NY State’s Right to Repair Bill – A win for all TPMs

NY State Passes Right to Repair Bill – A win for all TPMs.
Read more: https://www.theregister.com/2022/06/03/new_york_repair/

TeamKCI Extending the Life of Legacy Citrix Equipment

What do you do when the manufacturer of high technology networking products stops supporting the products it manufactured?

The manufacturer’s answer is simple: Replace your current equipment. While this is the simple answer, it is also the expensive answer.  Dealing with End-of- Life and/or End-of-Support issues are time consuming. It requires studying the market for replacement alternatives and retraining staff. Plus, there are always operational issues with a hardware change that result in the migration to a different operating system. Not to mention the added expense of purchasing replacement hardware.

That’s where TeamKCI comes in. TeamKCI provides premier quality support, that extends the life of technology, so its clients can continue to use the legacy technology equipment they have invested in for as long as they choose to use it. Allowing each customer to decide the useful life of their      equipment on their own time-table, rather than the manufacturer’s. 

Established in 1982, TeamKCI has evolved as a leading third-party maintenance provider of legacy hardware platforms. The company that initially earned its reputation by supporting early era channel switches has grown into a global leader that supports networks, connectivity, storage and servers; delivering award-     winning support at dramatically reduced prices.

TeamKCI delivers high quality support services utilizing the diagnostic tools built into each NetScaler Application Delivery Controller (ADC), Load Balancer and Gateway to keep customers’ legacy networking gear working efficiently. Providing the quality that customers expect from a Citrix NetScaler product at a significantly lower cost.

For almost thirty-nine years TeamKCI has been a strategic maintenance partner to some of the largest financial institutions, Telco’s, manufacturing concerns, and government agencies in the US and around the world.

A Citrix NetScaler success Story

Not long ago a major manufacturing company was using 139 routers, ADCs, and load balancers manufactured by Citrix NetScaler. Citrix had already announced that all of the products the customer was using were either end of life or end of support. Prices were high, even with discounts. That’s when they called TeamKCI.

Through a well-executed migration plan TeamKCI maintained the customer’s NetScaler inventory until all the legacy NetScaler equipment was retired and saved the customer $2,300,000 in maintenance charges over a three-year period.

Networking Not Just Citrix     

In addition to maintaining Citrix NetScaler equipment TeamKCI’s network support portfolio includes Brocade^®, Cisco^®, F5^®, Juniper^® Palo Alto^®, Fortinet^®, Riverbed^®, Arista^®, Blue Coat^® and Extreme^® networking products, and storage manufactured by NetApp^®, EMC^®, Hitachi^®, IBM^® Netezza^®, SolidFire^® and Synology^®. And, far too many server types to list.

As their brochures and website tout TeamKCI offers top quality support for aging network infrastructure at prices that are up to 70-90% below the manufacturer’s list price. 

Whether you are around the corner or around the world, TeamKCI support is always nearby. According to Founder and CEO Jeff Klein, “We’ve built a world-wide support ecosystem in the US, the UK, the European Union and the Pacific Rim by constructing an intertwined network of field support offices, test labs and remote stocking locations that support over 7000 machines in over 400 locations.” And,      Klein adds, “we continue to grow by staying focused on our core business and our customers’ needs.”

The Secret of Our Success

The secret      of our success is simple: “Every service call is important.  We stay with every call until the repair is complete. When everything is done, we follow-up, listen to our customers, and we always treat them with courtesy and respect”, says Wayne Duglin, TeamKCI Executive Vice President and Chief Technical Officer.

Where applicable, TeamKCI uses the dial-in and call home features built into Citrix equipment including Citrix NetScaler ADC 11515 product page to diagnose and triage problems in minutes rather than hours. Many times, notifying customers before they even know they have a problem.

Parts are tested twice before they are shipped to a customer location. And, all parts are stored locally.

TeamKCI engineers do more than just change parts, they have operational knowledge of the firmware that drives a machine. While TeamKCI does not provide firmware updates – only the manufacturer can do that – TeamKCI assists customers with advice on operational software issues when necessary.

TeamKCI takes pride in its institutional technical knowledge and its approach to maintenance.

A Customer Success Story

Back in 2012 when Hurricane Sandy hit the east coast of the United States a major customer coincidentally had a critical switch burn out. Roads were flooded, trees were down and there were gasoline shortages everywhere.  Knowing that the switch had no power even though it had two power supplies TeamKCI deployed a customer service engineer with a spare machine. When he arrived at the customer location, the parking lot was flooded and cars were not allowed to enter. Our customer service engineer then took off his shoes and socks lifted an 18 lb switch above his head and wadded through the flooded parking lot to the building entrance.  The name of the engineer who walked through the flooded lot, switch held high over his head, is Frank Krause, now TeamKCI’s Director of Field Services. When it comes to field services, Frank has set the standard for years.

