Cisco Exec: Strong HyperFlex Demand Is Delaying Partner Shipments

 Cisco Exec: Strong HyperFlex Demand Is Delaying Partner Shipments, But We're Stepping Up Manufacturing:

Cisco Systems said Friday that saw customer interest in higher than expected HyperFlex, its foray into the hyper-convergence market, which has led to delays in shipping the product to partners for testing purposes.

"We value customer orders [of HyperFlex], which delayed delivery partners who wish to obtain laboratory equipment," Todd Brannon, director of product marketing for Cisco's Unified Computing System (UCS) servers, said in CRN an interview. "He told us we would have a ramp production of six to eight weeks and we have done that."

Several partners told CRN earlier this week that Cisco extended the deadline for submissions HyperFlex channel indefinitely after initially saying they had received in March.

 Brannon recognizes shipping delays and said Cisco has responded by intensifying production HyperFlex.

"It speaks of the frustration of members. Everyone wants to get [HyperFlex] gear in their laboratories," he said. "We have increased the prognosis and get the materials to do so. This is definitely temporary."

Over the next two months, running within two weeks between ordering and fulfillment that is the standard for the UCS, Cisco HyperFlex Brannon said.

HyperFlex, unveiled in early March, married with Cisco UCS servers with storage technology defined by the software developed in partnership with Springpath, a company founded by former engineers VMware storage. Springpath HX platform data storage pools conventional semiconductors and hard drives and turns it into a business system object storage.

Some Cisco partners told CRN that are concerned that version 1.0 of HyperFlex lacks features found in competing products, such as coding erase, which breaks the data into pieces and stored in a variety of places communication and media types

 Brannon said Cisco HyperFlex not use encryption or deletion of RAID storage - another technology used to build resilience storage - because Springpath file system is specifically designed for hyper-convergence and provides better performance.

Members also noted that HyperFlex is not compatible with all arrays in flash memory, but Brannon says that is by design. "We do not want to make use of all flash memory arrays to hyper-convergence because there is a tax hefty price," he said. "Hyper-Startups convergent use of all flash in a way that we do not believe it to be effective."

 intensive workloads the data are an example where flash is useful, but customers tend to run the bare metal, according to Brannon.

"If someone is looking for a system based on all-flash system, it is likely that they will target a Flexpod" Brannon said, referring to the converged infrastructure that combines Cisco UCS servers with NetApp storage and marketed jointly by suppliers and partners.

Cisco is planning HyperFlex sales and marketing training available to all 2,152 of its partners worldwide UCS, Brannon said. Cisco focuses on its main partners UCS 125, but expects to have 900 members UCS formed in late July, he said.

 Meanwhile, Cisco was a late entrant to the convergence hyper-space and catch up.

Nutanix, offering superior service in the hyper-convergence space, with more than $ 312 million in financing, is expected to have its initial public offering in the coming weeks. SimpliVity, player # 2 with more than $ 276 million in funds, said he has seen good results as well.

Dynamic new companies creation and improvements in version 6.2 of VMware his VSAN technology, are pressure ratchet Cisco HyperFlex on the market soon.

Brannon agreed, but said that Cisco hopes that customers adopt HyperFlex as something different and unique to the current offer on the market.

"The new companies have created a lot of mind share around the hyper-converged infrastructure, and certainly a wake join a market that is about to take off," Brannon said.

"What is essential is to get to market with a product hyper-convergent this year, and we did. So we focus on deliveries to customers."