Storage
Xploite continues with acquisition plans and post profits
Posted: Tue, 02 Feb 2010Investment vehicle Xploite is forging ahead with a strategy to acquire smaller SaaS-based firms, having just signed off profitable management accounts for fiscal 2009. The firm made £4.4m profits in...Read More »
Microscope Media Centre
Posted: Tue, 02 Feb 2010MicroScope.co.uk Media Information MicroScope is the longest established weekly newspaper for computer manufacturers, distributors and resellers who need to maintain a competitive edge in the channel. Hard-hitting opinionated editorial covers...Read More »
Cloud not yet getting through to CIOs
Posted: Mon, 04 Jan 2010Over half of CIOs fail to see how cloud computing can save them money despite the reduction of capital expenditure being a fundamental tenet of the cloud proposition. ...Read More »
Massive server refresh on horizon, says IDC
Posted: Mon, 26 Oct 2009Virtualisation sales have been dented by the recession proving that no markets are immune to the economic maelstrom, but a massive refresh pending in the server market should give...Read More »
Five minute interview: Craig Whitney, Axway
Posted: Tue, 20 Oct 2009MicroScope puts its questions to Craig Whitney, vice-president and managing director of AxwayWhat is the best/worst advice you have received and from whom? Always have a ‘plan B’ – from...Read More »
Storage Expo 2009: preview
Posted: Fri, 02 Oct 2009We highlight the product launches happening at the data storage and information management event next week.It is a measure of how far things have changed over the past year or...Read More »
In-depth: Selling digital displays
Posted: Mon, 28 Sep 2009Given the slow-down in corporate and domestic spending, the AV market has held up surprisingly well in the past 12 months. Although product pricing at the bottom end of the...Read More »
Encryption hardware a data lifesaver
Posted: Tue, 22 Sep 2009The first thing most of us do when we get into a car is put on a seatbelt. Whether we are driving or just along for the ride, it is...Read More »
HP warns datacentre budgets will take time to return
Posted: Wed, 16 Sep 2009Those expecting a return to pre-recessionary ordering patterns from data centre customers might have to wait slightly longer than they were expecting. A warning was sounded by...Read More »
Software-based deduplication brings new options to SME market
Posted: Tue, 08 Sep 2009Data deduplication has been a hot topic in the storage world for the past year or so, and with good reason. Any technology with the power to tame the relentless...Read More »
Keeping your data in order with disk back-up
Posted: Mon, 27 Jul 2009The volume of data created and stored by organisations continues to grow at amazing rates. Balancing the need for application availability and performance with that to capture and store back-up...Read More »
SAP reveals lax user attitude to data management
Posted: Wed, 15 Jul 2009The mantra about IT being able to help businesses make the right decisions in recession has been embraced by users but is still not being acted on. According...Read More »
Cloud backup positioned as SME headache solver
Posted: Mon, 13 Jul 2009Although there has been some questions raised about the satisfaction levels surrounding SME customer experiences with the cloud those promoting backup services believe the market remains strong. ...Read More »
ThinkGrid unveils cloud storage offering
Posted: Mon, 06 Jul 2009Cloud specialist ThinkGrid has taken the wraps off a hosted storage service that provides a range of data tools that are designed to help those struggling to keep on...Read More »
Disaster recovery plans failing to cover virtualised systems
Posted: Fri, 03 Jul 2009Disaster recovery has climbed up the agenda in customer boardrooms but a more needs to be done to ensure that customers are taking the safety of their data...Read More »
NetApp splashes out $1.5bn to pick up Data Domain
Posted: Thu, 21 May 2009NetApp has put $1.5bn on the table to buy de-duplication specialist Data Domain as consolidation among storage vendors continues unabated. Details of the proposed purchase were outlined after...Read More »
NetApp heralds mid market channel focus
Posted: Tue, 07 Apr 2009NetApp has heralded its 1,000th reseller as evidence of its ability to service the mid market with its MSE product line. Earlier this year the vendor took some...Read More »
Hitachi GST builds division on Fabrik acquisition
