Alliance Creates Closer Relationship With Microsoft, Improves Interoperability and Performance for End Users 

SAN JOSE, Calif. — May 17, 2007 — Brocade® (Nasdaq: BRCD), a leader in networked storage solutions that help enterprises connect and manage their information, today announced it has joined the Interop Vendor Alliance, a community of software and hardware vendors working to enhance interoperability with Microsoft systems. Brocade has worked closely with Microsoft since the inception of the Microsoft Storage Partner Program in 2002 and believes that joining the Interop Vendor Alliance will further its efforts to help ensure that Brocade technologies and solutions are optimized for performance in customers’ multivendor environments.

Microsoft technologies and solutions are deployed in the vast majority of today’s IT infrastructures. By participating in the Interop Vendor Alliance, Brocade will continue to pursue Storage Area Network (SAN) and File Area Network (FAN) technologies and solutions that are integrated and interoperable with Microsoft technologies for optimum performance. Products will be tested in a multivendor environment, making it easier to ensure interoperability is achieved. Joining the alliance will also allow Brocade to publish joint evidence on how the companies are addressing interoperability.

“Brocade is a welcome addition to the Interop Vendor Alliance,” said Bruce Burns, senior director, Strategic Relations, Microsoft. “Brocade has always worked closely with Microsoft, and we believe an even tighter integration will provide our mutual customers with highly optimized solutions for improving and streamlining data management in their environments.”

“Many of today’s IT organizations rely on Brocade SAN and FAN solutions and associated services offerings to ensure that their enterprise-wide data is stored securely and readily accessible,” said Tom Buiocchi, Brocade’s Vice President of Worldwide Marketing. “The ability to work even more closely with Microsoft and other vendors to enhance interoperability with Microsoft systems will lead to even more secure and efficient IT implementations as well as overall improved IT systems performance for our mutual customers.”

Brocade also today announced the renewal of its Gold Certified Partnership status with Microsoft. Microsoft Gold Certified Partners are the elite Microsoft business partners that earn the very highest customer endorsement and are required to meet rigorous requirements for certification and expertise. Brocade has reached the status of Gold Certified Partner for Advanced Infrastructure Solutions and ISV/Software Solutions by demonstrating increased levels of developer certification and deep real-world experience, and by providing completed customer reference projects that were independently verified by Microsoft.

About Brocade

Brocade is the leading provider of networked storage solutions that help organizations connect, share, and manage their information. Organizations that use Brocade products and services are better able to optimize their IT infrastructures and ensure compliant data management. For more information, visit the Brocade Web site at www.brocade.com or contact the company at info@brocade.com.

About the Interop Vendor Alliance

The Interop Vendor Alliance is designed to better connect people, data, and diverse systems through enhanced interoperability with Microsoft technology. The organization serves as a collaborative forum for developing and sharing common technology models, facilitates scenario-based testing of multivendor solutions, and works to communicate additional best practices to users. Additional information about the Interop Vendor Alliance can be found at http://www.interopvendoralliance.com.