According to the , Brocade has again begun to try to find a buyer through Qatalyst Partners, the same investment bank it turned to in 2009.

Brocade had no immediate comment on the report.

In October 2009, . Sources indicated at the time that Hewlett-Packard and both showed interest, but passed on it.

The fact that the Journal has again published an article on the potential sale is "no accident," according to Brian Babineau, an analyst with market research firm ESG.

Babineau said any story in the Journal about a company shopping itself around only has two intentional purposes: Either to drum up additional suitors to the one or ones it already has, which makes for a bidding war; or to simply gain some initial attention. By getting the word out, an overseas corporation, which may not have been aware Brocade was actively looking, could jump into the ring.