Posted: Mon, 06 Apr 2009Hitachi Global Storage Technologies has completed the acquisition of external storage specialist Fabrik to form the basis of a branded business division.Fabrik produces a range of products that provide external...Read More »
Cisco partners must skill up for data centre push
Posted: Tue, 17 Mar 2009Cisco is urging partners to start skilling up to meet demand for its Unified Computing System (UCS), a new computing architecture launched yesterday that knits together compute, network, storage...Read More »
Downturn cannot hold back firms' growing data storage requirements
Posted: Fri, 13 Mar 2009P6One of the slides that was put up by Hewlett-Packard during the announcement of its StorageWorks product enhancements last week caught the eye and summed up the state of the...Read More »
HP talks up storage virtualisation offerings
Posted: Wed, 11 Mar 2009Hewlett-Packard has announced an extension to its virtualisation offerings as it moves to offer customers greater choice and flexibility. The latest additions to the Enterprise Virtual Array (EVA)...Read More »
Infortrend unveils enterprise strategy
Posted: Fri, 27 Feb 2009Storage RAID specialist Infortrend has announced plans to enter the enterprise market using CeBit next month as a platform to show off a high performance product range and court...Read More »
NetApp reaffirms strategy after SME shift
Posted: Fri, 06 Feb 2009NetApp has hit back at rivals circling its SME customer base following the vendor’s announcement of plans to scrap its small business product range. Since the revelation...Read More »
Recession boosts uptake of managed services
Posted: Fri, 06 Feb 2009The provision of managed services is likely to be one of the brighter spots in an otherwise difficult economic landscape this year and has the potential to become a safe...Read More »
EMC looks to second-half for better market conditions
Posted: Tue, 27 Jan 2009EMC has refused to provide revenue guidance due to the uncertain macro-economic conditions but reckons global IT spending will decline in the mid to high digits this year, and...Read More »
Comment: Resellers can profit from helping buyers cut costs
Posted: Tue, 13 Jan 2009The winners in storage selling in 2009 will be suppliers that convince customers that storage products and services will help them cut costs. Through this year, the stronger customers will...Read More »
Storage shows resilience despite recession
Posted: Sat, 10 Jan 2009The impact of the recession is hitting the storage market with customers considering switching to lower cost products or freezing budget. That is the broad conclusion of...Read More »
SSD – the real winner against HDD?
Posted: Mon, 08 Dec 2008The solid-state drive (SSD) has big shoes to fill. Its reputation as the technology frontrunner set to replace hard disk drives (HDD) means it faces a public downfall if its...Read More »
Making the most of legacy systems
Posted: Mon, 08 Dec 2008The widening credit crunch and fear of recession have led to a drop in confidence among IT buyers. New projects are being delayed or sliced into smaller pieces that are...Read More »
HDS helps dealers justify storage spend
Posted: Wed, 03 Dec 2008Hitachi Data Systems (HDS) has given resellers access to its in-house Storage Economics analytical methodology in the hope of easing the sales process and enabling end-user IT managers and...Read More »
Quantum bolsters channel funds in face of tough year ahead
Posted: Tue, 02 Dec 2008Storage specialist Quantum has diverted $250,000 marketing spend into the channel as it positions its partners for next year.The vendor is ploughing the funds into its Alliance Channel Programme that...Read More »
Quantum warns of short termism over data storage
Posted: Tue, 11 Nov 2008Users are finding it harder to justify spending budget on IT unless it starts off with a low price and has attractive lifecycle costs. According to research from among...Read More »
FCoE: the next generation of storage
Posted: Fri, 07 Nov 2008Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) is being heralded as the next-generation storage connectivity. Originally proposed to the standards committee ANSI T11 in April 2007 by storage vendors including Brocade Communications...Read More »
Small screen solutions
Posted: Fri, 07 Nov 2008Holiday season is fast approaching, and even in a financial downturn, some consumers will be looking for ways to store their multimedia at home. Which storage formats are available, and...Read More »
