Headquarters: San Jose, Calif.

2008 Revenue: $1.47 billion (excluding Foundry)

Channel Chief: Barbara Spicek, vice president of Worldwide Channels

Why It's a Strategic Networking Partner: Storage giant Brocade might not have been a strategic partner for many networking VARs before its December 2008 acquisition of Foundry Networks, but it is now. With the move, Brocade bulked up its portfolio and positioned itself for a strong play in the data center, where it is facing off against rivals such as Cisco Systems.