This solution proposes dropping a lot of hardware & getting the same outcome. There's one box with 12x 100Gbe on the back (across two switches) and a bunch of nvme (over rdma ethernet, "NVMeoF") plugged directly into that switch.
Why bother having a whole cpu & expensive nic just to connect some drives to the network? This box replaces not just that nas, but perhaps the top of switch box too.
This isnt supposed to be bespoke or proprietary. Its supposed to just the infra we already have. If your nas is really good it already spoke NVMeoF anyhow. Whats a little fancy is that you still need some PHY between switch and drive, which i think is throwing you off & confusing you a bit & making you think this is more bespoke than it is. The drive is an ethernet drive, could hardly be less bespoke.
I think Marvell just happens to be the first out with the NVMEoF drive adapter and switch chips.
Kioxia and the switch vendor seem to be first out with the drives and switches using Marvell chips/boards.
I wouldn't be surprised to hear in a year or two that you can buy a NVMEoF switch from a bunch of vendors, and then NVMEoF drives from your choice of drive vendor.
The specifics of advantages over existing solutions I can't speak to except repeating much of what is in the article and video.
I might be placing too much faith in Patrick + STH, but they seem excited, and other times there have been proprietary solutions for things they have pointed it out.
Whats the appeal of proprietary drives talking to fiber switch directly versus NVME chassis with 3 2x100G PCIe NICs on the back? From logical point of view there is no difference. You can parturition, provision, bond it up just the same. You just move PCIE-fiber conversion from central point (cheaper) to bespoke solution inside proprietary drives (sounds expensive vendor lock-in).