Dell broadens PowerVault SAN support for non-Dell servers

Dell has announced that it has expanded the capabilities of its PowerVault storage area network (SAN) to include support for a broad range of industry-standard servers.

With comprehensive support for many Microsoft Windows NT and Windows 2000 Intel-based platforms, Dell can offer customers a storage solution that leverages their existing Windows server investments, while scaling to accommodate their growing data requirements.

Sean Wainer, enterprise product manager at Dell SA, says: "Dell has grown its storage business by providing simplified and standardised storage solutions for all of our customers from small businesses to large, global corporations. Interoperability among hardware vendors has helped drive down costs, allowing users to grow their IT infrastructure in line with their business."

However, interoperability has also been cited by 83% of enterprises as the most significant problem in implementing SAN technology, according to Enterprise Storage Group. In Wainer`s opinion, the deployment of PowerVault SAN solutions will help alleviate this problem in Windows NT/Windows 2000 environments by providing the necessary support, scalability and cost-effectiveness needed to meet all of Dell customers` data storage requirements.

Combined with Dell`s service and support offering, Dell SANs provide a comprehensive solution to meet the needs of organisations deploying business-critical applications. This latest capability allows the PowerVault SAN to work together with Windows servers from vendors including Compaq, IBM and HP. By offering SANs with enterprise-class functionality at a much lower price than many traditional storage vendors, Dell is addressing a fast growing portion of the total worldwide disk storage systems market.

International Data Corporation expects the worldwide Open SAN market to grow 62% this year, reaching $7.1 billion.

Says Keith White, Senior Director of Marketing, Microsoft Embedded and Appliance Platforms Group: "Customers deploying PowerVault SAN solutions are able to take advantage of the reliability and management capabilities of Windows and achieve simpler, more cost-effective management of SANs."