Other Articles to Read: TeamKCI Extending the Legacy Citrix Netscaler Equiptment

It is not surprising that over 50 of the top 200 companies in the country depend on TeamKCI’s field support for maintenance, networking issues, installations, consolidations, configuration management as well as for hardware upgrades and standard maintenance support.

Conclusion

“We have cultivated our reputation one service call at a time over the course of many years with a simple set of goals – do it right, do it efficiently and make sure the price is right.”, says Jennifer Campbell, TeamKCI’s Vice President of Marketing.  The company was even awarded a “Supplier Recognition Award” by Verizon for Outstanding Performance in IT Services.  https://www.teamkci.com/kci-awarded-verizon-2011-supplier-recognition-award/

In a time of shrinking budgets, when corporate management demands ever more services at a lower price, TeamKCI is the cost-effective, comprehensive support choice for today’s modern data centre. As Klein likes to say, “TeamKCI is today’s company for yesterday’s equipment.”

Brocade Introduces Generation 7

In case you missed it on September 1, 2020, Brocade announced its new 7th generation director, the X7, and a new 7th generation switch, the G720.

X7 Director (artist rendering)

G720 Switch (artist rendering)

According to Brocade the new director is faster, more scalable, more intelligent, and more resilient than previous directors providing a strong foundation for the on-demand data center. Brocade describes the new director as “a modular building block, purpose-built to power large-scale storage environments.”

Other Articles to Read: NY State Passes Right to Repair Bill A Winn For All TPMS

The new director operates at twice the speed and half of the  latency when compared to Brocade’s previous generation 6 director. It provides up to 384 64 Gb/s ports or up to 512 32 Gb/s ports. The G720 will be delivered with 56 64Gb/s ports in a 1RU design. It will also be 50 percent lower latency when compared to previous generations. 

According to Brocade, the X7 director and G720 switch are available now.

The X7 will use Emulex^® HBAs, first announced in December 2018, which set the new standard in speed and low latency performance for mission-critical Enterprise workloads. 

The Gen 7 systems include self-learning, self-optimizing and self-healing capabilities to help automate SAN management.

For more information on the new Generation 7 please call Brocade. To sell or upgrade your legacy Brocade Generation 6 or Generation 5 equipment call TeamKCI at 201-934-3416, email us at inquiry@teamkci.com, or click here to request a same-day quote.

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. 

Podcast: Jeff Klein, TeamKCI founder, sees strong future for AscdiNatd companies in era of change and challenge

From Telecom Reseller: Jeff Klein, President of TeamKCI has seen all the business seasons that exist in the world of IT: recession, boom, market meltdown, recovery, war, social disturbance, malaise, new beginnings and false dawns. So even though four crises hit the IT community almost all at once, Klein believes that the months and years ahead are a time of opportunity and growth for the AscdiNatd community. Klein makes his case that big savings in maintenance is always attractive, and that if the ASCDI community stay current with customer needs, the alternate market vendors will remain as critical partners for enterprises. Klein discusses a diversification of his company’s offerings over the past year and how that makes his company more attractive since TeamKCI can take care of more multi-vendor platform needs. Klein thinks that TeamKCI and its colleague companies in the alternate market also represent supply chains and stocking sources that cannot be disrupted by trade conflicts, shipping issues or even slowing of domestic factories. Dependability and savings remain attractive in all seasons.

2nd Alert: VDX Reaches EOS In *5* Days!

We’re throwing you a lifeline.

Grab on to extend the life of your Brocade^® VDX 6710 and 6730 SAN switches at an unbeatable price.

These VDX switches reach Brocade^® End-of-Support on Sunday, May 24, 2020.

Just 5 days from today! 

Call us at 201-934-3416 or email us at inquiry@teamkci.com to learn more or request a same-day quote.

Free 2020 NetApp^® Price Survey

See the NetApp support survey results. Read the survey and discover our competitive NetApp support prices.

🔴 Only 26 Days Left For Brocade^® VDX Support!

We provide legacy Brocade^® VDX Support with dial-in function supported. Request support for your Brocade^® VDX from the worldwide leaders in SAN and network support.
 

EOL ALERT: Brocade^® DCX^® 8510^® is End-of-Life. What’s your plan?

Brocade Communications Systems has designated its flagship DCX 8510 director End-of-Life effective October 31, 2019. Originally introduced in May 2011, the DCX 8510 has been an active Brocade product for almost nine years and stands today as the leading Gen5 16 Gbps SAN director in the world.

