The real storage scenario

Storage and backup are today no longer simply about deploying the latest industry buzz words and proclaiming the "next best thing" to your potential clients - it is about providing those tangible, workable benefits that (quite obviously) don`t cost an arm and a leg.

The reality is that there are now a number of real technologies that enable companies to manage and protect their valuable data, while the others have to a certain extent faded into the background.

One of these technologies is disk - companies are now demanding disk as part of their storage strategies and the resultant software that manage and optimise it. And yes you might say we`ve been talking about disk for years, but now it`s a real option and far more affordable than a few years ago.

With disk information is easier to manage and quicker to retrieve in the event of a disaster.

Also, companies are requiring more intelligent storage. At CA, we understand this and have already established ourselves as one of the leading providers of data management tools. And now we`re offering more of this intelligence in our BrightStor ARCserve Backup range of storage products.

We`re incorporating the critical functionality that for example comes with Unicenter, our network management environment - thus enabling companies to comprehensively manage their entire IT environment that includes storage.

What is the use to backup your e-mail server, if it is down and you only notice it the next day? Here, Unicenter will send an SMS to the IT manager informing him of the server downtime and subsequent failure to backup.

People also tend to forget about the importance of security as part of your data protection. Again, our BrightStor offering incorporates eTrust security software that guarantees that while backing up critical data you won`t have to worry about possible virus onslaughts crippling the system.

Storage and backup have moved beyond a myriad of products and buzz words, and now offer intelligence, ease-of-use that caters for each unique environment. While virtualisation might work in one environment, it might be disastrous for another. By incorporating intelligent tools you, at the very least, guarantee the management and reliability of your storage assets.