid repairs. Product engineers who speak the language and can help you reconfigure your 48k or restore corrupted software. Top of the rack service at bottom of the rack prices. Exactly what you would expect from the leader in switching technology support.

TeamKCI Announces Brocade® USDX Support as Brocade® End Its Support

If losing support for your USDX channel extender network is not an option call TeamKCI today. Brocade^® will cease maintaining all versions of the USDX on May 15, 2015 – less than eight months down the road. Some customers are even being told they cannot renew their maintenance agreement if a one year renewal contract would carry them past the May 15, 2015 End-of-Service date.

TeamKCI offers an alternative. As switching experts for the last 32 years and America’s #1 independent maintainer of Brocade^® equipment, TeamKCI will gladly maintain your USDX directors for as long as you choose to use them. No limits. No End-of-Life dates. No End-of-Service dates. Just continue to use your USDX until you’re ready to move to a different platform.

TeamKCI support includes all parts, remote dial-in support, 4-hour on-site response time and change management services.

If continuing to use your Brocade^® USDX channel extenders are part of your plans don’t hesitate, TeamKCI is ready to step in today. Call us and we’ll put together a cost-effective plan to keep your USDXs running for as long as you choose to use them.

TeamKCI Announces 60% Off DCX Maintenance

TeamKCI is pleased to announce it has expanded its award-winning worldwide support program to include Brocade^® DCX directors at rates that are 60% less than the manufacturers suggested retail price. TeamKCI has also begun offering round-the-clock monitoring for Enterprise customers becoming the only independent maintenance provider to offer this service. With TeamKCI, our customers get:

• Top of the line manufacturer’s quality support.
• Spare parts stored on premises to facilitate rapid repairs.
• 70% + off all DCX hardware upgrades
• 60% off manufacturer’s maintenance rates.
• Round-the-clock monitoring at 60% off manufacturer’s rates.

As you begin preparing your 2015 support budget put TeamKCI in your plans for quality, dependability and cost conscious savings.

It’s not too good to believe. It’s TeamKCI.

“Tomorrow’s Company for Yesterday’s Equipment”

TeamKCI Announces Brocade® Network Monitoring for DCX

TeamKCI has launched a new generation of remote monitoring services to help customers more effectively manage application and network performance end-to-end across their data center fabrics.

The TeamKCI DCX Monitoring Service helps organizations reduce downtime, optimize resource utilization and better meet business requirements for application performance.

TeamKCI Monitoring Service begins with Brocade^® DCX class directors and provides a secure architecture for proactive, remote network monitoring, alerting and reporting.

TeamKCI Monitoring Service includes:

·         24x7x365 expert monitoring and analysis of network health

·         Real-time and historical performance information

·         Flexible architecture for event correlation and policy-based business intelligence

·         Back-up in the event of a lost internet connection

·         Customer access portal

TeamKCI can also monitor a long list of switch status parameters including: power supplies, temperatures, fans, WWN cards, CP cards, port blades, core blades, flash thresholds, faulty ports, missing SFPs and error ports; alerting customers in real time to potential problems before they happen.

“TeamKCI Network Monitoring is a major leap forward in third-party maintenance. With it, our customers now have the ability to monitor and manage SAN Fabrics at a small fraction of the manufactures price.” said Wayne Duglin, EVP of TeamKCI.

If you would like more information about TeamKCI Monitoring Service please contact:

Debra Kaplove

Phone: (201) 934-6500 ext. 20

Email: Debra@teamkci.com

Brocade® Announces DCX End-of-Life (EOL)

Brocade^® Communications (BRCD) has announced the initiation of End-of-Life (EOL) for its flagship DCX SAN director. Historically going forward this means that there will be no new software upgrades, no new firmware enhancements and no new bug fixes. Also starting in 2015 there will be yearly maintenance price increases of 10% for five (5) years until the DCX reaches End-of-Support.

The good news is that DCX customers are no longer encumbered by the fear of losing access to software and firmware enhancements and are now free to choose the best and most cost effective support program available.

That is why TeamKCI is pleased to announce it has expanded its award-winning worldwide support to include Brocade^® DCX and DCX4S directors at rates that are 60% less than Brocade^®’s published rates. TeamKCI is also offering round-the-clock monitoring for Enterprise customers becoming the first and only independent maintenance provider to offer this service.

For a moderate size SAN with only six (6) DCX directors, yearly savings of over $100,000 can be achieved.

Don’t delay. Call or email today and start saving immediately on the best Brocade^® DCX support in the market.   

 “Tomorrow’s company for yesterday’s equipment”

TeamKCI Announces Foundry® Networks Support – TeamKCI

TeamKCI is pleased to announce maintenance support for legacy Foundry Networks networking gear.

Foundry Networks®, Inc. was a leading provider of high-performance enterprise and service provider switching, routing, security, and application traffic management solutions. It merged with Brocade^® Communications on December 18, 2008. The Foundry acquisition gave Brocade^® the networking products including Ethernet switches, Web and content-aware application switches and network security solutions, to compete with other high performance networking solutions companies such as Cisco^®, F5, Juniper and Force10.

