The ITA Premium:SME Storage Landscape: A Navigation Key

Small to mid-sized enterprises (SMEs) are currently considered the sweet spot for storage sales by vendors. However, SMEs are not all alike and there is more than one sweet spot for more than one storage area network (SAN) solution type. This note discusses how three general types of SME align with three types of SAN solution:

How small business entry-level storage solutions align with smaller (under 100 employee) companies with modest and limited storage needs. How SANs based on storage clusters are increasingly finding a home with mid-sized enterprises (100-1000 employees) with more robust needs but no existing SAN infrastructure.

How traditional mid-range SANs fit with mid-sized to large enterprises and particularly those with a previous investment in networked storage. Nonetheless, there is considerable overlap within these product offerings and although they each might have a sweet spot, they can (and do) compete against each other. This is particularly true with clustered solutions that compete across the board. This note discusses other selection criteria as well such as service and pricing.