Green set to dominate debate at Storage Expo
Posted: Tue, 14 Oct 2008With Storage Expo kicking off tomorrow in Olympia in London for a couple of packed days the organisers have given an early indication of what will be under...Read More »
Storage Expo preview
Posted: Thu, 09 Oct 2008Every year the great and the good of the storage world meet at Storage Expo to show off their wares and inform resellers and customers about the general state of...Read More »
DataCore expolits LeftHand uncertianty
Posted: Mon, 06 Oct 2008Virtualisation player DataCore has lined up a programme to woo LeftHand Networks’ resellers with software discounts and rebates in a bid to unsettle the rival’s channel following the proposed...Read More »
HP buys LeftHand Networks to bolster storage portfolio
Posted: Wed, 01 Oct 2008In a move that will extend its offerings in the lower end of the storage market Hewlett-Packard has agreed to buy LeftHand Networks for $360m in cash. The...Read More »
Virtualisation in the pipeline for most customers
Posted: Wed, 01 Oct 2008A meagre two percent of companies have no plan to implement virtualisation, according to a survey of more than 350 companies by Storage Expo, illustrating growing adoption of the...Read More »
Hammer signs trio of vendors to bolster portfolio
Posted: Thu, 18 Sep 2008Hammer has announced a trio of vendor signings to bolster its portfolio in the crucial fourth quarter. The storage distributor has appointed Texas Memory Systems (TMS), BridgeHead Software...Read More »
Glasshouse offers managed services to cover virtualisation skills gap
Posted: Tue, 16 Sep 2008GlassHouse has taken the wraps off a managed virtualisation service in response to a skills gap in the market that threatens to hold up the adoption of the technology in...Read More »
VMware unveils cloud and datacentre operating system
Posted: Mon, 15 Sep 2008There have been several announcements coming out of VMworld that should take the vendor on from its server virtualisation routes. VMware is facing a certain amount of pressure...Read More »
Hammer event to focus on solutions
Posted: Fri, 12 Sep 2008Hammer is holding its second Storage Focus event next month aiming to point resellers in the direction of business opportunities. Despite the continuous gloom of the credit...Read More »
EMC launches online backup Mozy service in UK
Posted: Wed, 03 Sep 2008The number of vendors offering hosted solutions has been bolstered by the addition of EMC which has started from today to offer its Mozy online backup for SMEs...Read More »
Alternatives to a tangle of tape
Posted: Mon, 25 Aug 2008by Ian Masters When it comes to backing up data, tape has been the preferred option for many years. At the end of each day, some poor soul has been responsible...Read More »
HDD meets rising storage demands
Posted: Fri, 08 Aug 2008The rise of automated manufacturing processes, automated ticketing machines, self-service/mobile point of sale retail machines, and the widespread use of data capture equipment such as CCTV cameras has led to...Read More »
Flexibility boosts RAID revenues
Posted: Thu, 07 Aug 2008Maintaining or increasing revenues from well-established technologies might seem like a hard task, but this is not necessarily the case. Take RAID subsystems, for example. RAID solutions have been around...Read More »
Time and tide wait for no WAN
Posted: Fri, 01 Aug 2008In a virtualised environment, IT managers need to pay careful attention to the impact wide area network (WAN) performance has on application performance. When virtual servers are centralised, limited bandwidth,...Read More »
Brocade points to Foundry buy as channel opportunity
Posted: Tue, 29 Jul 2008Brocade has expanded on its reasons for buying Foundry Networks and the repercussions for the channel underlying the increase in opportunities it presents for partners. The announcement of the $3bn...Read More »
Replicate data to protect servers
Posted: Mon, 28 Jul 2008Many organisations are adopting virtualisation in their data centres to better use hardware, reduce power consumption and simplify management. The reliability of the infrastructure is critically important but what is the...Read More »
Hitachi Data Systems hands rebate power to resellers
Posted: Tue, 15 Jul 2008Hitachi Data Systems (HDS) has decentralised its global payment model and given local resellers more say on the mix of rebate and marketing funding they receive. But under the...Read More »
