NetApp Takes On EMC & HP
NetApp Takes On EMC & HP
May 9th, 2006: Network Appliance has thrown down the gauntlet and announced that it is taking on EMC and HP in the ultra-high end enterprise data centre space with its new FAS6000.
NetApp is making an aggressing move into the ultra high-end enterprise data centre market saying that it is looking to unseat EMC and HP for leadership of open systems storage. To do this, it has a two fold plan of attack.
The first is an expanded portfolio of applications and the second is a duo of new hardware devices. Through this combination, NetApp says that it is able to offer modular, transparent scalability for the largest data centre applications.
Unlike competitive frame array products, NetApp says its approach to storage simplifies provisioning, improves utilisation of assets and increases IT productivity. It claims that it offers “the most scalable, cost-effective, high-performance solutions available bar none.”
A bold claim perhaps, but to back it up NetApp is putting its FAS6000 half-petabyte hardware where its mouth is saying: “The systems scale to 500Tb of capacity, a level previously available only with the most expensive storage systems. Unlike competitive high-end storage systems such as EMC Symmetrix, the FAS6000 has a modular storage design, making it easier to deploy “as needed” to increase business agility and reduce costs.”
The company backs up its claims using Telstra as a case study. It says by making the switch, the telco made huge massive savings in manpower and storage provisioning turnaround time.
“NetApp has spent quite some time in data centres. Organisations like the large banks, Telstra and department of defence have been using NetApp for a long tine, What we’re announcing today, is that we’re taking that same technology that they use and dragging it up into the absolute ultra high end of the data centres,” said Heers, Director, Marketing and Alliances, Network Appliance Australia and New Zealand. “This is the traditional place that we associate with EMC and HP who have solved the problems in this area with what we call Frame Arrays, big boxes that a purpose built and have a lot of cost involved to maintain and configure them.”
“Most cost problems come from maintaining data and making sure that it is available,” said Heers. “Telstra came to us with a list of problems surrounding reducing reduced their operating budget, reducing costs. Beating up their current vendors for 5% off here, cheaper licenses there was never going to work. By going with NetApp, they reduced their storage admin load from 50 to 3, allowing personnel to be redeployed on value tasks”
“More than anything, NetApp is attacking problems in a different way that anyone has before,” said Heers. “Watch out EMC and HP, we’re going to the high-end of this marketplace.”
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