Today five and one-half years later virtually all Foundry products have been re-branded and most original Foundry products have been designated End-of-Life (EOL) and/or End-of-Support (EOS) by Brocade^®.  Odds are if it says Foundry on the side the likelihood is that Brocade^® soon won’t maintain it – but TeamKCI will.

TeamKCI, founded in 1982, is America’s leading Brocade^® SAN & networking support company, dedicated to providing our customers outstanding support to help minimize network outages and reduce operational expenditures. TeamKCI offers a wide range of support programs and professional services. Call or email to find out about the high quality low cost maintenance support options we offer for legacy Foundry Network products and view the Foundry EOL dates. We maintain many legacy Foundry machines such as Foundry Fast Iron Edge FES2402, Foundry Fast Iron Fi800, Foundry Edgeiron Eif4802cf.

Legacy Foundry support another innovation from TeamKCI.

Brocade^® is the registered trademark of Broadcom Inc.

Cisco^® is registered trademark of Cisco Systems, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the
United States and certain other countries.

Brocade® Support for 4 Gbps Ends on February 28, 2014

Mahwah, NJ – February 28, 2014 looms large as the End-of-Support date for five Brocade^® machines as the Storage Area Network leader ends support for remaining 4 Gbps platforms. Most notably on the End-of-Support list are the McData^® 6140 and the McData^® i10k directors that moved over to Brocade^® after the acquisition of McData^® in 2006.  The other three machines losing Brocade^® support are the Brocade^® 200E, 4900 and 5000.

TeamKCI services all Brocade^® (and McData^® ) devices that have been designated End-of-Support by Brocade^® including all the machines mentioned above at rates that are 50%-70% less than Brocade^®‘s rates. For continuing support options and more details about our award winning maintenance (Verizon award) please contact Jeff Klein at 201-934-7286 or email jeffk@teamkci.com   

TeamKCI also maintains legacy Cisco^®, Juniper, BlueCoat, F5, NetApp^® and EMC^® platforms. For a quote on any of these systems please contact  Jeff Klein at 201-934-7286 or email jeffk@teamkci.com or visit our website at www.TeamKCI.com.

Brocade^® is the registered trademark of Broadcom Inc.

NetApp^® is registered trademarks of NetApp,Inc.

Cisco^® is registered trademark of Cisco Systems, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the
United States and certain other countries.

EMC is a registered trademark of EMC Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.

McDATA^® is a registered trademark of Brocade Communications.

“McData®-geddon” Approaching

“McData^®-geddon” Approaching

As McData^® 6140 and i10k Directors Reach End-of-Support

Mahwah, NJ February 28, 2014 marks the End-of-Support for the McData^® 6140 and McData^® i10k directors by Brocade^®. These machines were the last two McData^® designed directors that Brocade^® continued to support after its takeover of McData^® in late 2006 now more than seven years ago.

Also slated for End-of-Support on February 28, 2014 are the Brocade^® 4900, Brocade^® 5000 and Brocade^® 200E all 4-Gbps switches, as Brocade^® support for 4-Gbps platforms ends.

TeamKCI services all Brocade^® devices that have been designated End-of-Support by Brocade^® including all the machines mentioned above at rates that are 50%-70% less than Brocade^®’s rates. For continuing support options and more details about our award winning maintenance (link to Verizon award) please contact Jeff Klein at 201-934-7286 or email jeffk@teamkci.com

Brocade^® is the registered trademark of Broadcom Inc.

McDATA^® is a registered trademark of Brocade Communications.

Special Opportunity | Brocade® DCX 8510

A special opportunity has brought two (2) Brocade^® 8510 directors into our inventory.  These machines have 128 16 Gbps ports each and are IBM^® badged and IBM^® “banded”.

The exact configuration is as follows:

      IBM^® 2499-816 (DCX 8510)               $136,769.

• 2802 (4) SW SFP 8 Gbps
• 2809 (15) SW SFP 8 Gbps – 8 pack
• 2821 (4) SFP 8 GBPS10 KM LW
• 3632 (4) FC 16GBPS 32 Port Blade

List Price:          $457,319.

                             TeamKCI Price:     $115,000.  (25% of List)

Call today as quantities are limited.

The Sky is Falling on Brocade® DCX Prices

If you’re in the market for a Brocade^® DCX or a DCX blade upgrade you couldn’t have picked a better time. With Brocade^® selling the heck out of the new 16 Gbps capable Gen 5 DCX 8510 backbone director, older Brocade^® DCX directors have hit the market en masse and have caused DCX chassis and blade prices to plummet.

DCX chassis which sold at over $35,000 at the retail level before the summer have dropped below $20,000 today.  

Thirty-two port FC8-32 blades have dropped from $7000 in the spring to $5000 today. And, forty-eight port FC8-48 blades have dropped 38% from $12,000 to $7,500.

So if you’re thinking of upgrading, now may be the perfect time to take advantage of the recent market pull back. 

Attention EMC® Connectrix Users!

Attention EMC^® Connectrix Users!