TEAMKCI FIRST WITH 3RD PARTY F5^® SUPPORT

For Immediate Release
                                                                                      

TEAMKCI FIRST WITH THIRD PARTY SUPPORT FOR LEGACY F5^® GEAR 

Breaks new ground. Demonstrates industry leadership. Support begins April 2, 2020.   

MAHWAH, N.J. – TeamKCI, a long-time leader in legacy IP Networking support, today announced it has initiated support for legacy F5^® products. This is significant because no other third-party company is currently organically maintaining F5^® products. 

Utilizing its expertise and experience with IP Networks, TeamKCI’s technical team has completed development work and testing, and is ready to roll F5^® support out of the TeamKCI Test Lab beginning April 2, 2020.

“Support for F5^® again shows the technological leadership TeamKCI has demonstrated over the years to serve customers looking for savings on their legacy equipment – freeing up budget to apply to other high priority infrastructure needs,” said Jeff Klein, Founder and President of TeamKCI. 

TeamKCI, the industry leader in award-winning, premier support for IP Network and Storage Area Network products has been in business for over 37 years specializing in high-quality, low-cost, support solutions. From one small office in a spare bedroom in Fort Lee, NJ it has expanded to a company of international scope doing business in every state in the United States, all 23 members of the EU and parts of the Pacific Rim. Today TeamKCI maintains over 9,000 machines in 500 data centers worldwide.  

To ensure that our team was trained and ready to go when the time came, Wayne Duglin, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, said he put the entire staff, and the machines, to the test: “We had F5^® machines in one of our Test Labs for months running our team through their paces and gave every one of our technical managers and support specialists an opportunity to gain practical F5^® experience.”

Jennifer Campbell, TeamKCI’s Vice-President of Marketing, added: “Adding F5^® to our rapidly expanding list of supported manufacturers once again demonstrates our technical prowess and industry leadership.”

About TeamKCI

Founded in 1982, TeamKCI is an award-winning IT Life Cycle management company, selling, deploying, and servicing computer assets for switching, Ethernet networks, storage arrays, and servers. It is the industry leader in third-party support for many networking and SAN products including Citrix NetScaler, Cisco MDS, Brocade SAN, and Foundry Networks.

For more information about TeamKCI and any of its support programs call 201-934-3416, email inquiry@teamkci.com, or visit  TeamKCI.com. 

“Today’s Company For Yesterday’s Equipment”

Here is what we are doing during the current emergency

We wanted to give you a quick update on what we are doing during the current emergency.

We are pleased to say we are up and running at full capacity. Before all this started we virtualized all support functions that could be performed remotely including 24 x 7 tech support, help desk, customer delivery, logistics and onboarding and tested our ability to deliver when we weren’t working in our normal offices. We distributed expanded parts supplies to all major offices in the US, the UK and the EU to ensure that multiple sources of parts were available in the event of a local interruption in our supply chain. And we put into action our plan to ensure we had multiple sources of local technicians to deliver support quickly and safely.

It hasn’t been easy but we know that all of our customers and friends are affected and we are doing our part to ensure that with all the problems out there, keeping your network, SAN or storage up and running is not one of them.

We will continue to update you throughout the crisis. Please let us know if you have any specific issues that we can help with.

With Warmth and Gratitude,

Jeff Klein
President & Founder
TeamKCI

2020 Annual Report: Expanding Our Reach

2019 was a year of adjusting to changes brought about by our expansion into new markets coupled with remnants of Broadcom’s acquisition of Brocade, and expansion of services in our core competencies. There were also product announcements, End-of-Life announcements, End-of-Support announcements and paradigm shifts that moved the third-party landscape. The new year always brings about challenges, so while we enter 2020 with a sense of achievement, enthusiasm and the spirit of accomplishment, we know we will face new challenges in the next 12 months that will test our creativity, innovative ability and the constant demand to deliver cost-effective third-party support solutions.

Now is a perfect time to look back at the just completed year to provide context for our strategic vision for 2020: a year of major planned expansion that will broaden the scope of platforms we cover, expand the services we offer and enhance value to our customers.

Download our 2020 Annual Report: Expanding Our Reach

Flagship DCX^® Director to Reach EOS Soon

We are approaching a critical support juncture as Brocade^® sunsets its Generation four (GEN 4) product line and key products reach End-of-Support (EOS).

In addition, Brocade^® recently announced End-of-Life (EOL) for Brocade^® Network Advisor (BNA), an essential software tool that runs on DCX^® hardware.

