Be ready

Dimension Data has announced a new consultancy service and vision for storage. In its latest strategy; A Storage Ready Network, Dimension Data states that companies considering a new storage infrastructure need to consider a single framework for their storage, voice, data and security.

Dimension Data describes its Storage Ready Network as a "single intelligent infrastructure providing data, voice, video and storage services." They add that the network should have a "common framework for security, quality of service and management." Creating the Storage Ready Network will involve a "planned architecture" that considers the enterprises current and future storage demands.

"Today, many organisations are already addressing convergence with data, video and voice, but not storage. It is clear in the marketplace and among our customers, that elements of storage and networking must converge. While many customers have embraced storage consolidation projects, technology and approaches to date haven't addressed the underlying infrastructure, the storage network. The proliferation of storage networks within organisations creates unnecessary costs, management complexity, and separate security policies," said Greg Bowden, the national business manager for Dimension Data Australia.

To this end, Dimension Data has developed an assessment service for storage and networking convergence. The assessment uses a series of questionnaires, interviews, workshops and a review of documentation to examine the current storage and networking infrastructure and processes and to cross-reference these with the stated future direction of the company. From this, Dimension Data produces a Draft Technical Architecture Action Plan and Validated Business Requirements, this is then used to develop the Storage Ready Network.

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