Manufacturer’s support for EMC^® badged Connectrix 4900 and 5000 switches, and Connectrix 6140 directors will end on January 31, 2014. 

If you are using these machines and plan to continue using them beyond this date, please contact TeamKCI immediately for continued coverage.  We can even get you covered that same day at 60% less than OEM prices.

EMC is a registered trademark of EMC Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.

Brocade® To Stop McData® 6140 and McData® i10k Support

In just 142 days, Brocade^® will stop maintaining McData^® 6140 and McData^® i10k directors on February 28, 2014. If you are still using these machines there are two things you should do immediately:   

1)      Make sure you get the latest version of operating system software from Brocade^®.

2)      Call TeamKCI to continue your McData^® maintenance.

There are no End-of-Support dates for McData^® equipment at TeamKCI – just high quality Enterprise level support at less than 25% of the manufacturer’s price. Don’t let your support run out. Call TeamKCI today and we’ll help you keep your legacy McData^® equipment running.

Brocade® Discontinued McData® i10K and 6140 on February 28, 2014

Brocade^® Communications will discontinue the McData^® i10K and the McData^® 6140 directors on February 28, 2014.

If you are using either of these directors and plan on continuing to use them in the future, please contact TeamKCI at 201-934-6500 ext. 11 or by email at jeffk@teamkci.com or visit our website www.TeamKCI.com for any easy low cost maintenance plan.

IBM® to end support for 9032 ESCON Directors – TeamKCI

After 23 years of field usage, IBM^® has announced the End of Support Life (EOSL) for all IBM^® legacy 9032 ESCON directors – Models 2, 3 and 5 – effective March 31, 2014, after which IBM^® will no longer maintain these devices.

 If you are using any of the IBM^® ESCON directors and plan on continuing to use them in the future, please contact TeamKCI at 201-934-6500 ext. 11 or by email at jeffk@teamkci.com or visit our website https://www.TeamKCI.com for any easy low cost maintenance plan.

IBM is trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation, registered in many jurisdictions worldwide.

The Best Server, Storage and Network Maintenance Programs

All maintenance is mission critical and maintenance providers should always treat every maintenance call as a mission critical event.  When a well-integrated maintenance program works properly it prevents downtimes, loss and other operational problems.  This should not just be your goal but what you actually deliver.

TeamKCI takes pride in the quality of service and reliability we offer our clients as now of the world’s third party maintenance tpm service providers. We appreciate the essential factors our customers consider when making the critical support and maintenance decision.  We understand how a customer’s loyalty is earned. And, what makes for trust and reliability in a maintenance provider.

The answers are found here in TeamKCI’s continuing series on what makes for long term satisfied customers.  Here are issues to think about when looking to choose your next Storage and Network maintenance provider:

• Parts on Premises: Make sure your third party provider is storing spare parts on premises.  This will prevent the situation where a Customer Service Engineer has to make more than one visit to perform a single repair.
• A “Stay Until Its Fixed” Policy: One of the most sought after qualities in a third party maintenance provider is a company with a policy that requires their Customer Services Engineers stay on your premises until a problem is fixed and all devices attached to that device are brought back on-line.
• Make Sure You Get a Regular Technical Representative: Know exactly who to call!  Not just a random person on the other end of a 1-800 number. Make sure you are assigned a CSE that will become part of your team and become familiar with not only your equipment, but also your environment and personnel.You want someone at the other end of the phone who is vested in the quality of the service provided, determined to respond to your requirements as quickly as possible.
• Dial-in and Call Home Capability:  Ensure that your third party provider is knowledgeable and skilled in the use of dial-in and call home capabilities of the equipment they are maintaining to minimize diagnoses and triage and shorten repair times.
• Fair Aggressive Pricing: You want a partner that has developed fair pricing based on anticipated repair frequency, parts costs and support requirements. This must be a maintenance provider with the right blend of problem solving expertise and experience in the hardware they are going to maintain for you.  
• Manufacturer’s Parts: If your third party provider does not use original manufacturer’s parts than they are probably cutting corners. A provider who cuts corners on parts is likely cutting corners in other areas as well. Don’t accept look-a-like!  Manufacturer’s parts are manufacturer’s parts. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

TeamKCI takes pride in our leadership in these areas.  Our inventory of manufacturer’s spare parts is unrivaled.  Our CSEs stay the course whenever a problem arises. With over 30 years of experience and unparalleled commitment, we serve our clients with 100% readiness and dedication.

The Best Server, Storage and Network Maintenance Programs. Part 2

Selecting the best maintenance program can be a challenge.  TeamKCI takes pride in the quality of service and reliability we offer our clients.  There are important considerations to take into account when making the support and maintenance decision.  Why do customers stay loyal to one maintenance plan provider?  What separates the best from the rest?

The answers are found here in Team KCI’s continuing series describing what makes for happy, satisfied customers, when looking to choose your next maintenance provider:   

• No Outsourcing:  Seek a company that performs repairs directly with its own personnel and internal technical experts who can see the job through from start to finish.  If a support company outsources maintenance, it is an indicator that it usually does not have a sufficient level of expertise for the products that they maintain. Proper escalation procedures require immediacy.  Outsourced assistance will slow down the repair or maintenance process if it means the provider cannot diagnose and make the repair quickly.

