Emulex Awarded 5-Star Rating in CRN's 2015 Partner Program Guide

COSTA MESA, Calif., March 23, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Emulex Corporation (NYSE: ELX), a leader in network connectivity, monitoring and management, today announced it has been awarded a 5-Star rating in The Channel Company's CRN 2015 Partner Program Guide. This annual directory is the definitive listing of technology vendors that have the best programs for their IT channel partners. The 5-Star Partner Program rating recognizes an elite subset of companies that offer solution providers the best partnering elements in their channel programs.

Tweet This: .@Emulex Awarded CRN 2015 Partner Program Guide 5-Star Rating: http://ow.ly/KERcS

The Emulex Connect™ Partner Program arms resellers with the tools, resources, and incentives to drive best-of-breed I/O technologies and joint solutions into the channel, enabling the highest-performing data centers across the globe. The three-tiered partner community includes a loyalty program, incentives throughout the sales cycle, and streamlined deal registration and web enablement.

"Data center trends like virtualization, cloud computing and the Internet of Things (IoT) are creating huge opportunities for the channel," said Shaun Walsh, senior vice president of marketing, Emulex. "Our Emulex Connect Partner Program is focused on putting our next generation technologies into the hands of our partners, and is designed to support their success with a full range of portfolio solutions at competitive prices, as well as world class training and support."

To determine the 2015 5-Star recipients, The Channel Company's Research team assessed each vendor's application based on investments in program offerings, partner profitability, partner training, education and support, marketing programs and resources, sales support and communication.

"Solution providers have a lot of choices when it comes to selecting vendor partners. Identifying the right vendor, with the right technologies, and the right approach can make all the difference," said Robert Faletra, CEO, The Channel Company. "Our annual Partner Program Guide and 5-Star rating recognizes the best channel programs available in the market today to help solution providers determine which vendors deliver the best partner elements for their individual business goals."

The 2015 Partner Program Guide will be featured in the April issue of CRN, and online at www.CRN.com.

Follow Emulex on Twitter.

About Emulex

Emulex provides connectivity, monitoring and management solutions for high-performance networks, delivering provisioning, end-to-end application visibility, optimization and acceleration for the next generation of software-defined, telco and Web-scale data centers. The Company's I/O connectivity portfolio, which has been designed into server and storage solutions from leading OEMs and ODMs worldwide, enables organizations to manage bandwidth, latency, security and virtualization. The Emulex network visibility portfolio enables global organizations to monitor and improve application and network performance management. Emulex is headquartered in Costa Mesa, Calif. For more information about Emulex (NYSE:ELX) please visit http://www.Emulex.com.

About The Channel Company
The Channel Company, with established brands including CRN, XChange Events, IPED and SharedVue, is the channel community's trusted authority for growth and innovation. For more than three decades, we have leveraged our proven and leading-edge platforms to deliver prescriptive sales and marketing solutions for the technology channel. The Channel Company provides Communication, Recruitment, Engagement, Enablement, Demand Generation and Intelligence services to drive technology partnerships. Learn more at www.thechannelcompany.com.

Cautions Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This announcement contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements may be typically identified by such words as "may," "will," "could," "should," "expect," "anticipate," "plan," "likely," "believe," "estimate," "project," "intend," and other similar expressions among others. These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from the expectations expressed in the forward-looking statements. Although Avago Technologies Limited ("Avago") and Emulex Corporation ("Emulex") believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, any or all of such forward-looking statements may prove to be incorrect. Consequently, no forward-looking statements may be guaranteed and there can be no assurance that the actual results or developments anticipated by such forward looking statements will be realized or, even if substantially realized, that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on, Avago, Emulex or their respective businesses or operations. The foregoing review of important factors that could cause actual events to differ from expectations should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read in conjunction with statements that are included herein and elsewhere, including the risk factors included in Emulex's and Avago's most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and Annual Report on Form 10-K, respectively, and Emulex's and Avago's more recent reports filed with the SEC. Emulex and Avago can give no assurance that the conditions to the transaction will be satisfied. Neither Emulex nor Avago undertakes any intent or obligation to publicly update or revise any of these forward looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Emulex is responsible for information in this press release concerning Emulex and Avago is responsible for information in this press release concerning Avago.

