EMC Maps Out Strategy For Heterogeneous Enterprise Storage Networks

Business Wire, Nov 3, 1998

HOPKINTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 3, 1998--

Storage Leader Moves Customers Closer to the Vision of a

"Universal Data Tone"

EMC Corporation today detailed a comprehensive strategy for bringing the network to enterprise storage. Through development of the world's first open, heterogeneous enterprise storage networks, EMC is helping customers build a world in which a single pool of storage will handle all information storage requirements of even the largest, most complex organizations. EMC Enterprise Storage Networks will speed consolidation efforts; provide a fast, reliable infrastructure for the common management, protection and sharing of data across the enterprise; relieve network bottlenecks; and offer new dimensions in cost savings.

A dedicated network connecting multiple enterprise storage systems to all types of servers and their associated operating systems and applications, EMC Enterprise Storage Networks extend the benefits and capabilities of enterprise storage beyond the data center. EMC Enterprise Storage Networks make the promises of distributed computing a reality through the consolidation of dispersed storage resources, moving information that currently resides in far-flung departments and business units to the data center while giving customers the option to keep servers -- and applications -- close to the user.

"EMC is bringing the network to enterprise storage," said Michael C. Ruettgers, EMC President and CEO. "By extending the information protection, management and sharing attributes of EMC Enterprise Storage across all data within and outside the data center, we are dramatically increasing the amount of information an organization can access and use. Consolidation of data across the network onto EMC Enterprise Storage takes The EMC Effect to a new level, offering a single view of enterprise-wide information that can be converted into business value by every division and every business process."

Proliferation of EMC Enterprise Storage Networks will bring EMC customers around the world closer to EMC's vision of a Universal Data Tone. With Universal Data Tone, information is as accessible as electricity, constantly updated, easily found and shared, and available for re-use and regeneration for multiple purposes. "Universal dial tone was the concept that transformed the telephone from an interesting invention to a successful global phenomenon. Today, the same principles are driving the rapid proliferation of enterprise storage," Ruettgers said.

A Comprehensive Approach

To implement this vision, EMC will incorporate enterprise storage software functionality at three levels: enterprise storage systems, network components and heterogeneous servers. Development and integration of these technologies will result from EMC's vast investments in software, extensive interoperability testing, and deep alliances with hardware and software partners.

On the storage level, EMC will continue to lead the market through its unique ability to impact the way enterprise storage systems manage, protect and share information. EMC also will integrate software functionality on the network level to monitor, manage and control components that reside on the storage network (e.g., hubs, switches, etc). Finally, EMC will incorporate additional software to increase server-based application performance and availability through tight integration with all resources on the storage network.

Ruettgers added, "As networking and storage architectures converge, EMC will continue to offer customers the most open enterprise storage network solution. EMC pioneered network storage with heterogeneous connectivity. With EMC Enterprise Storage Networks, we're extending this capability across the network. Every day we prove that EMC continues to maintain its multi-year lead in building the technology, enterprise storage and network expertise, and partnerships required to deliver the most flexible and open information storage solutions. Through these efforts, EMC is leading the way toward a Universal Data Tone on which customers can rely, regardless of their disparate hardware and software platforms."

According to the Meta Group, of Stamford, Conn., EMC's Enterprise Storage Network strategy closely reflects trends Meta sees in the emerging storage network model. "Future shared storage devices will attach to a network fabric, not individual servers," said Carl Greiner, Meta's Vice President and Director, Enterprise Data Center Strategies. "This will enable better availability; greater aggregate bandwidth; performance scalability with clusters; and any-to any communications. Software and interoperability testing for heterogeneous and continuous operations will be required by vendors and users for successful enterprise shared storage network solutions."

Not All Storage Networks Are Created Equal

"As new Fibre Channel network devices make their way to market, the bottom line for customers remains constant -- not all storage networks are created equal. For storage networks to perform on the enterprise level, customers will need significantly more than Fibre Channel network components and disk arrays," said Jim Rothnie, EMC's Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Technical Officer. "Vital elements of true enterprise storage networks include platform-independent storage systems; centralized management software; tested interoperability; robust online storage-to-storage data movement; storage-based security; and data center class support."