Before you rip and replace working SAN equipment, talk to us about our premier legacy support program for Brocade^® EOL and EOS equipment. It won’t take more than 10 minutes. We’ll provide you with a same day quote and surprise you with our low price, quick response time and our in-depth knowledge of Brocade^® SAN equipment.

We’re TeamKCI and we’ve been supporting Brocade^® SAN products since it first appeared in 1996. And we’ve been supporting switching infrastructure since 1982.

We can also help you transition to a new Brocade^® SAN or any other SAN you choose. That’s why more companies call on TeamKCI than any other legacy Brocade^® support specialists.

83% Off The Brocade^® List Price

If you’ve just lost your Brocade^® 5300 support from Brocade^®, we would be delighted to maintain your 5300 for you. Not at the Brocade^® list price of $5108, but rather a yearly savings of greater than $4240 on every Brocade^® 5300 in your SAN. Our price is for 24 x 7 x 4 support, and it comes with our guarantee never to raise your rate for as long as you continue to use your Brocade^® 5300. Over 400 customers get their Brocade^® support from TeamKCI. Contact us to find out why.

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.

Cisco^® Nexus 7000^® Reaches EOS

The Cisco^® Nexus 7000^® reached EOS on August 31, 2019. TeamKCI continues to support these machines with customizable service plans. Request a quote for award-winning premier third-party support for Cisco^® Nexus 7000^® machines with dial-in function supported. TeamKCI is the worldwide leader in SAN and network support.

Don’t Get Caught Without Coverage

Manufacturer’s support is running out on these 3 mainstay Brocade^® products:

The Brocade^® 5300 will reach End-of-Support on August 21, 2019.

The Brocade^® DCX and the DCX4-S will reach End-of-Support on November 14, 2019.

All models of Brocade^® VDX 6720 will reach End-of-Support on September 3, 2019. The Brocade^® VDX 6710 and VDX 6730 will reach End-of-Support May 24, 2020.

Advise Your Customers To Stay On Their Toes

Inexperienced Maintainers Can Cause Mayhem

It happened twice last week alone. On Tuesday, TeamKCI fielded a call from a frantic individual working for a hardware dealer turned maintenance provider looking for help on a Brocade^® 48000 director. The story we got was that his company has been maintaining the 48K director for several years when one of the Control Processor (CP) cards failed. The hardware dealer turned maintenance provider went directly to its parts source, eBay, and bought a discounted replacement part. The only testing that was done was to check if the green light went on when the part was still in the donor machine. Firmware compatibilities were not considered by the maintenance provider or its parts supplier. Now frantic with no knowledge of the workings of the underlying Brocade^® 48K – and the interplay of hardware with software, the wannabe maintenance provider was grasping for a solution – not realizing that the 48K has two CP cards and that the firmware must be compatible on both cards.

 
On Wednesday, we got a call from a different hardware dealer turned maintenance provider. His company maintains two Brocade^® 4500 SAN switches. His client asked that the switches be relocated within the data center and also asked that several zoning changes be performed. These machines were under continuous support with the same provider for over five years, yet the maintenance provider did not have the knowledge to shut down the machines to move them, nor the know-how to change the zoning parameters. 

It’s good practice to advise your customers that there is a lot of faux maintenance support out there these days. Quality IMS support from IBM^®, the top IT hardware company in the world for the past 100+ years, in partnership with TeamKCI, the top switching experts for the past 37 years, is clearly the best option for any customer looking for economies on Brocade^® support without sacrificing reliability and quality.   

IMS support comes with deep understanding of Brocade^® hardware and how it works, knowledge of compatibility issues and firmware and operational assistance when necessary. Fully tested compatible parts pre-positioned for rapid delivery, and a technical support team that is second to none.

 
IBM^® IMS for Brocade^®, the “gold standard” in Third-Party Support. 

TeamKCI is an IT Life Cycle Vendor, servicing, selling, deploying and managing computer assets for switching, storage arrays, servers and Ethernet networks. We are the leader in third-party support for Brocade^® SAN and Cisco^® MDS equipment.

TeamKCI 2019 Non-Financial Annual Report

The TeamKCI Annual Report to find out how we’re expanding our reach. Learn more about our new services and how we’re improving our ability to maintain and support hardware. TeamKCI is the worldwide leader in SAN and network support.

To request a copy of TeamKCI’s 2019 Non-Financial Annual Report email: jennifer@teamkci.com

Happy National SAN Architect Day!

TeamKCI salutes all SAN Professionals who keep America’s data moving safely!

KCI, Inc (dba TeamKCI) is the founder National SAN Architect Day

SAN Architects are leaders when it comes to managing IT infrastructure. Today, TeamKCI wants to acknowledge the role these men and women play in SAN, cloud and security.

