Today, we had the Wikibon FCoE Fact vs. Fiction Peer Insight call with a great panel of industry bloggers and the Wikibon team, including Dave Vellante, Dennis Martin, Stuart Miniman, David Graham and Nigel Poulton, as well as a virtual cast of thousands. The core question of the day was: how do we separate the hype and reality of Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) for the data center today? In listening to the panel and the guest on the call, I came away with three key lessons:
- FCoE is coming to market and we better get ready. Yes, Fibre Channel will be strong for a number of years. 2010 is the year to do some pilots, and the Wikibon S-curve says 2011 and 2012 will be the point of obvious transition due to cost savings.
- Vendors have to do a better job defining the value proposition. As a vendor, we need to tone down some of the hype and provide a clear value proposition in numbers and dollars. We are going to work with Wikibon on a calculator and planning tool to make the value proposition clear.
- We need to provide a better understanding of how companies can get rid of stuff. Saving cash is not enough: make it simple by getting rid of extra gear. We need to do a better job of explaining what can go and how to transition with minimal fuss and headaches. Consolidation needs to come to networks, just like servers and storage.
I enjoyed the call, and I look forward to seeing how the market matures over the next six months. One thing is certain: we (vendors) don’t know as much as we think. The job of bringing FCoE to market is just beginning. Click here to listen to this discussion through the Wikibon audio archives.
