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Trends in the Storage Networking Market

Looking back at EMC World, a series of overriding themes emerge, particularly regarding cloud computing and the future of SSDs.
May 28, 2010
By

Drew Robb



Drew Robb



EMC World, the annual extravaganza of data storage giant EMC (NYSE: EMC), is now behind us for another year. So what lasting impressions were we left with? Here are our top 10 observations from two days of product demos, keynotes and hallway conversations:

1. All Cloud, All the Time

The first one is no surprise to anyone who has followed the storage networking market leader: EMC is going all out for the cloud. Everything at the show was about "your journey to the private cloud." Even panels had this slant, such as security in the cloud. Attendees were given light blue t-shirts with puffy white clouds. Everything was given a cloud spin.

"Despite all the Kool-Aid, private clouds are in your future," said Greg Schulz, an analyst with StorageIO Group. "Don't be scared of it, but look before you leap."

2. On the FAST Track

Fully Automated Storage Tiering (FAST) version 2 is coming this July, and it finally gets sub-LUN data movement capabilities.

3. Solid State Slowdown

The solid state drive (SSD) mania has taken a back seat. For two years, SSDs were front and center at all EMC events. This year, EMC CEO Joe Tucci barely mentioned it, and no speaker gave it much time. The only really positive thing about flash came up at the 11th hour, when Brian Ader, a senior product manager for EMC's midrange storage systems, said that sales of FAST tend to be driving flash sales.

"Customers seem to be buying flash with FAST," he said. "Flash offers them the opportunity to implement a high-performance Tier 0."

Read the rest at Enterprise Storage Forum.



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