EMC still the most favored (
Continued from Page 2)Among our survey respondents, EMC is still the major supplier of
disk subsystems, with 46% saying they've already purchased--or plan
to purchase--an EMC array (see "Who you bought your disk systems
from," at right). Consistent with past surveys, Hewlett-Packard
(HP) Co. ran second, with 33% saying they added HP storage to their
shops. IBM Corp. (with 29%) surged past Dell Inc., coming from five
percentage points behind in last spring's survey to six points
ahead in our most recent survey. That was the most dramatic change
among disk vendors, and may suggest that IBM's alliance with NetApp
to fill holes in its low-end and midrange product lines may be
bearing some fruit.
Once again, features and functionality were cited by 32% of
respondents as key factors in making a disk subsystem
purchase--criteria that have been consistently cited as most
important across all product categories in this and past surveys.
Having a foot in the door also gives a vendor an edge, with 21%
saying that having other technology installed by a vendor will
likely influence new purchasing decisions. Company size is also a
factor, with larger companies more focused on support issues and
small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) being more price
sensitive.
Next: ISCSI buying patterns