Logicalis aims to boost mainframe business
Posted: Fri, 04 Jul 2008Logicalis has made a bid to ramp up its mainframe computing business with the launch of an IBM System z Test Environment at its Innovation Centre.Open to both end-user customers...Read More »
Seagate pumps cash into Derry plant
Posted: Thu, 03 Jul 2008Hard-disk vendor Seagate has responded to ever-increasing global demand for digital storage by injecting £120m into its Springbank facility in Northern Ireland. Springbank manufactures read-write heads exclusively for...Read More »
Margirus calls more more intelligent sales from resellers
Posted: Mon, 30 Jun 2008Magirus has used its appointment as a CommVault distributor to warn resellers that in the current climate it is vital they sell storage more intelligently or risk losing the attention...Read More »
Overland Storage snaps up Adapteq NAS operation
Posted: Mon, 30 Jun 2008Overland Storage has acquired the Snap Server NAS business from Adapteq for $3.6m (£1.8m) with $2.1m paid upfront in the cash and the rest settled within 12 months. The...Read More »
SSD frenzy grips vendors
Posted: Tue, 15 Apr 2008Maybe the Storage Networking World (SNW) event in Orlando has been the spark but the storage hardware inventiveness index has suddenly rocketed. A drive array was a drive array was...Read More »
Bright future for virtualisation
Posted: Mon, 14 Apr 2008With the credit crunch looming, resellers are understandably keen to get any advice on product areas that can withstand budget cuts. According to research from Citrix, it looks as if virtualisation...Read More »
Brocade aims high
Posted: Mon, 14 Apr 2008In the wake of last month’s imprisonment of its former human resources chief Stephanie Jensen — for backdating and falsifying corporate records between 2000 and 2004 — storage vendor Brocade...Read More »
Virtualisation market poised for growth
Posted: Wed, 09 Apr 2008Growing IT labour costs coupled with concerns around reliability and performance will make the market for storage virtualisation continue its solid growth rate, according to a survey by F5...Read More »
De-duplication can boost performance
Posted: Fri, 04 Apr 2008De-duplication in itself is easy to understand – optimised storage capacity usage by eliminating duplicated data. However the devil is in understanding the different technologies, techniques and implementations in the...Read More »
Blu-ray in the ascendant as 2.5in drives on the horizon
Posted: Thu, 03 Apr 2008There have been numerous product launches around the flash arena and that trend is set to continue with the introduction of smaller drives writes Chris Mellor. 2.5 inch drive surge coming. Xyratex...Read More »
Frenzy in storage market as data growth casts shadow
Posted: Wed, 02 Apr 2008It was flash, bang, wallop in the first three months of this year. The major storage firms exploded bombs en route to making sure they grow and prosper as crazy...Read More »
Could a recession be the answer?
Posted: Mon, 24 Mar 2008by Chris Mellor An incoming company is bright eyed and bushy tailed at one end of the tape market, while another at the opposite end is almost at its wits end...Read More »
Bell Micro signs virtualisation deal
Posted: Mon, 17 Mar 2008by Simon Quicke Bell Micro has secured a deal with Parallels to add server and desktop virtualisation to its portfolio. The distributor already has relationships with Brocade and DataCore, but is now...Read More »
Bright future for storage
Posted: Mon, 17 Mar 2008by Billy MacInnes Storage resellers looking for research that will back up their anecdotal evidence that customers are facing greater problems will draw considerable comfort from EMC’s latest thoughts on the...Read More »
NetApp to rebrand products
Posted: Mon, 10 Mar 2008NetApp could rejig its distribution channel under a rebranding exercise in an attempt to raise the profile of the StoreVault range aimed at small businesses. Sources close to the company...Read More »
Server sales dip
Posted: Mon, 10 Mar 2008by Paul Kunert Shifting dynamics in the server market following the trend of customers consolidating and virtualising their environments saw server sales fall last year but average sales prices rose, according...Read More »
No clear winner in storage race
Posted: Mon, 03 Mar 2008by Chris Mellor There are various questions vexing my mind at the moment.What’s best, unified storage or point products?Is it better to have a unified storage product line or point products?...Read More »