TeamKCI is the worldwide leader in SAN & Network Support. If your infrastructure is aging we would appreciate the opportunity to show you the ways we can affect cost savings.

It’s simple. Tell us the inventory of your SAN equipment and we’ll show you how to save up to 85%. Coverage begins immediately. Schedule a consultation and get started today.

Flagship DCX Director to Reach EOS Soon

We are approaching a critical support juncture as Brocade^® sunsets its Generation four (GEN 4) product line and key products reach End-of-Support (EOS).

In addition, Brocade^® recently announced End-of-Life (EOL) for Brocade^® Network Advisor (BNA), an essential software tool that runs on DCX hardware.

Before you rip and replace working SAN equipment, talk to us about our premier legacy support program for Brocade^® EOL and EOS equipment. It won’t take more than 10 minutes. We’ll provide you with a same day quote and surprise you with our low price, quick response time and our in-depth knowledge of Brocade^® SAN equipment.

We’re TeamKCI and we’ve been supporting Brocade^® SAN products since it first appeared in 1996. And we’ve been supporting switching infrastructure since 1982.

We can also help you transition to a new Brocade^® SAN or any other SAN you choose. That’s why more companies call on TeamKCI than any other legacy Brocade^® support specialists.

TeamKCI First With Third-Party Support For Legacy Citrix®

Mahwah, NJ (April 3, 2019)— TeamKCI announced today a new support program for Citrix^® NetScaler^® equipment covering all legacy Citrix^® NetScaler products.

“The introduction of high quality, cost effective maintenance service for legacy Citrix^® NetScaler products is part of our strategic vision for growth as we expand our offerings to meet  customers’ requirements who have invested in this technology,” said Jeff Klein, President and CEO of TeamKCI.

“Citrix^® support adds to our growing portfolio of networking products, which include products manufactured by industry leaders Cisco^®, Foundry^®, and Brocade^®,” said Wayne Duglin, Executive Vice President and Chief Technical Officer. It is the first of what TeamKCI projects will be many roll outs in 2019 and 2020.

“We already have customers for Citrix^® support and have fielded many other inquiries. We predict that our Citrix^® offering will connect with our customers’ requirements and that Citrix^® support will be a winner just like the Citrix^® NetScaler product line is,” said TeamKCI National Director of Sales Jennifer Campbell.

The new Citrix^® support program will be available in all 50 states and on a case by case basis in Europe and APAC as TeamKCI continues to ramp-up support outside the US. Citrix^® NetScaler is an all-in-one web Application Delivery Controller (ADC) that makes applications run up to five times faster, cuts web application ownership costs with server offloading, and insures that applications are always available with its application load balancing capabilities.

TeamKCI is an IT Life Cycle management company, servicing, selling and deploying computer assets for switching, storage arrays, servers, and Ethernet networks. We are the industry leader in third-party support for Brocade^® SAN, Cisco^® MDS, Foundry^® Networks, NetApp^® Storage, and now Citrix^® NetScaler equipment.

2019 NetApp^® Survey Results

That’s right! TeamKCI is still the best source for legacy NetApp^® Support. Award winning TeamKCI support includes our guarantee that you’ll be able to speak to a qualified trained NetApp specialist within 15 minutes of placing a service call. We support the dial-in and call home capabilities built into every filer. And we will store spare parts on premises or deliver parts with service within four hours of receiving your call.

This year for the first time, we include 24 x 7 monitoring services on every NetApp flier under TeamKCI support at no additional charge.

NetApp^® is registered trademarks of NetApp,Inc.

Father Time Catching Up to DCX Man^®

When Brocade^® introduced its then flagship DCX director in 2009, it also introduced its action hero avatar DCX Man^®, “the superhero champion for the modern data center.” 

Broadcom First to Ship 7th Generation Fibre Channel

Are Your Brocade® ICX Switches Lost in the Shuffle?

