The twin triggers of virtualization and lower-cost iSCSI have made small and mid-sized enterprises (SMEs) a prime growth area for Storage Area Network (SAN) purchasing. However, many enterprises in this range find offerings from tier one vendors such as HP and EMC either too limited or too expensive. Both these companies have significantly updated and upgraded their low-end offerings.
This research note focuses on:
- The sticker shock SMEs encounter when they consider SAN purchases in support of virtualization initiatives.
- How the HP MSA2000 and the EMC AX4 have significantly increased the capacity and capability of the low-end SAN.
- How EqualLogic has been a disruptive influence in this market space, and the quandary Dell now faces being a purveyor of both EqualLogic and EMC products.
For the IT decision maker who is frustrated with the cost of SAN options from the major vendors, the introduction of MSA2000 and the EMC AX4 is certainly promising news.
