Virtual datacentres
Transitionary computer giant Dell has launched the first of the products resulting from its acquisition of enterprise storage company EqualLogic, just a few days after the deal was completed.
“We are committed to simplifying IT and EqualLogic will help us realize that vision for our customers worldwide,” said Michael Dell, chairman and CEO, Dell. “Together, Dell and EqualLogic will deliver storage and server virtualization solutions that enable customers of any size to build resilient, flexible datacenters.”
The Dell EqualLogic PS5000 Series uses iSCSI technology, which enables communication with storage arrays over IP networks, thus creating a storage area network (SAN). This is considered to be a critical technology for datacentres and thus vital to secure and expand Dell’s position in this sector.
Shipments of iSCSI-based storage solutions will increase 138 per cent each year for the next five years, according to market research outfit IDC. “This is twice the growth we’re seeing in the worldwide disk storage systems market,” said Benjamin Woo, VP of enterprise storage systems at IDC. “Customers are turning to iSCSI as an easier way to integrate and manage their datacenter environments. With its investment in EqualLogic and the expansion of its overall storage portfolio, Dell is clearly positioning itself to go after this trend.”
