Despite growing interest, many enterprises have been hesitant to adapt an all-flash storage technology solution. As competition heats up and offerings continue to improve from both a price and performance standpoint, it might be time to take the plunge.
Consider the potential benefits:
One is ease of implementation. Setting up a flash system doesn’t require downtime or a disruptive weekend shutdown to replace existing storage resources. Deployment, moreover, can be accomplished in a matter of minutes rather than days, and the transition is seamless to internal users and customers. Replacing spinning disks with flash arrays also produces a ten-fold reduction in space and heating/cooling requirements.
In contrast to disk systems that must be replaced every few years, flash technology is easily scalable and has a longer shelf life, eliminating the need for forced “fork-lift” upgrades, capacity adds and data migrations. Data stored on flash systems is easier to access than on disk, a critical advantage for businesses struggling with data warehousing challenges.
Many enterprises reluctant to go all-in on flash have been put off by the initial purchase price. As an alternative, they’ve pursued hybrid solutions, with disk as a back-up and flash used for applications needing a quicker response time. Today, however, the long-term price and performance benefits of a pure flash solution are becoming increasingly attractive. All-flash arrays already provide a lower 4-year TCO than conventional disk-based systems, and costs are likely to continue to decline. We’ve seen a 12 percent drop in the consumer SSD market since the beginning of 2016, and it’s only a matter of time before the enterprise market catches up.
In this environment, enterprises assessing their storage strategy should consider a business case that includes a long-term view of financials, vendor options and opportunities to leverage negotiations.
About the authorSteve has over 25 years of technology sourcing, consulting and procurement management experience. He has held leadership roles at Software Spectrum, Procurian and Epsilon prior to becoming a Managing Consultant in the Hardware & Software Group. He has developed and implemented multiple cost savings projects across multiple IT/Telecom sub-categories including but not limited to Laptop/Desktop Hardware, Servers, Mid-Range Hardware, Storage, Telecom Hardware, Enterprise Software, and Application Software. Steve has a wide range of negotiating experiences which helps him identify cost savings opportunities.
