EX-99.7
8
a2159024zex-99_7.htm
EX-99.7
QuickLinks
-- Click here to rapidly navigate through this document
Exhibit 99.7
Networking
the World's Business Data™
News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
June 1, 2005
Contacts
Media:
Investors:
Jil Backstrom
Renee Lyall
Office: (720) 558-4774
Office: (720) 558-4629
press.release@mcdata.com
renee.lyall@mcdata.com
McDATA Completes Acquisition of CNT
Customers Endorse the Combination
BROOMFIELD, Colo.-June 1, 2005-McDATA Corporation (Nasdaq: MCDTA/MCDT), a leading
provider of storage networking solutions, today announced that it has completed the acquisition of Computer Network Technology Corporation, "CNT" (Nasdaq: CMNT), a global expert in storage networking
solutions. Founded in 1983, CNT has been one of the world's largest providers of comprehensive storage networking solutions, products and services, with 12 international subsidiaries and clients in
more than 30 countries. Businesses worldwide depend on CNT to deliver business continuity solutions that drive efficiency, lower costs and reduce IT risks in the enterprise.
"We
have worked with both McDATA and CNT for years in our data centers and disaster recovery implementation", said Rod Williams, manager of hardware facilities for First Data
Corporation, a large Midwest credit card processor and billing outsourcer. "To support disaster recovery for our credit card processing across both mainframe and open systems, we installed McDATA's
Intrepid®-series Directors for FICON Cascading together with CNT's UltraNet® Edge 3000's for distance. The solution met our technical and business needs, while saving us
substantial costs over other alternatives. The combination of McDATA and CNT lets us leverage a good working partnership with a vendor that delivers the broadest portfolio of storage networking
product and services".
"Thousands
of customers like First Data Corporation depend on McDATA products and services for their SAN and WAN infrastructure", said John Kelley, chairman, president and CEO of McDATA.
"Finalizing the acquisition of CNT is great news for us, our customers and our partners. We are very excited to be able to move forward today as a single company that offers hardware, software,
services and solutions to globally connect and centrally manage data infrastructures across storage, metro and wide area environments".
###
About McDATA
(www.mcdata.com)
McDATA
(Nasdaq: MCDTA/MCDT) is the leading provider of storage networking solutions, helping customers build, globally connect, optimize and centrally manage data infrastructures across SAN,
2
MAN
and WAN environments. With nearly 25 years experience developing SAN products, services and solutions, McDATA is the trusted partner in the world's largest data centers, connecting more
than two-thirds of all networked data.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains statements about expected future events that are forward-looking and subject to risks and uncertainties. Readers are urged to consider
statements that include the terms "believes", "belief", "expects", "plans", "objectives", "estimates", "anticipates", "intends", "targets", or the like to be uncertain and forward-looking. Factors
that could cause actual results to differ and vary materially from expectations include, but are not limited to, McDATA's relationships with EMC, IBM and HDS and the level of their orders, aggressive
price competition by numerous other SAN and IP switch suppliers, OEM qualification of our new products, manufacturing constraints and other risk factors that are disclosed in McDATA's filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission. These cautionary statements by McDATA should not be construed as exhaustive or as any admission regarding the adequacy of disclosures made by McDATA. All cautionary
statements should be read as being applicable to all forward-looking statements wherever they appear. McDATA does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking
statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
3
QuickLinks
McDATA Completes Acquisition of CNT

EX - 99 . 7 8 a2159024zex - 99 _ 7 . htm EX - 99 . 7 QuickLinks -- Click here to rapidly navigate through this document Exhibit 99 . 7 Networking the World 's Business Data ™ News Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE : June 1 , 2005 Contacts Media : Investors : Jil Backstrom Renee Lyall Office : ( 720 ) 558 - 4774 Office : ( 720 ) 558 - 4629 press.release@mcdata.com renee.lyall@mcdata.com McDATA Completes Acquisition of CNT Customers Endorse the Combination BROOMFIELD , Colo . - June 1 , 2005 - McDATA Corporation ( Nasdaq : MCDTA / MCDT ) , a leading provider of storage networking solutions , today announced that it has completed the acquisition of Computer Network Technology Corporation , " CNT " ( Nasdaq : CMNT ) , a global expert in storage networking solutions . Founded in 1983 , CNT has been one of the world 's largest providers of comprehensive storage networking solutions , products and services , with 12 international subsidiaries and clients in more than 30 countries . Businesses worldwide depend on CNT to deliver business continuity solutions that drive efficiency , lower costs and reduce IT risks in the enterprise . " We have worked with both McDATA and CNT for years in our data centers and disaster recovery implementation " , said Rod Williams , manager of hardware facilities for First Data Corporation , a large Midwest credit card processor and billing outsourcer . " To support disaster recovery for our credit card processing across both mainframe and open systems , we installed McDATA 's Intrepid ® - series Directors for FICON Cascading together with CNT 's UltraNet ® Edge 3000 's for distance . The solution met our technical and business needs , while saving us substantial costs over other alternatives . The combination of McDATA and CNT lets us leverage a good working partnership with a vendor that delivers the broadest portfolio of storage networking product and services " . " Thousands of customers like First Data Corporation depend on McDATA products and services for their SAN and WAN infrastructure " , said John Kelley , chairman , president and CEO of McDATA . " Finalizing the acquisition of CNT is great news for us , our customers and our partners . We are very excited to be able to move forward today as a single company that offers hardware , software , services and solutions to globally connect and centrally manage data infrastructures across storage , metro and wide area environments " . # # # About McDATA ( www.mcdata.com ) McDATA ( Nasdaq : MCDTA / MCDT ) is the leading provider of storage networking solutions , helping customers build , globally connect , optimize and centrally manage data infrastructures across SAN , 2 MAN and WAN environments . With nearly 25 years experience developing SAN products , services and solutions , McDATA is the trusted partner in the world 's largest data centers , connecting more than two - thirds of all networked data . Forward - Looking Statements This press release contains statements about expected future events that are forward - looking and subject to risks and uncertainties . Readers are urged to consider statements that include the terms " believes " , " belief " , " expects " , " plans " , " objectives " , " estimates " , " anticipates " , " intends " , " targets " , or the like to be uncertain and forward - looking . Factors that could cause actual results to differ and vary materially from expectations include , but are not limited to , McDATA 's relationships with EMC , IBM and HDS and the level of their orders , aggressive price competition by numerous other SAN and IP switch suppliers , OEM qualification of our new products , manufacturing constraints and other risk factors that are disclosed in McDATA 's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission . These cautionary statements by McDATA should not be construed as exhaustive or as any admission regarding the adequacy of disclosures made by McDATA . All cautionary statements should be read as being applicable to all forward - looking statements wherever they appear . McDATA does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward - looking statements , whether as a result of new information , future events or otherwise . 3 QuickLinks McDATA Completes Acquisition of CNT