IBM unveils new storage gateway system
IBM unveils new storage gateway system
IBM has introduced a new device for linking existing storage networks that it says affords users the opportunity to maximise their storage hardware investments.
The IBM TotalStorage NAS Gateway 500 system - to give it its full name – provides a common link to various locations where data resides, reducing the need to create islands of new storage systems that can often require greater levels of administration and support.
"The new IBM TotalStorage NAS Gateway 500 is a key part of our Network Attached Storage strategy to deliver unparalleled benefits for customers who want to use gateways to access shared data faster and cheaper," said Leslie Swanson, Vice President, IBM Storage Systems. "Today's data centres often share a mix between heterogeneous NAS and SAN technologies. The new gateway can help customers leverage current storage investments while reducing the manpower necessary to support them."
This latest launch by IBM is further proof of the convergence between NAS and SAN (Storage Area Network) environments that is taking place in the market. This is also borne out by research from analyst group Gartner, whose research into NAS gateway products found that the market segment had grown 27 percent in the last year in terms of revenue, to around US$84 million. Gartner expects a similar level of growth year on year between now and 2007, which would value the market at US$215 by 2007.
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