Runaway capacity headache
Posted: Mon, 11 Feb 2008by Paul Kunert The continued growth of storage installations in mid-sized organisations is a time bomb set to explode in the near future unless businesses consolidate infrastructures to drive efficiencies. This...Read More »
Economy to boost virtualisation
Posted: Mon, 11 Feb 2008Magirus has extended its trading relationship with FalconStor from mainland Europe to the UK and believes the uncertain economic climate could increase storage virtualisation adoption as companies look to consolidate....Read More »
Partial refreshes to increase
Posted: Mon, 28 Jan 2008by Paul KunertIn one of the more off-the-wall predictions for the storage market in 2008, IDC believes customers will increasingly demand partial hardware replacements to cut costs and up the...Read More »
Lights-out data centres to grow
Posted: Mon, 28 Jan 2008by Simon QuickeAn era of unmanned data centres is drawing nearer as environmental and economic factors drive users towards a world where the technology takes the strain. David Pritchard, senior...Read More »
Global plans for Dell buy
Posted: Mon, 21 Jan 2008Dell has paid an undisclosed sum for UK server and storage consultancy The Networked Storage Company (TNWSC) and plans to offer its services globally. The Surrey-based firm specialises in helping...Read More »
Clustering influences future
Posted: Mon, 21 Jan 2008by Paul KunertConsolidation at disk array level is forcing major storage vendors to reconsider more scalable options that industry observers predict will replace monolithic systems in the not-too-distant future. Evidence...Read More »
Big switch or small beer?
Posted: Mon, 14 Jan 2008by Chris MellorPreparing for storage Armageddon? Nicholas Carr thinks you should be, because computing-as-we-know-it is in the process of vanishing.A real big cheese in the area of computing, business and...Read More »
EqualLogic contracts in doubt
Posted: Mon, 17 Dec 2007Distributors are waiting with bated breath for confirmation that they feature in EqualLogic’s plans, following parent Dell stating recently that its own logistics capability meant it could deal directly with...Read More »
EMC slashes prices
Posted: Mon, 17 Dec 2007by Paul KunertEMC has slashed entry-level NAS and SAN prices by 25 per cent, allowing resellers to compete effectively without having to apply for special pricing — which often took...Read More »
Green is the theme
Posted: Mon, 10 Dec 2007by Chris MellorWe started 2007 with de-duplication a curiosity and ended the year with it present on virtually every disk-to-disk backup and reference data storage product. Data Domain and Diligent,...Read More »
Overland expands team
Posted: Mon, 03 Dec 2007Overland Storage is beefing up its UK channel sales team, adding several partner account managers in preparation for 11 product launches next year and a reseller recruitment drive. With OEM...Read More »
Services and software drive growth
Posted: Mon, 03 Dec 2007by Paul KunertServices and software are expected to contribute the majority of incremental revenue in the storage market over the next five years as hardware sales are expected to be...Read More »
Dell iSCSI buy validates technology
Posted: Mon, 26 Nov 2007by Simon QuickeISCSI vendors have seized on Dell’s purchase of Equalogic as a sign that the technology is now validated.Leonard Iventosch, vice-president of worldwide channel sales at NetApp, told MicroScope...Read More »
Dell challenges EMC
Posted: Mon, 19 Nov 2007by Chris MellorHitachi Data Systems (HDS) and Dell have jointly upset the small business storage applecart — HDS by raising the bar, Dell by buying its way in big time....Read More »
Managing virtualisation to keep down costs
Posted: Thu, 01 Jan 1970Savings made by implementing virtualisation can be wiped out if it is not well managed, but a number of practices and tools can help your customer avoid thatThe nascent tools...Read More »
Flash solid state disks open opportunity for fast margins
Posted: Thu, 01 Jan 1970Up until now flash memory was for thumb drives and trying to speed up slow notebooks suffering Vista bloat, which has been unsuccessful. Adding flash cache to hard drives also...Read More »
Demystifying data deduplication
Posted: Thu, 01 Jan 1970By Kevin Platz21 July 2008 When it comes to data deduplication technology the opportunities for resellers are clear – provided they present it and match it to their customers’ needs effectively....Read More »