Dell Delivers Advanced Blade Server Connectivity; Cisco Catalyst Blade Switch 3030 for Dell Helps Simplify Data Center Management and Reduce IT Costs by Taking Advantage of Existing Network Investments

Business Wire, Feb 16, 2006

ROUND ROCK, Texas -- Dell (NASDAQ:DELL) today announced enhancements to its blade server offerings with the introduction of the Cisco(R) Catalyst(R) Blade Switch 3030 for the Dell PowerEdge(TM) Blade Server Enclosure.

The Cisco Catalyst Blade Switch 3030 is a powerful connectivity offering that will allow Dell customers to take advantage of their investment in Cisco Systems(R) products, help ensure consistency of advanced network services deployment such as security and resiliency, and simplify data center management.

The product combination broadens Ethernet connectivity deployment choices for Dell PowerEdge blade servers. Customers also will benefit from advanced features designed to simplify data center management and reduce total cost of ownership. For example, the combined Dell and Cisco solution integrates switching into the blade environment and can reduce cabling by up to 90 percent. It can also reduce the data center real estate requirements by optimizing rack space.

Dell's commitment to deliver on the promise of high-density computing with the Dell PowerEdge blade server was emphasized by Neil Hand, vice president of worldwide enterprise marketing, Dell Product Group.

"Dell's pragmatic approach delivered a blade server architecture with a density and price advantage over traditional Dell 1U servers, while delivering compelling features and investment protection for future growth," said Hand. "This offering builds on that approach by giving customers an industry-leading integrated blade switching solution with end-to-end management capabilities that save data center space."

Deploying the Cisco Catalyst Blade Switch 3030 in the Dell PowerEdge blade server environment also allows Cisco customers to benefit from their investment in, and knowledge of, the CiscoWorks network management platform. With this solution, Cisco Catalyst switches can be configured and managed to deliver a number of consistent security, resiliency and management services, including comprehensive device, VLAN, traffic and policy management.

"The Cisco Catalyst Blade Switch 3030 gives Dell customers powerful switching for the blade server environment, including Gigabit EtherChannel(R), industry-leading spanning tree for resiliency and network availability, and IP-based QoS capabilities," said Robert Redford, vice president of the Product and Technology Marketing Organization at Cisco. "Cisco offers customers the industry's most comprehensive options for data center connectivity. The Cisco Catalyst Blade Switch 3030 helps enhance this portfolio."

Dell also announced today that it has become a member of the Cisco Solution Technology Integrator (STI) program for the Enterprise, allowing Dell to sell Cisco storage switches and InfiniBand-based server fabric switches in addition to the Cisco Catalyst Blade Switch 3030 switch for Dell PowerEdge 1855 blade servers.

Pricing and Availability

Dell will offer the Cisco Catalyst Blade Switch 3030 in the coming weeks exclusively for Dell PowerEdge Blade Server Enclosure environments at a starting price of $4,799. This price includes three years of Dell service and support and three years of Cisco software upgrades for the Cisco Catalyst Blade Switch 3030. It complements Dell's broad range of high-performance Ethernet, Fibre Channel and InfiniBand connectivity blade server options from Dell, Intel, Brocade, McDATA, Avocent and QLogic. For more information, visit www.dell.com/cbs3030.> About Dell

Dell Inc. (NASDAQ:DELL) is a trusted and diversified information-technology supplier and partner, and sells a comprehensive portfolio of products and services directly to customers worldwide. Dell, recognized by Fortune magazine as America's most admired company and No. 3 globally, designs, builds and delivers innovative, tailored systems that provide customers with exceptional value. Company revenue for the last four quarters was $54.2 billion. For more information about Dell and its products and services, visit www.dell.com.

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