Comments on: Gravity Applies to Everyone! http://www.thestoragealchemist.com/gravity-applies-to-everyone/ Turning Storage Technology into IT Gold Fri, 18 May 2012 03:39:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Steve Kenniston http://www.thestoragealchemist.com/gravity-applies-to-everyone/comment-page-1/#comment-235 Steve Kenniston Wed, 16 Jun 2010 20:58:18 +0000 http://www.thestoragealchemist.com/?p=878#comment-235 Hey Jeff - GREAT to hear from you! Thanks for the comment. Couple of key things to consider: 1) Storage is elastic. We saw when data deduplication came out that vendors started saying - "oh, now I am going to sell less xxx" - the reality is, customers started keeping more stuff on line and because they could now efficiently replicate data - they kept twice as much stuff on line. Same is / will be true with primary storage optimization. I can now keep more snapshots, I can replicate more efficiently, I can have more clones etc... so storage needs wont shrink, it would just be used in different ways. 2) If vendors don't chose to 'get on the optimization horse' they will die. The technology is too compelling that customers are asking for it and if the vendors don't have a solution then they will no longer stay the incumbents. They will all need a primary storage optimization solution. 3) From a partners / resellers perspective - I have seen three avenues a) A number of VARs that have strategic relationships with large companies actually don't sell the storage direct. For example, at a large on-line auction site in San Jose, CA (guess who) they buy all of their NTAP storage direct. However the VAR in the account, who really understands the customer needs - knows the customer doesn't want to buy any more disk drives if they can help it. Primary storage optimization - if it can be sold as an extension (appliance) to the environment is actually a great way for the VAR to cut the storage spend and get more $ for stuff the VAR can offer. b) In cases where the VAR does sell the storage, the answer is, if they can have the customer spend less on infrastructure (low margin stuff) and make more money on the higher margin stuff - Software / Services - then why not get that benefit. c) Some VARs aren't really "V"ARs and they will die because if the don't add the "V"alue - and customers are looking for what is best for them, not the reseller, then they won't last too long. Hope that helps. Thanks again Jeff! Stay well! Steve Hey Jeff – GREAT to hear from you! Thanks for the comment. Couple of key things to consider:
1) Storage is elastic. We saw when data deduplication came out that vendors started saying – “oh, now I am going to sell less xxx” – the reality is, customers started keeping more stuff on line and because they could now efficiently replicate data – they kept twice as much stuff on line. Same is / will be true with primary storage optimization. I can now keep more snapshots, I can replicate more efficiently, I can have more clones etc… so storage needs wont shrink, it would just be used in different ways.
2) If vendors don’t chose to ‘get on the optimization horse’ they will die. The technology is too compelling that customers are asking for it and if the vendors don’t have a solution then they will no longer stay the incumbents. They will all need a primary storage optimization solution.
3) From a partners / resellers perspective – I have seen three avenues
a) A number of VARs that have strategic relationships with large companies actually don’t sell the storage direct. For example, at a large on-line auction site in San Jose, CA (guess who) they buy all of their NTAP storage direct. However the VAR in the account, who really understands the customer needs – knows the customer doesn’t want to buy any more disk drives if they can help it. Primary storage optimization – if it can be sold as an extension (appliance) to the environment is actually a great way for the VAR to cut the storage spend and get more $ for stuff the VAR can offer.
b) In cases where the VAR does sell the storage, the answer is, if they can have the customer spend less on infrastructure (low margin stuff) and make more money on the higher margin stuff – Software / Services – then why not get that benefit.
c) Some VARs aren’t really “V”ARs and they will die because if the don’t add the “V”alue – and customers are looking for what is best for them, not the reseller, then they won’t last too long.

Hope that helps.

Thanks again Jeff! Stay well!
Steve

]]> By: jdhine http://www.thestoragealchemist.com/gravity-applies-to-everyone/comment-page-1/#comment-234 jdhine Wed, 16 Jun 2010 16:06:11 +0000 http://www.thestoragealchemist.com/?p=878#comment-234 Steve - great post. I am interested in your thoughts as to how this technology will ultimately get to market. It would appear on some level that primary storage de-dupe/compression is a revenue killer for the big storage firms. Yes data grows, and it seems to not be stopping any time soon (sort of like oil spills) but its got to be a hit to revenue for companies like EMC etc. when the reality hits that you may have already purchased all the storage capacity you need for a year or so. Are you seeing channel partners/resellers take this on in a big way? or are they also fearful of how it might affect their business? Clearly a win for the end user. Are the vendors you work with fans or are they getting in the way? Steve – great post. I am interested in your thoughts as to how this technology will ultimately get to market. It would appear on some level that primary storage de-dupe/compression is a revenue killer for the big storage firms. Yes data grows, and it seems to not be stopping any time soon (sort of like oil spills) but its got to be a hit to revenue for companies like EMC etc. when the reality hits that you may have already purchased all the storage capacity you need for a year or so.

Are you seeing channel partners/resellers take this on in a big way? or are they also fearful of how it might affect their business?

Clearly a win for the end user. Are the vendors you work with fans or are they getting in the way?

]]>