IBM's storage virtualization solution, the IBM System Storage SAN Volume Controller.
Storage is the next frontier in data center transformation, according to IBM, which today is rolling out more than 30 new products and services as part of a $2 billion investment to help customers manage the tidal wave of data being created as society goes digital.
"The world is re-tooling its underlying IT infrastructure in a dramatic shift away from a decades-old client/server model to a radically more efficient Internet-style architecture," said Andy Monshaw, General Manager, IBM System Storage. "This requires different thinking and new capabilities, which we are addressing in this information infrastructure launch, with our investments going forward, and how IBM will do business with our clients. There is no bigger opportunity for our clients than to unlock the value they have in their data centers and help them create smart, innovative offerings for their end users – the consumer."
Today's rollout is the culmination of three years of research and development work, as well as a 24-month acquisition spree in the storage sector, as IBM bought XIV, Diligent, Cognos, Arsenal, Optim, FilesX, Softek, and NovusCG. Big Blue grouped its storage onslaught into three areas: "Internet-scale" availability, data consolidation and retention, and security.
To help customers develop "Internet-scale availability," IBM has introduced several storage technologies:
- A new highly scalable disk storage system developed from the XIV acquisition in January and featuring a "unique grid-based architecture."
- The DS5000 disk storage system, which can add interfaces, increase performance, grow capacity as Internet scale demands, and be reconfigured on-the-fly.
- SVC storage virtualization software that helps clients more efficiently manage and consolidate volumes of business data.
- New scale out file services (SOFS), flexible storage virtualization services that can enable quick implementation of highly scalable, global, clustered network attached storage systems.
IBM wasn't shy about calling out its rivals in the storage market. "IBM is the only company in the world – not HP, not EMC, not Sun - with decades of research, industry knowledge, market leadership and the end-to-end capabilities to make this a reality for our clients,” said Monshaw.
For more details, see IBM's announcement with links to press releases, fact sheets, podcasts and videos.