In April 2016 Brocade® Communications Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: BRCD) bought Ruckus Wireless (NYSE: RKUS), in a cash and stock transaction, to add to its networking portfolio. Then just seven months later in November 2016 chipmaker Broadcom, Ltd (AVGO) announced it would buy Brocade®, moving Broadcom into a strong position in the networking storage business. However, under the terms of the deal, Broadcom agreed to divest itself of the IP networking part of Brocade®’s business, including Ruckus Wireless, which Brocade® had just recently purchased.   Then In February 2017 ARRIS International plc, (NASDAQ: ARRS) agreed to purchase Broadcom’s Brocade® Communication Systems’ Ruckus Wireless Division along with the Brocade® designed ICX campus switch product line.   But wait. If that’s not confusing enough, last month, in November 2018, CommScope, Inc. (NASDAQ: COMM), a global leader in infrastructure solutions for communications networks, agreed to acquire ARRIS International in an all-cash transaction. In addition, The Carlyle Group, a global alternative asset manager, has taken an ownership position in CommScope through a $1 billion minority equity investment.    To sum this up, Ruckus Wireless went from being an independent publicly traded company, to a division of Brocade®, to a division of Broadcom to being part of Arris to now being part of CommScope. It will take a team of actuaries to figure out everybody’s pension plan!     Perhaps lost in all the shuffling is the status of the legacy Brocade® ICX product line. If your customers are looking for support for ICX boxes call TeamKCI. In the US, Brocade®/Ruckus ICX boxes are covered under IMS. In Europe and APAC, we will gladly quote through procurement.

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.

Has Your Brocade® 48000 Been Orphaned?

TeamKCI has assumed a major support role as customers seek alternative source for maintenance as 48000 support ends.

We not only maintain the Brocade^® 48000 but we also maintain the badged versions of the Brocade^® 48000 sold by:
• EMC^® ED-48000B
• HPE^® 4/64^®
• HDS 48000^®
• NetApp^® 48000

Don’t be caught without support on your critical infrastructure. Call or email TeamKCI today and we’ll start coverage immediately. If you have any questions please contact us via email or at the number. 

We also maintain these fine Brocade^® EOL designated machines:

Switches

We are TeamKCI, the leader in Brocade^® SAN Support.

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.

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.

Brocade® Announces First 32 Gbit/s – Gen 6 Switch

On March 1, 2016 Brocade^® Communications announced its first Generation 6 (Gen 6) 32 Gbit/s SAN switch; the Brocade^® G620 is a new high-density SAN switch that according to Brocade^®, “boasts unprecedented performance and scalability designed to support data growth and demanding workloads for mission-critical applications”. A link with more detailed information about this Brocade^® announcement is included below.

Brocade^® Advances Leadership in Fibre Channel Storage Networks with Industry-First Gen 6 Switch

This announcement is significant for the following reason: As Brocade^® will likely roll out its complete Gen 6 product line across 2016 it becomes very clear that 8 Gbit/s Gen 4 switches and directors, including the flagship DCX and the ever popular 5100, are legacy. There will not be any more software or firmware updates; nor will there be any bug fixes or patches because Gen 4 equipment is now two generations old. Brocade^® customers should now feel free to move with confidence to third-party maintenance support for their legacy Gen 4 infrastructure.

We foresee the Brocade^® announcement will:

• Accelerate the migration of Gen 4 8 Gbit/s customers to Gen 5 16 Gbit/s platforms as pre-owned opportunities emerge.
• Allow customers who continue with Gen4 8 Gbit/s technology to take advantage of opportunities to achieve huge savings with industry leading TeamKCI support for their Gen 4 hardware.

If you have any questions on any of the above or would just like to discuss your current hardware plans please feel free to give us a call at any time. We will, of course, keep you posted on any new Brocade^® developments as they are announced.

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.

TeamKCI Assumes Support for Brocade^® 48000

The Brocade^® 48000 once flagship Brocade^® SAN director has reached End-of-Support, today, February 17, 2016. After today Brocade^® will no longer support it.

But there is no need to panic; no need to upgrade to newer hardware; no need to buy spare machines or squirrel away parts. Simply let TeamKCI maintain your Brocade^® 48000(s).

Here’s why:

• We are subject matter experts that offer the best Brocade^® service available anywhere at 80% off the manufacturer’s list price.
• We will store a complete complement of spare parts on your premises.
• We guaranty that you will speak to a trained technical specialist trained on Brocade^® 48K directors with 15 minutes of making a call. And,
• We will be onsite within four-hours of your initial call.

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.

Brocade^® Announces EOL for DCX 8-Gbps Blades

Brocade^® has announced that it is initiating its End-of-Life process for Brocade^® FC8-16, FC8-32, FC8-48  and FC8-64 blades for the Brocade^® DCX family of directors. The Brocade^® notice also states that the last date Brocade^® will accept orders for 8-Gbps blades is November 30, 2015 (Brocade^® Notice). Directly after the Brocade^® announcement, TeamKCI announced that it will stock replacement blades for the Brocade^® DCX family and guaranty availability for the next 6 years through December 31, 2021.

