Jeff Benck’s ascension through the executive ranks at Emulex Corp. was nearly identical to that of his predecessor, Jim McCluney, but their types of expertise are quite different.
“Jim came from an [operations] background, and I come from an engineering and marketing background,” said Benck, who took the helm of the Costa Mesa-based networking equipment maker this month. “From that standpoint, I can help communicate the Emulex story at a high level for investors and shareholders.”
Those skills will likely be tested in the coming months as dissident investors push for more changes and rumors swell of a possible sale.
Benck joined Emulex in May 2008 as executive vice president and chief operating officer and took over the president’s role in August 2010. He’s overseen the company’s engineering, marketing, business development, operations and sales divisions and has been instrumental in driving its Ethernet strategy and customer and market expansion.
Now he’s adding finance, human relations, legal and administrative departments to his purview, but look for him to push innovation.
“It’s got to be the technology that matters,” he said. “It has to be relevant.”
Emulex, which has annual sales of about $500 million, is an early leader in the emerging 10-gigabit Ethernet market. Ten-gig controllers and adapters connect servers to local area networks within data centers, speeding up the flow of information. The technology is expected to gradually replace slower connections.
“I understand the industry extremely well, and I understand the customer base,” said Benck, who spent nearly 20 years at IBM, where he oversaw some 1,400 staffers who developed server and storage products.
“My focus is on executing our strategy,” he said. “I’m looking to turn up the volume.”
KIRAbook Released
Toshiba’s Digital Products Division, a unit of Irvine-based Toshiba America Information Systems Inc., has released a new ultrabook to compete with Apple’s line of MacBooks.
The high-end, touch-screen laptop, dubbed KIRAbook, boasts a resolution of 221 pixels per inch on its 13.3-inch display, rivaling Apple’s Retina technology.
Pressed magnesium alloy gives the model a sleek and modern look while producing one of the lighter ultrabooks available, at 2.9 pounds and 0.7 inches thin. A LED-backlit keyboard provides plenty of light for the mobile user.
Battery life surpasses six hours. The laptop also has a media card reader, three USBs, Bluetooth, a high-definition webcam, Wi-Fi and other features. It also has custom-designed Harman/Kardon speakers and audio software from Calabasas-based DTS Inc., which acquired SRS Labs in Santa Ana last year for $148 million.
Bundled software includes Norton Antivirus and Adobe’s Photoshop Elements 11 and Premier Elements 11, considered entry-level applications for photo and video editing that cost about $150 a la carte but handle most jobs with a little practice.
There are some drawbacks to the model, which costs about $2,000: A loud fan that kicks into high gear when the machine is working at peak capacity activates for a long time.
It comes equipped with Windows 8, which takes time to learn for even basic navigation and scrolling through applications, such as Netflix, Amazon and photo galleries.