• Make sure the Customer Services Engineers (CSE) are well trained and experienced: Check to see if the people assigned to your account are manufacturer trained and are experienced on the equipment they are entrusted to repair. CSEs that have manufacturer’s experience are imperative in a third party data center hardware environment where support from the manufacture is limited. Certification and experience is crucial to getting the job done, no questions asked.  Are they up to date on maintaining equipment that has reached its End of Life date?There is nothing worse than watching a recent tech school graduate that has never seen equipment like yours before taking instruction by cell phone from an offsite technical specialist on how to fix it.   

• SLAs are Important: Responding to calls quickly and efficiently is important. So is follow-up after a machine has been fixed. Check your prospective maintenance provider’s references and don’t be afraid to ask about how good they are at meeting their SLAs. Make sure you speak to technical as well as financial references. You are looking for a company that responds quickly and responsively, with a track record of meeting SLA’s and history of satisfied customers.

TeamKCI prides itself on meeting the highest of industry standards.  Our “been there, done that” expertise, coupled with our commitment to our clients’ continued uptime and rapid repair has been the hallmark of our ongoing relationships for over thirty years in the business.

Brocade® has announced EOL for its DCFM

In case you missed our previous post, Brocade^® has announced End-of-Life (EOL) for its proprietary Data Center Fabric Manager (DCFM) software management product (Brocade^® DCFM EOL Notice). Brocade^® suggests that customers move to the Brocade^® Network Advisor (BNA), its next generation management product, which will simplify daily operations while improving performance and reliability (Brocade^® Network Advisor Datasheet). Users of DCFM should not be concerned – it will be supported by Brocade^® until March 28, 2018 and TeamKCI will provide trouble shooting support for at least five years after the 2018 date. Read more about Brocade DCFM Enterprise, DCFM Professional, DCFM Professional Plus.

The Best Server, Storage and Network Maintenance Programs. Part 1

At Team KCI we are often asked what makes a maintenance program stand out. Why do customers rave about one maintenance plan while roiling about another?

To address that we are posting Team KCI’s continuing blog series describing what makes for happy, satisfied customers; what to look for when choosing your next maintenance provider: 

• Spare Parts on Premises = Rapid Repairs: The maintenance provider who stores spare parts at your location will shorten repair time by over 50%. That’s because once a problem is detected there won’t be long wait time for parts to be shipped from a central depot in another state. When a part goes bad it is much easier for the “Customer Service Engineer” (CSE) to walk over to the supply cabinet to retrieve a spare than it is to wait for an express carrier to deliver the part the next day. Rapid repairs are always the prime objective. 

• Utilize Dial-in & Call Home Features: Seek a maintenance company that takes advantage of the dial-in and call home features that are built into the machines they are contracted to maintain. Most modern network and storage devices allow maintenance providers to check operational metrics inside the “box” before a technician is even dispatched. By utilizing these features your provider could be diagnosing your problem even before you become aware of it. This allows the maintenance provider to alert you while there is still time to plan for, or to prevent, an outage.

• Speak to a Customer Service Engineer (CSE) First:  Companies that have a trained CSE talk to the people on the floor will insure that that your problem is understood by the people who have to fix it before someone shows up to repair it. Beware of companies that use overseas call centers and dispatch without speaking to your people on the floor. Keep in mind that quality of the technical triage by the first person you speak to will greatly influence the quality of the service.

Other Articles to Read: NY State Passes Right To Repair Bill

TeamKCI’s maintains an open line of communications between our CSEs and your people.  All of our Customer Service Engineers are manufacturer-trained, and possess the experience necessary to design, plan, implement, install, and maintain Enterprise networks in mission critical environments.

Coupled with the single largest independent source of spare parts in the industry, we provide the hardware and the necessary know-how for any maintenance contingency.

Important EOS Date for EMC® ED-10000M

TeamKCI Offers Continued Support for All i10K Directors

TeamKCI EOS Alert, June 13, 2013.  Import End-of-Service (EOS) dates for i10Ks are fast approaching, from many manufacturers. The EMC^® ED-10000M will reach End-of-Service (EOS) on July 31, 2013.  And within the coming year, the Brocade^®/McData^® i10Ks and other OEM equivalents will reach their EOS dates. The IBM^® 2027-256 (SAN25M) has already passed its EOS date.

TeamKCI offers:

• All manufacturer’s parts, with original OEM replacement parts in stock and available
• Remote dial-in diagnostics, to reduce the time pinpointing the problem.
• Lifetime price protection, so there are no surprises when needs arise
• A thirty year history of supporting IT infrastructure
• Outstanding references.  Just ask, we’re glad to provide them.

Learn more...

Brocade^® is the registered trademark of Broadcom Inc.

EMC is a registered trademark of EMC Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.

IBM is trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation, registered in many jurisdictions worldwide.

