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Cisco MDS Series vs IBM SAN24B-4 Express comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Cisco MDS Series
Ranking in Enterprise SAN
3rd
Average Rating
9.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
9
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
IBM SAN24B-4 Express
Ranking in Enterprise SAN
10th
Average Rating
9.0
Reviews Sentiment
8.8
Number of Reviews
1
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2025, in the Enterprise SAN category, the mindshare of Cisco MDS Series is 6.6%, down from 25.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM SAN24B-4 Express is 1.3%, down from 2.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Enterprise SAN Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Cisco MDS Series6.6%
IBM SAN24B-4 Express1.3%
Other92.1%
Enterprise SAN
 

Featured Reviews

OğuzKalaycı - PeerSpot reviewer
Ensures consistent availability during updates and integrates seamlessly
I am using Cisco MDS in SAN environments for storage connections and server connections The product is very stable and performs well. During the update periods, the devices do not need to reload, ensuring constant availability. It is easy to set up and use. I do not have a central management…
Alejandro Rivas Detomasi - PeerSpot reviewer
It has short-wave and long-wave capabilities.
In my experience, it is one of the most reliable options in SAN switches. Let´s say that the SAN24 is the perfect combination between two great brands (IBM hardware and Brocade´s software). In my experience, Brocade´s software is the best for SAN implementation; easy to use and intuitive in every aspect. Brocade is always updating its IOS (operating system), adding new functionalities to its switches and correcting minor errors. If you add all these things to IBM hardware and support, you can trust that your SAN is going to have near-zero downtime.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
23%
Government
11%
Educational Organization
8%
Manufacturing Company
8%
No data available
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business5
Large Enterprise6
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco MDS Series?
The pricing could be improved as the solution is very expensive. I am on a yearly payment basis.
What needs improvement with Cisco MDS Series?
I do not have a central management software to manage these products due to the licensing cost. It would be beneficial to have central management software for easier handling.
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Also Known As

Cisco MDS 9100, Cisco MDS 9222i, Cisco MDS 9700
SAN24B-4 Express
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

National Rugby League
ADP, McKesson Technology Solutions, Migros Zurich, Mars Incorporated, Grupo Hefame, Williams-Sonoma
Find out what your peers are saying about Dell Technologies, Cisco, NetApp and others in Enterprise SAN. Updated: August 2025.
866,218 professionals have used our research since 2012.