BROOMFIELD, CO -- McDATA(R) Corporation (Nasdaq: MCDTA; MCDT), a leader in open storage networking solutions, today announced the appointment of Rich Carlson to Vice President of Lifecycle Operations. Carlson, a 22-year veteran in the storage industry, will direct a McDATA team responsible for the ongoing strategic development and management of McDATA's product family. The team will provide a cross-functional framework with which to manage all of McDATA's core-to-edge products from inception to end of life. "Rich has the clear industry knowledge and foresight to effectively bring McDATA's aggressive vision for product and solution expansion to reality," said Jack McDonnell, CEO and president of McDATA. "We are pleased to appoint him to an executive position at McDATA, focused on ensuring McDATA's continued success in delivering first-to-market, highest quality open storage solutions." Carlson has a 15-year history with McDATA that includes leadership positions in technical support and customer support, five years of which he served as a vice president of customer service and support. He most recently served in a strategic role for McDATA, developing the lifecycle management model he will direct in his new executive position. For more information visit www.mcdata.com