McDATA^® is a registered trademark of Brocade Communications.

Choosing Your Server, Storage and Network Maintainer

At TeamKCI we know that the process of finding a reliable and trustworthy maintenance provider can be tricky!  Maintenance is necessary, and in many cases it is more than just good business practice, it may also be required by law or regulation.

With over 30 years experience in the field, TeamKCI knows the best practices, and what to offer.  We’re going to offer a continuing series of blog posts describing what makes for happy, satisfied customers.  These are the topics and consideration of what to look for when choosing your next maintenance provider: 

There are many companies offering various levels of maintenance, support, repair and parts.  The best of breed offer all of these elements.  Experience with the equipment, knowledge of the known issues and steps to ensure continued operation are critical factors. 

Availability of replacement parts is another important consideration.  The best maintenance companies have a deep inventory of the parts that will need to be replaced, especially for equipment in use beyond the manufacturers’ End-of-Life date.

Determining what seems like the best deal involves many factors.

Price is always important although not the only component to be used in selecting a server third party maintenance vendor.  Quality of service and the experience of the provider, as well as its staff of experienced, individual technicians and engineers, are essential factors.

Check references. See who plans to outsource. Be aware of outsourcing as a potential red flag.

Find out if your provider will use call home and dial-in features. Ask for a complete complement of spares to be stored on your premises. Make sure you get the best suited provider for your environment and not just the guy with the low bid.

Our next three posts to the blog will cover the crucial questions and data points to consider when making the decision on contracting a maintenance provider.  

Feel free to subscribe to the TeamKCI blog.  We have made it really easy to keep up-to-date with our blog through RSS feeds and email updates!

Perfect Time to Be Looking for Brocade® 8 Gbps SAN Equipment

It’s the perfect time to be looking for Brocade^® 8-Gbps SAN equipment – especially Brocade^® DCX directors and 5100 & 5300 edge switches. 

From a product stand point we currently find ourselves past the mid-point of the DCX life cycle which began five years ago with the introduction of DCX in January 2008. The then new director was designed to run at 8-Gbps with backward compatibility to 4-Gbps. With DCX aging, last year Brocade^® introduced the even newer DCX 8510 Backbone as its 16-Gbps Gen 5 Fiber Channel director, but piggy-backed off of its own DCX brand by keeping the “DCX” in the name of the new director.  With many customers looking to upgrade their infrastructure to 16-Gbps early new DCX 8510 backbone directors are displacing many now older 8-Gbps DCX boxes increasing the supply of DCX boxes on the market and driving down the price.

Of course, we’re not sure at this point why anyone would upgrade from a DCX to a DCX 8510 since storage manufacturers are still not yet delivering 16-Gbps storage. But the market is clearly moving in the DCX 8510’s direction.

With more DCX directors now available on the market prices for 8-Gbps DCX directors and industry leading Brocade^® 5100 and Brocade^® 5300 switches have drifted down significantly.

There is another reason to buy used 8-Gbps technology today. If you project out a three year horizon – buying today will not only get you a great buy on Brocade^® DCX with 8-Gbps blades, in three years when you are back in the market for 16-Gbps technology you will be just in time to buy 16-Gbps technology as the price drops – right after the expiration of initial warranty period for DCX 8510 backbone directors.

So if you’re looking for 8-Gbps SAN technology the time is now right for 8-Gbps Brocade^® DCX directors, Brocade^® 5300 and Brocade^® 5100 switches, contact TeamKCI today.

McData® 6140 and i10K EOS Update

McData^® 6140 and i10K EOS Update- Brocade^® support for the McData^® 6140 and McData^® Intrepid 10000 (i10K) directors will come to an end as of February 28, 2014. (6140 & i10K EOL Notice) Do not be concerned! TeamKCI will support these director products indefinitely at prices that will make you smile.

Brocade^® is the registered trademark of Broadcom Inc.

McDATA^® is a registered trademark of Brocade Communications.

Brocade® DCFM End-of-Life Announced

Brocade^® has announced End-of-Life (EOL) for its proprietary Data Center Fabric Manager (DCFM) software management product. (Brocade^® DCFM EOL Notice) Brocade^® claims that the replacement, next generation management product, the Brocade^® Network Advisor (BNA), will simplify daily operations while improving performance and reliability. (Brocade^® Network Advisor Datasheet) Users of DCFM should not be concerned – it will be supported by Brocade^® until March 28, 2018. And TeamKCI will provide trouble shooting support for at least five years after the 2018 date.

Manufacturers’ End-of-Service Coming for McData® i10Ks | TeamKCI Provides Alternatives

Manufacturers’ End-of-Service Coming for McData^® i10Ks | TeamKCI Provides Alternatives

If your center is one of the 400 data centers still using one or more McData^® i10K directors you should be aware that the i10K will reach Brocade^® End-of-Service (EOS) on February 28, 2014.  Set your countdown clock, just 325 days left.

If you are still using the EMC^® Connectrix ED1000M, the EMC^® version of the i10K, it is slated to reach EOS on July 31, 2013.

