"The 9124 is an ambitious foray into the entry-level fabric switching market," said Enterprise Strategy Group analyst Brian Garrett. "Features like software upgradeability using a single chip solution with advanced SAN-OS features like VSANs built-in and a new wizard for rapid first-time installation will be noticed not only by McData and Brocade, but also by QLogic, who has made a lot of progress in the past couple years in the entry-level switching market." While the director-class switch market has been a three-way race between Cisco, Brocade and McData, Brocade holds an overwhelming advantage in the fabric switch market, with about a two-thirds market share, according to Dell'Oro Group figures. Cisco hopes to put a dent in that lead with the new offering, with the merger of Brocade and McData looming.