Last week, EMC introduced its XtremIO all-flash storage array to the industry, which is sure to turn up the volume on an already booming flash storage conversation. A perfect storm of virtualization, increasing demands for I/O-intensive applications like SAP, Oracle, SQL and big data analytics, and dropping SSD pricing has already put the topic at the tip of nearly every IT director’s tongue. You might take a look at XtremIO, but here are three differences between Dell Storage and the other flash storage providers you should consider before you make a decision.
1.) Breakdown silos, don’t build them
Like many all-flash arrays, XtremIO is a siloed solution. We believe that flash shouldn’t be roped off in the VIP section of the data center with a separate interface. We recognize that it is just the latest in a long line of storage innovations, and we’ve approached it practically as such, incorporating SSD into our full-featured storage arrays. What’s more, our flash solutions rely on the same simple, yet sophisticated, management tools our customers applaud. We didn’t add another tool to the already overcrowded administrator’s tool belt. Most customers have spent the better part of a decade breaking down silos in their infrastructure and aren’t ready to build new ones.
2.) Pick high performance without the price tag
If you want performance—and certainly you do if you’re considering flash—we’ve got it. Node for node, our Compellent flash array has just as much horsepower as XtremIO. But, most workloads do just fine with the speed of a sedan—they don’t call for a Ferrari. Dell always has been about putting great technology in the hands of the masses. Our approach to flash follows in these footsteps. That’s why we rewrote our tiering software specifically for flash, but made sure our array can also tier to spinning disks to maximize ROI. The result, according to a recent ESG lab test, is the throughput you need at a cost that’s four to six times more cost-effective than other all-flash arrays. What could your IT team do with the money you save? We’ve got a few ideas.
3.) Go with the #1 choice for flash
Dell was selected by IT pros as the #1 choice for flash, according to independent research by SSG NOW. We were also named to the “Top Ten Coolest Flash Products of 2013 (So Far)” by CRN and took home the Storage Magazine Quality Award.
We’ve stepped on the gas in storage innovation, and we’re only getting started. The integrated, full-featured and low-cost approach of our flash solutions speak to the type of aggressive innovations we will be unveiling all across our storage portfolio in the next six months.
Stay tuned as we continue to redefine the economics of the data center. Join the conversation and follow @Dell_Storage.