TeamKCI has significant quantities of the aforementioned Brocade^® FC8-16, FC8-32, FC8-48  and FC8-64 DCX blades in stock. Also on hand are Brocade^® 16-Gbps blades and 8-Gbps “e” blades for the newer DCX8510 director. One final point: TeamKCI offers 24 x 7 maintenance coverage for Brocade^® DCX directors at rates that are 65% less than Brocade^®.

So if your plans call for Brocade^® DCX director blades contact TeamKCI here and let us work with you on blade upgrades, configuration issues, maintenance and monitoring.

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.

What’s Your NetApp^® Plan?

Hey NetApp^® users what’s your NetApp plan?  Do you know what your next storage platform will be? Will it even be manufactured by NetApp? Tough questions that are not all that easy to answer.

As NetApp transitions its product lines it is a reasonable proposition to develop a plan for your next platform. But what will that next platform be? Many NetApp platforms still in use are now designated end-of-Life (EOL) by the manufacturer – just check out our NetApp EOL table. A transition path is not all that clear. But the one thing that is clear, is that if you are moving from NetApp or staying with NetApp there is no better time to move your legacy NetApp storage to TeamKCI for savings of over 50% until the time comes for you to make a decision on your next storage platform.

We also point out that IBM^® has announced it has the discontinued NSeries – the IBM^® badged version of the NetApp product line. What better indication of a seismic shift in NetApp platforms?  All the more reason to save while you transition to your next NetApp^®, EMC^®, HDS, IBM^® or Dell^® storage solution.

In the meantime take a look at TeamKCI support. We place spare parts on premises; diagnose problems remotely; and, save you over 50% when compared to OEM prices. We deliver OEM class service at a fraction of the price. Give us your configuration here and we’ll get back to you with a price quote that we guaranty will generate huge savings.  For over 33 years your source for independent switch and NetApp maintenance including support for NetApp FAS 2220, NetApp FAS 2240-2, NetApp FAS2040, NetApp FAS2020.

NetApp^® is registered trademarks of NetApp,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.

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

HPE^® StorageWorks 4/256 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. HPE^® re-branded the 48K and sold it as the HPE^® StorageWorks 4/256 SAN Switch. 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 HPE^® StorageWorks 4/256 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, February 1, 2016, the HPE^® StorageWorks 4/256 SAN Switch will reach its End-of-Support date with HP.

There is no need to panic or make a quick decision to upgrade. TeamKCI will pick up support the day your HPE^® 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 HPE^® StorageWorks 4/256 SAN Switch 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 HPE^® StorageWorks 4/256 SAN Switch 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 HPE^® StorageWorks 4/256 SAN Switch or restore corrupted software or other machines such as HPE^® Procurve j8698a and HPE^® j8697a.

Top of the rack service at bottom of the rack prices. Exactly what you would expect from the leader in SAN director support. For a quick and accurate quote go to our website and tell us the configurations of the legacy machines you are interested in having us support here. Find out why for over 33 years TeamKCI has been America’s top switch solution provider.​

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.

McDATA^® is a registered trademark of Brocade Communications.

IBM^® 2109-M48 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. IBM^® re-branded the 48K and sold it as the 2109-M28 (a.k.a. SAN256B). 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 IBM^® 2109- M48 (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 November 30, 2015, the IBM^® 2109-M48 will be withdrawn from service by IBM^®.

There is no need to panic or make a quick decision to upgrade. TeamKCI will pick up support the day your IBM^® 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 IBM^® 2109-M48 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 IBM^® 2109-M48 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 IBM^® 2109-M48 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.

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.

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

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

McDATA^® is a registered trademark of Brocade Communications.

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.

Should Brocade® Support Cost $20,000 Per Year?

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.

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.

Tell Us Your Plans!

We love to have our customers tell us their plans so that we understand what motivates their support requests. We pride ourselves in our ability to craft creative solutions that provide high quality solutions and value. We accept the challenges of each unique opportunity and are happy to work with you, our customers, towards achieving these goals. Please send us your feedback because it is through your input that we achieve the synergy of our collective efforts!

TeamKCI Announces 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 significantly less than the manufacturer’s suggested retail price.  TeamKCI has also begun offering round-the-clock monitoring for Enterprise customers becoming the only independent data center hardware maintenance provider to offer this service for DCX^®.  With TeamKCI, our customers get:

• Top of the line manufacturer’s quality support.
• Spare parts stored on premises to facilitate rapid repairs.
• DCX hardware upgrades drastically reduced.
• 65% off manufacturer’s maintenance rates.
• Round-the-clock monitoring at 60% off manufacturer’s rates.

As you begin preparing your 2016 support budget make sure TeamKCI is in your plans for quality service, dependability, and big cost savings.

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.