"Safe Harbor" Statement

"Safe Harbor'' Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: With the exception of historical information, the statements set forth above contain forward-looking statements that involve risk and uncertainties. We expressly disclaim any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or changes to these forward-looking statements that may be made to reflect any future events or circumstances. We wish to caution readers that actual future results could differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors, including those discussed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our recent filings on Forms 10-K and 10-Q, under the caption "Risk Factors." Those factors and the factors listed below could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements:

• faster than anticipated declines in the demand for storage networking and fiber channel and slower than expected growth of the converged networking market or the failure of our Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) customers to successfully incorporate our products into their systems;
• the highly competitive nature of the markets for our products as well as pricing pressures that may result from such competitive conditions  and the emergence of new or stronger competitors as a result of consolidation movements in the market;
• our dependence on a limited number of customers and the effects of the loss of, decrease in or delays of orders by any such customers or the failure of our OEM customers to successfully incorporate our products into their systems;
• our reliance on a limited number of third-party suppliers and subcontractors for components and assembly, many of which are located outside of the United States;
• the effect on our margins of rapid migration of technology and product substitution by customers, including transitions from application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) solutions to boards for selected applications and higher-end to lower-end products, mezzanine card products or modular Local Area Network (LAN) on Motherboard (LOMs);
• the non-linearity and variability in the level of our revenue resulting from the variable and seasonal procurement patterns of our customers;
• the possibility that our goodwill could become impaired in the near term which would result in a non-cash charge and could adversely affect our reported GAAP operating results;
• any inadequacy of our intellectual property protection or our ability to obtain necessary licenses or other intellectual property rights on commercially reasonable terms;
• our ability to attract and retain key technical personnel;
• our ability to respond quickly to technological developments and to benefit from our research and development activities as well as government grants related thereto and delays in product development;
• intellectual property and other litigation against us, with or without merit, that could result in substantial attorneys' fees and costs, cause product shipment delays, loss of patent rights, monetary damages, costs associated with product or component redesigns and require us to indemnify customers or enter into royalty or licensing agreements, which may or may not be available;
• our dependence on sales and product production outside of the United States so that our results could be affected by adverse economic, social, political and infrastructure conditions in those countries;
• weakness in domestic and worldwide macro-economic conditions, currency exchange rate fluctuations or  potential disruptions in world credit and equity markets; terrorist activities, natural disasters, or general economic or political instability and any resulting disruption in our supply chain or customer purchasing patterns; and
• changes in tax rates or legislation, accounting standards and other regulatory changes.

On February 25, 2015, Emulex agreed to be acquired by Avago Technologies Limited (Nasdaq: AVGO), subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions.  Factors related to the acquisition which could cause actual results to differ from those projected or contemplated in any such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the following factors: (1) the risk that the conditions to the closing of the transaction are not satisfied, including the risk that Avago may not receive a sufficient number of shares tendered from Emulex stockholders to complete the tender offer; (2) litigation relating to the transaction; (3) uncertainties as to the timing of the consummation of the transaction and the ability of each of Emulex and Avago to consummate the transaction; (4) risks that the proposed transaction disrupts the current plans and operations of Emulex or Avago; (5) the ability of Emulex to retain and hire key personnel; (6) competitive responses to the proposed transaction; (7) unexpected costs, charges or expenses resulting from the transaction; (8) potential adverse reactions or changes to business relationships resulting from the announcement or completion of the transaction; (9) Avago's ability to achieve the growth prospects and synergies expected from the transaction, as well as delays, challenges and expenses associated with integrating Emulex with Avago's existing businesses; and (10) legislative, regulatory and economic developments.

All trademarks, trade names, service marks, and logos referenced herein belong to their respective companies.

Additional Information about the Transaction and Where to Find It

The tender offer described herein has not yet commenced. This press release is for informational purposes only and shall not constitute an offer to purchase or the solicitation of an offer to sell any shares of the common stock of Emulex or any other securities. Any offer will only be made pursuant to a tender offer statement on Schedule TO, which will contain an offer to purchase, form of letter of transmittal and other documents relating to the tender offer (collectively, the "Tender Offer Materials"), each to be filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") by Avago, Avago Technologies Wireless (U.S.A.) Manufacturing Inc. and Emerald Merger Sub, Inc. In addition, Emulex will file with the SEC a solicitation/recommendation statement on Schedule 14D-9 with respect to the tender offer. Avago and Emulex expect to mail the Tender Offer Materials, as well as the Schedule 14D-9, to Emulex stockholders. Investors and security holders are urged to carefully read these documents, as well as any other documents relating to the tender offer or related transactions that are filed with the SEC, when they become available, as they may be amended from time to time, because these documents will contain important information relating to the tender offer and related transactions. Investors and security holders may obtain a free copy of these documents after they have been filed with the SEC, and other annual, quarterly and special reports and other information filed with the SEC by Avago or Emulex, at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. In addition, such materials will be available for free from Avago or Emulex by directing any requests to investor relations at Avago or Emulex at the applicable phone number or email address below.

A description of certain interests of the directors and executive officers of Emulex is set forth in Emulex's Form 10-K/A, Amendment No. 1, in Part III thereof, which was filed with the SEC on October 27, 2014. A description of certain interests of the directors and executive officers of Avago is set forth in Avago's proxy statement for its 2015 annual meeting, which was filed with the SEC on February 20, 2015. To the extent holdings of either company's securities by their respective directors and certain officers have subsequently changed, such changes have been reflected on Forms 4 filed with the SEC.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120403/NE81278LOGO

SOURCE Emulex Corporation

Related Links

http://www.emulex.com