Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO), VMware, Inc. (VMW): Is Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. (BRCD) Destined for Greatness?

Brocade has also been tapping new opportunities in the cloud-computing and Big Data environments. The company has partnered with virtualization specialist VMware, Inc. (NYSE:VMW), which could provide long-term advantages to both companies if Ethernet-fabric technology proves to be a superior option for VMware, Inc. (NYSE:VMW). However, Fool contributor Richard Saintvilus notes that Brocade hasn’t been able to capture market share in the enterprise data segment against dominant players such as Juniper Networks and Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO). Richard also notes that Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:BRCD)’s current CEO has a history of engineering buyouts of the companies he leads, and that track record might provide investors with some downside protection against the possibility of deterioration in the company’s fundamentals.

Putting the pieces together
Today, Brocade has many of the qualities that make up a great stock, but no stock is truly perfect. Digging deeper can help you uncover the answers you need to make a great buy — or to stay away from a stock that’s going nowhere.

The article Is Brocade Communications Destined for Greatness? originally appeared on Fool.com and is written by Alex Planes.

Fool contributor Alex Planes has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Cisco Systems and VMware and owns shares of VMware.

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