And, if you are using the IBM version of the i10K, sold as either the IBM 2027-256 or the IBM^® SAN256M, sorry, the end of support date has already passed, December 31, 2011.

We know that as a SAN Architect or SAN Administrator you are always trying to stretch your networking dollars.  We’ll help you do more for less.

For over 31 years we’ve helped our customers do their jobs better.

TeamKCI.

Home of the Most Interesting SAN Architect in the world.

Brocade^® is the registered trademark of Broadcom Inc.

EMC is a registered trademark of EMC Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.

IBM is trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation, registered in many jurisdictions worldwide.

McDATA^® is a registered trademark of Brocade Communications.

Supreme Court Ruling Will Result in Lower Prices

Yesterday the US Supreme Court ruled that individuals and companies that buy books and other goods abroad have the right to resell those products in the US even if the manufacturer explicitly marks the goods for sale only in specific regions outside of America.

In a 6-3 decision, not split along party lines, the Court ruled that Supap Kirtsaeng, a former Thai PhD student who bought lower priced but equivalent medical text books overseas in developing countries then resold these books in the US, did not infringe on the copyrights of John Wiley & Sons, the publisher, despite the fact that Wiley had marked the textbooks for sale only in regions outside the US.

The ruling is seen as a big win not only for Mr. Kirtsaeng but also for eBay, libraries and high-tech resellers and maintenance providers who may now sell, rent or loan goods not originally destined for the US market into the US market without fear of reprisals from manufacturers.

In its decision the High Court upheld the “First Sale Doctrine” the basic right of an individual or company to resell a product it had purchased legally without regard for where the product came from.  In essence saying if you bought it legally you own it and have the right to resell it.  The brouhaha over the First Sale Doctrine had been percolating for three years with publishing, entertainment, manufacturing and software industries lining up for restrictions that would limit how and where goods could be resold and libraries, museums, eBay, Google and equipment resellers lining up on the side of the eventual decision.

To consumers and tech users the decision will lead to lower pricing as US based publishers and manufacturers will be forced to lower prices to compete with their own products that they in-explicably sell more cheaply abroad.  Maintenance companies will be able to buy parts overseas at lower costs and the savings will be passed on to users.  And, the vast threat of legal action by content developers will hopefully now be curtailed.

The fight over the First Sale Doctrine drew national attention as can be seen in these clips from The O’Reilly Factor and The Colbert Report, each bringing its own sense of humor to this important and significant national public debate.

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/421501/november-26-2012/judge–jury—executioner—copyright-law

http://video.foxnews.com/v/1889925709001/

For more information please check out:

http://teamkci.com/wp-content/uploads/High-Court-Rules-in-Favor-of-Book-Reseller_Wall-Street-Journal.pdf

http://www.nbcnews.com/business/supreme-court-backs-student-dispute-over-used-textbook-sales-1C8932489

McData® 1620 and 2640 EOS Date: January 15, 2013

Brocade^® maintenance support for the McData^® 1620 and 2640 Multi-protocol SAN Routers will end on January 15, 2013*.

If you are still using either the McData^® 1620 and 2640, do not be alarmed.  Top quality 24×7 maintenance coverage with 4 hour on-site response time is now available from KCI, Inc. at rates that are 30-50% less than the manufacturer’s rates that you are used to paying.

We offer:

• All manufacturer’s parts,
• Lifetime price protection,
• A thirty year history of supporting IT infrastructure, and
• Outstanding references.

Learn more.

To view the list of Brocade^®, IBM^® and EMC^® products that have been dropped from maintenance support by the manufacturers in the last 90 days, click here.

 KCI, Inc. – The SAN Capital of the World

Winner of the 2011 Verizon Supplier
Recognition Award for Outstanding Services.

 *Source – Brocade^® End-of Life Notice_dated October 2, 2007

Brocade® – IBM® – EMC® End-of-Service (EOS) Lists

Brocade^®-IBM^®-EMC^® End-of-Service (EOS) Lists

The equipment listed below has recently reached End-of-Service (EOS) from the manufacturers.

If you are still using any of these machines, do not be alarmed. Top quality 24×7 maintenance coverage with 4 hours on-site response time is now available from KCI, Inc. at rates that are 30-50% less than the manufacturer’s rates that you are used to paying.

Learn more.

IBM® 2104 & 2105 “Shark” US Maintenance Service Withdrawal

In case you missed it, IBM^® maintenance support for IBM^® 2104-DU3, 2104-TU3, 2105-750 and 2105-F20 disk storage ended on 12/31/2013*.

If you are still using any of these machines, do not be alarmed.  Top quality 24×7 maintenance coverage with 4 hour on-site response time is now available from KCI, Inc. at rates that are 30-50% less than the manufacturer’s rates that you are used to paying.

We offer:

• All manufacturer’s parts,
• Lifetime price protection,
• A thirty year history of supporting IT infrastructure, and
• Outstanding references.

Learn more.

KCI, Inc. – The SAN Capital of the World

Winner of the 2011 Verizon Supplier Recognition Award for Outstanding Services.

