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Take a Look Behind EMC XtremIO and the All Flash Array “Curtain”—Marketing Hype or True Competitive Advantage?

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When it comes to all flash array (AFA) selection, it can be easy to fall for the flashy (pun intended) presentation that contains seemingly clear advantages over the competition. It’s important look beyond the slick appearance to see if there’s substance to back up the claims, or if it’s purely a case of smoke and mirrors.

 

Understanding the whole story—without the hype—is critical …Your reputation and customer relationships depend upon it. 

 

Deliver long-term value and no compromise to your customers with EMC XtremIO

 

XtremIO is the industry’s leading AFA with 34% market share according to Gartner’s revised market share numbers (August 2015).[1] And, even as the flash market continues to expand, we expect that XtremIO will continue to lead over #2 IBM and #3 Pure Storage.

 

Why? It’s simple – As EMC’s Josh Goldstein stated in his August 2015 blog post, From Zero to a Billion in 588 Days – XtremIO Enters the Enterprise Computing Record Books:

 

We’re gaining market share because XtremIO is more than just a fast array. It’s enabling new use cases for application teams like integrated copy data management for database development, rapid devops for software organizations and on-demand reporting and analytics for line-of-business owners. We’re gaining share because we’re enabling the IT application and storage opportunities for the next decade, not the last one.

 

When comparing “comparable” AFA products, consider whether it’s a true head-to-head comparison; or, if one product includes built-in differences designed to make it appear stronger than it actually is. Customers shouldn’t be forced to choose between options, sacrificing some features in favor of others. Customers should have the ability to choose all the features and functionality needed to enable all consolidated workloads and to achieve application transformation. 

 

While we have been named a pioneer in the evolution of flash, at EMC we understand that a product’s long-term value goes beyond technical specifications alone. 

 

When positioning XtremIO against other AFA products, encourage your customers and prospects to consider the following:

 

·      Does the product have transformational technologies that allow for No Excuses as discussed by Josh Goldstein of XtremIO.

XtremIO delivers on the promise of fast performance yes, but it is the unique data efficiency through always-on in-memory data services that allows for the transformations.

 

·      Does the vendor deliver and support industry-proven technologies that span converged, application self-service, orchestration, BC/DR and more?

Dedicated XtremIO engineers focus on both feature functionality and integration with best-in-class portfolio of products. Today, EMC XtremIO works with many other EMC and Partner portfolio products such as RecoverPoint, VPLEX, PowerPath, AppSync, VBlock for converged and—just announced—ProtectPoint as well as integration with Oracle, Microsoft, VMWare, and SAP for example. 

 

     Does the vendor demonstrate confidence in its product quality?

 

EMC confidently stands up for XtremIO with the XtremIO Xpect More Program. The XtremIO Xpect More Program includes: XtremIO Maintenance Price Protection, XtremIO Investment Protection, and XtremIO Flash Endurance Protection.

 

·      Will the vendor continue to invest in its products?

EMC is committed to delivering the best solutions in the industry, and spends a significant amount—a cumulative investment of $20.7B since 2005—on research and development in order to keep our products best-in-class.

 

·     How responsive is the vendor to customer needs?

 

EMC is committed to helping both partners and customers succeed throughout their digital transformation. Our dedication to the total customer experience has been recognized with our highest recorded net promoter score in 2014, as well as by “awards for Innovation in Customer Commitment and Innovation in Enabling Customer Success from the Technology Services Industry Association.”[2] 

 

Whereas some competitors loudly tout their superiority while hoping customers don’t look to see what’s behind the hype, EMC XtremIO delivers real, long-term value.  Leverage the XtremIO competitive whiteboard videos and use cases found in the XtremIO FASTPASS to help you demonstrate XtremIO’s lasting and differentiated value.  Bring your application focused customers to the Unleash the Beast tour coming to a city near you.

[1] Gartner, Market Share Analysis: SSDs and Solid-State Arrays, Worldwide, 2014, May 2015, revised August 2015.

[2] EMC Corporate Profile, http://www.emc.com/corporate/emc-at-glance/corporate-profile/index.htm

 

Feel free to reach out to me with any questions at Rima.Robinson@emc.com , XtremIO Partner Enablement

About the Author: Rima Robinson