UCSD-Based Program Addressing the Educational Needs of Data Storage Professionals
05/25/2005
Paula Cichocka,
SAN DIEGO, CA - The Information Storage Industry Center (ISIC) at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) announced today that McDATA, a leading provider of data infrastructure solutions, is now a Founding Sponsor of the ISIC’s StorageNetworking.org Initiative. StorageNetworking.org is a non-profit, university-based program focused on addressing the educational needs of data storage technology users. The Initiative is: Creating a community of practice that brings together academia and all industry segments to address the issue of storage management professional education and training. Establishing and supporting a global, grass roots Storage Networking User Group (SNUG) model, so that data management professionals can interact with their peers and other knowledge experts in a vendor-neutral, education-focused environment. Developing an online portal that empowers storage managers by giving them access to relevant resources, educational information, and expert advice. Advocating and facilitating the expansion of university-based educational offerings focused on data storage topics, to better prepare tomorrow's storage managers. “We are proud to be a Founding Sponsor of the StorageNetworking.org Initiative, as both McDATA and the Information Storage Industry Center share similar values; namely, to educate end users, to encourage vendor collaboration, to offer expert support and service, and to promote the future of technology innovation today,” said Wayne Morris, senior vice president of worldwide marketing, McDATA. “We support the ISIC StorageNetworking.org Initiative and their efforts to study and report on the rapidly-evolving and highly-competitive information storage industry.” The ISIC is one of 22 Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Industry Centers at 15 leading universities across the country. “In addition to creating a significant body of observational research about each industry segment, one of the Sloan Foundation’s goals is the application of academic resources to help identify and address industry challenges,” says ISIC Director Dr. Roger Bohn. “Through this initiative, we feel we can begin to address the challenges of data management professional education and knowledge sharing in ways that benefit the entire industry. We are pleased that McDATA has taken a major step in supporting this initiative.” “McDATA’s support of StorageNetworking.org is extremely positive,” says ISIC Industry Relations Director Ron Durbin. “Their contributions enable us to further support the storage users that are the backbone of our SNUGs, and to involve even more universities and affiliate organizations. We are grateful to McDATA for giving back to the industry in such a positive way, and we look forward to ensuring that their gift is a meaningful one.” The StorageNetworking.org Initiative is funded through foundation grants and charitable gifts to the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). Current sponsors include McDATA, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA), Hewlett-Packard, EMC Corporation, Engenio Information Technologies, Inc., Trainer Communications, Rainfinity, NeoScale Systems, Inc., Storage magazine, InfoStor magazine, and Byte and Switch. McDATA (Nasdaq: MCDTA/MCDT) is the only data infrastructure solutions provider that can deliver a Global Enterprise Data Infrastructure—a globally connected, centrally managed and highly optimized data network. With more than 20 years of storage networking experience, McDATA is trusted in the world’s largest data centers, connecting more than two-thirds of all networked data and enabling information access anytime, anywhere. For more information, go to http://www.McDATA.com. StorageNetworking.org is a university-based, non-profit initiative created and managed by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Information Storage Industry Center (ISIC) at the University of California, San Diego. Its mission is to address the educational needs of data storage technology users. The initiative is currently stimulating the creation of local and regional storage networking user groups (or SNUGs), so that data management professionals can exchange information with their peers and other knowledge experts. It is also developing a new online resource portal to provide access to user group resources and industry-specific educational opportunities. For more information, including listings of StorageNetworking.org Affiliates, Advisors, and Sponsors, go to http://www.StorageNetworking.org. The Information Storage Industry Center (ISIC) at the University of California, San Diego is a social science research program studying the business and economic aspects of the data storage industry. Established in 1998 as an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Industry Center, ISIC conducts research on all segments of this rapidly evolving and highly competitive global industry. ISIC is affiliated with UCSD’s Graduate School of International Relations and Pacific Studies (IR/PS), one of the world’s top international graduate programs specializing in the Pacific Rim. For more information on the ISIC, visit http://isic.ucsd.edu. Established in 1986, UCSD’s Graduate School of International Relations and Pacific Studies (IR/PS) is the University of California’s only professional school of international affairs and the only graduate school in the United States to focus exclusively on the Pacific Rim. More information on the graduate school and its faculty can be found at http://www-irps.ucsd.edu. Media contact: Barry Jagoda, (858) 534-8567 IR/PS Media Contact: Paula Cichocka, (858) 534-1465, pcichocka@ucsd.eduAbout McDATA
About the StorageNetworking.org Initiative
About the ISIC
About IR/PS
