File Area Networking has become a hot topic as file data moves to the forefront of storage planning strategies in the enterprise. Last year, Taneja Group coined the term "FAN" in an InfoStor article. A year into this trend, Taneja now provides an updated primer on the FAN landscape, providing end-user perspectives, explaining standards initiatives for file networking, delivering insights into vendors' FAN-related products, and telling you what you really need to know before you jump on the "FANwagon."

Arun Taneja Founder & Consulting Analyst Taneja Group

Brocade® (Nasdaq: BRCD) provides the industry's leading platforms, solutions, and services for intelligently connecting, managing, and optimizing IT resources in shared storage environments. Brocade pioneered the Storage Area Network (SAN) market, and the world's leading storage and systems providers offer Brocade SAN solutions as the foundation of their networked storage offerings. In addition, Brocade leads the industry with innovative File Area Network (FAN) solutions that provide the foundation for increasingly efficient file management. The Brocade family of FAN solutions enables efficient file, data, resource, and IT infrastructure management. These products are designed to simplify file data management in a wide range of environments and provide a fast ROI for many elements of the IT infrastructure. By developing innovative SAN and FAN solutions, Brocade helps organizations increase efficiency, reduce costs, and maximize their data assets. http://www.brocade.com

The Taneja Group arms technology vendors, IT end users, venture capitalists and the press with thoroughly analyzed, relevant and timely information on storage and storage-centric server technologies so that they can make the best possible decisions for their respective business. We cut through the clutter and the hype and make complex technology and products understandable and bring a clear perspective on industry events. The Taneja Group is located at 87 Elm Street, Suite 900, Hopkinton, MA 01748. http://www.tanejagroup.com