*Sources:
http://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/rep_ca/6/897/ENUS911-106/ENUS911-106.PDF
http://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/rep_ca/3/897/ENUS910-123/ENUS910-123.PDF

IBM is trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation, registered in many jurisdictions worldwide.

IBM®: US Support Withdrawals Effective December 31, 2012

Effective December 31, 2012 the IBM^® storage, tape and switch equipment products listed in the table below have been withdrawn from US maintenance services by IBM^®.  But you need not go uncovered!  Full  maintenance support is available from KCI, Inc.

To ensure that your coverage is continuous on any of the above equipment, please contact Jeff Klein at KCI, jeffk@teamkci.com,  for the highest quality IBM maintenance including support for IBM 2498 b40 machines at rates that are well below the rates charged by IBM^® when it was still willing to maintain this equipment.

KCI, Inc. a leader in SAN support. Serving major IT installations since 1982.

Proud winner of the 2011 Verizon Supplier Recognition Award for Outstanding Services.

*Sources:
http://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/rep_ca/6/897/ENUS911-106/ENUS911-106.PDF
http://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/rep_ca/3/897/ENUS910-123/ENUS910-123.PDF

IBM is trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation, registered in many jurisdictions worldwide.

9 EMC® Connectrix Products Without Support In 2013

2013 will see nine (9) EMC^® Connectrix products manufactured by Brocade^®/McData^® dropped from maintenance; three switches, two routers, one SAN director, two storage cabinets and a special purpose appliance. (Source: EMC^® Hardware Release and Service Dates, dated May 8, 2012) If you are still using any of the EMC^® products listed in the table below mark the date and plan to find an alternative maintenance provider.

P.S. The EMC^® Celerra NS350 will be dropped from maintenance on March 31, 2013 and the CLARiiON AX 150 series will be dropped from maintenance on May 31, 2013.

Brocade^® is the registered trademark of Broadcom Inc.

EMC is a registered trademark of EMC Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.

McDATA^® is a registered trademark of Brocade Communications.

NetScout Acquires OnPath Technologues

In case you missed it, NetScout acquired ONPATH Technologies on November 1, 2012.  In a statement explaining the acquisition NetScout said it did so to “Extend (its) Next Generation Network Monitoring Switch Portfolio”.

OnPath had previously purchased the technology that powers the Telenex 2700 matrix switch from Brocade^® Communications in 2009. Since that time OnPath has gone on to develop the industry leading UCS 2900 Connectivity System a monitoring platform that solves a variety of high-performance applications issues and the OnPath 3900 a family of network switches that automate and secure data center and test infrastructure.

Upon the introduction of the UCS 2900, OnPath announced the End-of-Support for the Telenex 2700 matrix switch, which ended on March 31, 2011. Since that time Telenex 2700 support from the manufacturer has been on an as available basis.

With the NetScout acquisition Telenex support is now three times removed from the original manufacturer.

If you need ongoing support for your Telenex 2700 matrix switch please contact Jeff Klein at jeffk@TeamKCI.com or 201-934-6500 extension 11 to investigate support options.

Read the full article at: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/netscout-acquires-onpath-technologies-extend-120000086.html

Brocade^® is the registered trademark of Broadcom Inc.

McData® 4700 EOS Date from Brocade® is October 1, 2012

McData^® 4700 End of Support Date from Brocade^® is October 1, 2012 – Maintenance support for the mainstay  McData^® 4700 and McData^® 4400 will end on Sunday, September 30, 2012. Both are 4 Gbps switches that were prevalent in early SANs and many are still in use today. If you have this equipment installed and plan to continue using, contact KCI, Inc. because after September 30, 2012 Brocade^® will not support it.  

KCI, Inc. offers a low cost maintenance alternative for all Brocade^® & McData^® legacy switches. Utilizing our nationwide network of experienced manufacturer trained engineers we’ll do a better job of maintaining your equipment for a lot less than you have become accustomed to paying. For a complete list of switches and directors we support click here. 

And while you’re considering KCI, Inc. for your switches, consider KCI, Inc. for your legacy  McData^® directors too. Our rates are 70% below Brocade^®’s rates for the soon to be End-of-Support  McData^® 6140 and 50% below Brocade^®’s rates for soon to be End-of-Support McData^® i10k. 

For over 30 years, KCI, Inc. has maintained switch and channel extension equipment at America’s largest and most complex IT centers. Call or email today and become part of the growing community of satisfied KCI Customers.  

KCI, Inc. – Supporting over 3000 machines in over 500 locations and the Winner of the 2012 Verizon Supplier Recognition Award for Outstanding Performance in IT Services.

KCI Inc Celebrates 30th Anniversary

KCI, Inc., the global information technology connectivity company, announced that today will mark the 30^th anniversary of the company’s inception.

