HOPKINTON, MA -- Continuing its aggressive march to address demand for powerful, automated networked storage systems with advanced software functionality at mid-tier price points, EMC Corporation today announced the first of its next-generation, full 2-gigabit CLARiiON storage systems - the CLARiiON CX600. With this announcement, EMC alters the industry's mid-tier price/performance curve -- blending market-leading performance and price advantages with software intelligence, all enabled by a comprehensive suite of EMC intellectual property. As the mid-tier performance leader, the CLARiiON CX600 delivers twice the cached bandwidth (1,300 megabytes/second) and a 15% price advantage over the closest competitor. Bandwidth breakthroughs are achieved through 8 gigahertz of processing power and performance enhancements to the 6th generation FLARE operating environment, as well as twice the cache (8 gigabytes) and twice the external Fibre Channel connectivity (8 two-gigabit ports) compared with the closest competitor. The first of the next-generation CLARiiON family, the CX600 carries forward the CLARiiON Intel-based processor design. Thus, EMC is able to leverage the value of Intel's massive R&D spend, passing along to customers the efficiencies of industry-standard components and the benefit of rapid product development cycles. EMC further extends customer value through the award-winning CLARiiON modular design and reusable components. EMC also announced major new software offerings including IP (Internet Protocol) connectivity for EMC MirrorView software and EMC PowerPath support for CLARiiON (see separate release). The new functionality adds to the mid-tier storage industry's broadest range of software, including the flagship EMC Navisphere management software. Through the new software capabilities, EMC brings advanced features of low-cost and extended-distance replication, as well as intelligent path management to CLARiiON users. EMC continues to deliver software compatibility across CLARiiON hardware generations and adds to the extensive list of common software (PowerPath, Database Tuner, StorageScope, ESN Manager, EMC Data Manager) for both CLARiiON and Symmetrix systems. As a result, the CX600 features the richest set of software functionality of any mid-tier storage system, while maintaining CLARiiON's long-held reputation for ease of set-up, use and management. David Donatelli, EMC's Executive Vice President of Storage Platform Operations, said, "Today's announcement leaves no question - unlike others, EMC comes to market fast, hard, fully baked and tightly integrated. CLARiiON CX600 runs all CLARiiON functional software on day one, maintains consistent management through EMC Navisphere and integration with EMC ControlCenter/Open Edition, and features new high-end functionality with unmatched price/performance. Once again, EMC raises the bar for intelligent storage platforms." Leveraging EMC's global distribution model, CLARiiON CX600 is available immediately from EMC and EMC's broad network of channel partners including Arrow Electronics, Inc., Avnet Hall-Mark, Dell, Fujitsu Siemens Computers, Fujitsu Technology Solutions, Inc. and others, and will be available soon through Unisys (see separate releases). Lev Gonick, Chief Information Officer of Cleveland, Ohio-based Case Western Reserve University, said, "The economy has thrust cost-efficiency to the top of our storage purchase criteria. However, the pressure is very real for leaps in performance and functionality for critical projects such as large-scale UNIX and Windows consolidations. CLARiiON CX600 comes forward with industry-leading performance, advanced software and marks the beginning of a CLARiiON family to take us well into the future." Software Applications for Today AND Tomorrow Donatelli added, "EMC designed the CLARiiON CX600 to address the requirements of networked storage, business continuity and simplicity of management. Through today's software announcements, the CLARiiON family applies networked storage value across more of our customers' enterprise, while delivering on EMC's clear growth path to advanced functionality." Building on the time-tested FLARE storage operating environment, all CLARiiON software applications (e.g. Navisphere, SnapView, MirrorView and Access Logix) are available immediately for the CLARiiON CX600 and remain compatible with prior CLARiiON hardware generations. For example, Navisphere software manages first-generation CLARiiON systems through the sixth-generation CX600, providing customers with a consistent storage management foundation to simplify complex networked storage. Navisphere performs these functions securely from any Internet access point. In addition, Navisphere requires no management workstations -- with their associated cost and availability impact -- imposed by other mid-tier storage vendors. As customers' storage requirements mature, they are requiring advanced software capabilities across all storage platforms. As the world's leading storage management software provider (30.4% worldwide market share in 2001 according to Gartner Dataquest(a)) with a heritage in high-end software, EMC continues to lead this trend. Customers benefit from EMC's rapid application of intellectual capital gained at the high end across the company's storage hardware platform tiers. All CLARiiON systems and software announced today are available immediately.