The Last Place on Earth for Top Quality Telenex Support

Telenex a once independent switch manufacturer was purchased by General Signal Networks in 1996; General Signal Networks was rolled up into an IPO in 2000 and renamed InRange Technologies; InRange was acquired by Computer Network Technology (CNT) in 2003; CNT was acquired by McData^® Corp in 2005; McData^® was acquired by Brocade^® Communication Systems in 2007. Brocade^® sold off the Telenex product lines to Intellipath in 2007 which quickly changed its name to OnPath Technologies. OnPath was purchased by NetScout in 2012.

None of the aforementioned companies maintain Telenex 2700 hardware anymore.  But there are still over 125 Telenex matrix switches in use in key Wide Area Networking applications that utilize this hard to replace technology.  If your company is one of those companies still using Telenex 2700 technology you should be talking to TeamKCI.   We’ve been maintaining Telenex 2700 wide area network switches for the last twenty years. So while we may be the last place on earth where you can find maintenance for your Telenex equipment, we’re also the best place on earth for legacy Telenex switches.  We have Telenex product engineers trained by Telenex; store spare parts on premises; and at one time or another have supported over 200 Telenex switches nationwide.  So don’t delay!

Welcome to the last place on Earth for the best Telenex support on Earth.

Cisco^® 9513 Blended Support

The TeamKCI blended support program for Cisco^® 9513 directors is perfect for many Cisco^® legacy 9513 director users. If you’re a Cisco^® customer with the quandary of having your Cisco^® MDS director eligible for SMARTnet^® while the internal blades in your Cisco^® 9513 MDS are not, look into our TeamKCI blended support program. It works like this. Keep your Cisco^® 9513 MDS director under SMARTnet^® while placing the EOL and EOS port blades under award winning TeamKCI support. It’s easy, workable, inexpensive and keeps your SAN fully protected. TeamKCI makes SMARTnet^® smarter.

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

Brocade^® DCX

A paradigm shift occurred in early 2015 when Brocade^® announced End-of-Life (EOL) for its flagship DCX SAN director. EOL traditionally signifies the end of new software and firmware developments along with the cessation of bug fixes. EOL freezes all software and firmware at the level it is at. Going forward, customers no longer need to be concerned about ongoing software or firmware support. TeamKCI responded to the Brocade^® announcement with its own announcement to support Brocade^® DCX directors at 65% less than the manufacturer’s list price for comparable SLAs. TeamKCI program includes round-the-clock TAC support, spare parts on premises and 4-hour onsite response time.

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.

TeamKCI Blended Cisco^® Support

If you find you can’t get full maintenance support for Cisco^® MDS 9513 directors because some of the blades are no longer supported under SMARTnet^® we would like to suggest TeamKCI Blended Cisco^® Support. Here is how it works:

We first note that Cisco^® 9513 MDS director chassis are not End-of-Life (EOL) though many of the blades in them are, and some 9513 port blades have reached End-of-Support. Many Cisco^® customers will have MDS 9513 director chassis that are eligible for maintenance under Cisco^®  SMARTnet^® program, while the blades inside these directors are not supported. The dilemma for most customers is making sure that both the MDS 9513 chassis and the port blades are covered.

Enter the TeamKCI Blended Cisco^® Support program. We encourage our customers with eligible 9513 MDS directors to keep them under SMARTnet^® while at the same time putting their MDS port blades not eligible for SMARTnet^® under TeamKCI support. The chassis and corresponding software and firmware will be covered under SMARTnet^®. TeamKCI covers all the blades that Cisco^® no longer covers. We maintain the blades; Cisco^® maintains the chassis while you enjoy the benefits. We offer NBD parts or guaranteed 4-hour onsite response, whichever you prefer. Since we do not maintain the chassis, the OS, or the firmware, your Cisco^® MDS 9513 will remain under Cisco^® SMARTnet^® support.

​The TeamKCI Blended Cisco^® Support program is the perfect alternative to taking the risk that part of your Cisco^® 9513 is not covered. And our blended support program is priced well below original Cisco^® manufacturer’s pricing. In addition to the Cisco^® MDS 9513, TeamKCI maintains many other Cisco^® machines including Cisco^® MDS 9000 models and the Cisco^® MDS 9509, Cisco^® WS 2960, Cisco^® catalyst 4500 Series Switches, Cisco^® Catalyst 6500 and 6500 E series, Cisco^® 2800. TeamKCI also has premier Cisco^® Hardware Sales.

One fifteen minute call with one of our specialists will make you a believer. Don’t delay. Let us know when you are available and we’ll show you how to keep your MDS 9513 director fully covered.

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

TeamKCI Announces Brocade^® USDX 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.