The company is a strategic supplier of maintenance, engineering and hardware to some of the largest financial institutions, manufacturing concerns and government agencies in the country. Established in 1982 the company maintains Brocade^®, Cisco^®, McData^®, QLogic, IBM^®, Telenex^®, InRange, Telenex^® and Computerm infrastructure switching products along with EMC^®, NetApp^®, HDS and Oracle storage. KCI, Inc. offers its customers hardware along with full legacy maintenance support for aging IT infrastructure at vastly reduced prices. Through a network of field support offices and test labs, KCI, Inc. supports over 3000 machines at over 350 locations across the country.

KCI, Inc. earned its reputation as switching specialist as far back as 1982 when it began selling and maintaining bus and tag switching equipment manufactured by IBM^®, Tbar and Data Switch; in the 1990s the company’s specialization expanded to IBM^® ESCON directors and other ESCON products at one point selling over 300 ESCON directors in a single year; and finally, over the last dozen years the KCI name has become synonymous with Fibre Channel switching.

Jeff Klein President and Founder said, “We have reached this plateau by staying focused on our core business and delivering the highest quality IT equipment and top notch professional services to our clients, while keeping our eye on the real concerns of our customers.”

Frank Krause, Director of Field Support and 22 year veteran said, “At KCI, Inc. 24 x 7 means 24 x 7.  Sometimes it feels like we never stop working just like the machines we support.”

Wayne Duglin, Executive Vice President and 25 year veteran said, “Paying attention to all the details is often a thankless job but today all of us at KCI, Inc. can take a lot of pride in the many small jobs done right that we’ve strung together over the course of 30 years.” 

Over 50 of the top 200 companies in the country depend on the KCI, Inc. field support team for maintenance, network design, data center consolidations, back-up & disaster recovery, configuration management as well as for additional hardware and standard maintenance support.     

KCI, Inc. soon plans to expand its legacy support coverage by adding Ethernet Networks and high-speed large scale chassis-based switches on July 1, 2012.

More information about KCI, Inc. can be found at their website: https://www.TeamKCI.com

Contact:

KCI, Inc.
Corporate Headquarters
Ms. Jennifer Campbell
Director, Communications
201-934-6500 ext 23
Jennifer@teamkci.com

Welcome to TeamKCI

For over thirty years KCI, Inc. has supplied and supported switching and connectivity products to America’s largest corporations and government agencies. Over the years platforms and manufacturers have changed but the basic need to access and switch large volumes of data has grown exponentially. Across the span of three decades, from Bus & Tag to ESCON to FICON to FibreChannel, KCI, Inc. has developed unique and exceptional technical competencies in SAN architecture, switching, storage, networking and connectivity.

KCI Awarded Verizon 2011 Supplier Recognition Award

KCI, Inc., the global information technology connectivity company, has been awarded the coveted ‘Verizon Supplier Recognition’ Award for outstanding performance in the ‘IT Products and Services’ category, for the year 2011, by Verizon Communications, a global leader in delivering broadband, cloud, Global IP and wireless communications services. The annual award recognizes Verizon’s top suppliers that have helped the communications leader provide exceptional service to its customers.

KCI, Inc. was selected for the award at the 2011 Verizon Annual Supplier Recognition program held recently, at Verizon’s headquarters on March 26 and March 27, 2012 in Basking Ridge, New Jersey. Jeff Klein, President & Founder, of KCI, Inc. received the award on behalf of the KCI Team.

KCI, Inc. is a strategic supplier for Verizon and provides maintenance, engineering and End-of-Life service to the communications giant. The company works with Verizon by providing legacy maintenance which helps Verizon keep down costs to aid its competitive position.

Speaking on this achievement, Wayne Duglin, Executive Vice President of Engineering and Support Services, said, “This award reconfirms our strategic approach to extending the life of technology by providing a world class support model that is as good or even better than manufacturer’s maintenance.”

Jeff Klein, President & Founder, said, “This award reconfirms our commitment to support Verizon as it develops competitive edge products and technologies and stays ahead of the competition. It is indicative of how KCI, Inc. makes American businesses more competitive.”

Selection by Verizon for the Supplier Recognition award was based on exemplary contract performance in the prior year, exceeding Verizon’s quality management objectives, adherence to contract specifications and achieving corporate safety goals.

About KCI, Inc.

KCI, Inc. is America’s leading maintenance specialists of legacy Storage Area Networks. The company, established in 1982, maintains Brocade^®, McData^®, Cisco^®, CNT, InRange, Telenex and IBM^® switches and directors.  And, also supports EMC^®, NetApp^®, HDS and Oracle storage. 

KCI, Inc. offers customers full legacy support for aging infrastructure at vastly reduced prices.  Through a network of fourteen field support offices and two test labs, KCI, Inc. maintains over 3000 machines at over 350 locations across the country.

Today over 50 of the top 200 companies in the country depend on KCI, Inc. for support including the largest banks, the largest service companies, top manufacturers and major government agencies.  KCI, Inc. plans to expand its legacy coverage to Ethernet networks and will soon be offering this service as well.

For more information about KCI, Inc., please visit our website at https://www.TeamKCI.com

Contact:

KCI, Inc.
Corporate Headquarters
Ms. Jennifer Campbell
Director, Communications
201-934-6500 Ext. 23
Jennifer@teamkci.com