MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA--(Marketwire - Mar 19, 2013) - TriMas Corporation Pty Ltd (TriMas) has selected Brocade (NASDAQ: [ BRCD ]) as the networking technology provider for its new international manufacturing centre in Melbourne, Australia. The automotive manufacturer selected Brocade^® switching solutions to support two combined sites and implement a more robust core network design, resulting in a 40 percent network performance improvement.

TriMas has renewed its 60-year commitment to the automotive sector in Australia with its latest manufacturing centre with high-performance, low-maintenance Brocade network solutions throughout. The company, which makes high-quality, custom-engineered roof racks and towing products under a wide range of well-known brand names, has recently merged two existing manufacturing facilities in Victoria to create a core manufacturing site.

With a scalable network design solution and strong support from Brocade partner, MYCOM Pty Ltd (MYCOM), TriMas has deployed a highly robust and fully redundant network infrastructure to support more than 400 data points at the new location. The network has enabled a variety of benefits, including simplified infrastructure within a core design and streamlined network management, an issue that TriMas had been grappling with under its previous network design.

Additionally TriMas has introduced Unified Communications (UC) capabilities for simplified voice and data management. The company is leveraging Power over Ethernet (PoE) capabilities to each switch port, saving time and reducing management for the IT team.

"This network upgrade with Brocade has introduced a level of business and technology innovation that will see us expand Brocade technologies to seven other remote sites, including Perth in Australia, New Zealand, Thailand and South Africa," said Scott Lancaster, IT manager at TriMas. "Brocade has provided a solution that is highly efficient and, from an operational perspective, it runs smoothly in the background with performance improvements in the vicinity of over 40 percent. From an investment perspective, it is great value for money."

A [ Brocade FastIron® SX 1600 ] Layer 2/3 switch has been deployed as the core of the new TriMas network, providing a highly resilient and scalable 10 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) foundation that connects the company's server farm and network access switches across the site. The access layer is comprised of [ Brocade FCX 648 ] Layer 2/3 switches that provide 1 GbE connectivity to workstations, IP telephones and factory equipment throughout the facility.

The Brocade network solution supports a full suite of Microsoft servers -- including Exchange, SQL, SharePoint and Lync -- as well as Solidworks 3D CAD software and manufacturing software for the shop floor machines. The Lync unified messaging server is new to TriMas, courtesy of the network's low-latency performance and support for PoE on all ports, which enables plug-and-play device connection.

"This is a fantastic example of high-tech production and high-precision engineering at an Australian manufacturing plant," said Charlie Foo, vice president for Asia Pacific, Brocade. "TriMas has recognized that data-driven manufacturing relies on a rock-solid network. The network deployed at TriMas has produced a more robust and redundant core network, with network performance improvements increasing by 40 percent. The network design and support expertise provided by Brocade partner MYCOM will continue to drive this beacon of Australian manufacturing for years to come."

With a single operating system running on all switches, network complexity is greatly reduced. The easy-to-use Brocade Network Advisor software enables highly automated device discovery, management and configuration deployment across the campus, reducing the amount of time that TriMas staff must spend managing the network environment.

This network platform is supported by Brocade's world-class support infrastructure. With multiple Brocade Technical Assistance Centers and more than 170 parts depots in over 40 countries, Brocade is capable of delivering reliable support whenever and wherever it is needed.

About MYCOM
MYCOM Pty Ltd was established in 2005 with the aim of providing infrastructure solutions to Australian business. It achieved Brocade Alliance Partner Network Program Premier member status in 2011 and to date has successfully implemented Brocade solutions across multiple industries. ([ www.mycom.com.au ])

About Brocade
Brocade (NASDAQ: [ BRCD ]) networking solutions help the world's leading organizations transition smoothly to a world where applications and information reside anywhere. ([ www.brocade.com ])

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