QNAP Taps Altran for Smart Switches Targeting NAS Market

In anticipation of strong double-digit growth projected in the network-attached storage (NAS) market, Altran, part of Capgemini, has announced that one of its networking software frameworks -- its Intelligent Switching Solution (ISS) -- is being used by QNAP Systems to build and deploy their new high-speed smart ethernet switches for the storage networking market.

QNAP, which specializes in NAS appliances used for file sharing, virtualization, storage management and surveillance applications, has integrated Altran’s software into its QSW-M408 10Gbe switching platforms. This collaboration enables QNAP networking products to work seamlessly within storage networking use cases for data center and enterprise networks.

Network-attached storage removes the responsibility of file serving from other servers on the network. Potential benefits of dedicated network-attached storage, compared to general-purpose servers also serving files, include faster data access, easier administration, and simple configuration.

“Altran enables dozens of companies globally to build ethernet, IP, MPLS and software-defined network (SDN) offerings with our reliable, interoperable networking software frameworks,” said Brian Bronson, President of Global Platforms & Solutions at Altran. “Our Intelligent Switch Solution framework is being used by leading OEMs like QNAP to develop new, revenue-generating products and services.”

Altran’s software frameworks are modular, flexible and scalable, and can be used to develop a variety of products and services. Altran’s ISS networking software framework is available on all leading chipsets and platforms, including white box platforms, and is pre-integrated with various ecosystem partners. It is a next- generation, SDN-ready solution designed on cloud-native principles.

According to MarketsandMarkets, the global market for network-attached storage is projected to grow at a compound annual rate of more than 20 percent over the next five years, from about $21 billion last year to almost $60 billion in 20252, fuelled largely by smart applications and analytics. QNAP hopes to capture a larger slice of the market with its 10Gbe switching platforms, which are designed to provide an easy network configuration experience at a low price point.

“Altran’s software framework allows us to start with a solid foundation that expedites the development of our networking product lines and bolsters our competitiveness in the market,” said Cara Yeh, Product Manager at QNAP. “We expect that our M408 switches will increase our market share in 10 gigabit networking, arriving as some of the most affordable managed switches to empower our customers with capabilities based on strong use cases.”