News
Dell Boosts SAN Offerings
- By Scott Bekker
- January 22, 2001
Dell Computer Corp. expanded its line of SAN
products today, offering customers a broader range of options for high-end
Windows environments.
Dell
introduced its PowerVault 660F Fibre Channel storage array, designed for
rackmount environments. The PowerVault 660F can support up to twenty servers and
holds up to 70TB of data. Emil Sayegh, senior manager for software and
solutions at Dell, says that Dell plans to target mid-to-high end Windows users
with the storage array.
While Dell
is known for direct sales, Sayegh says that most customers will not be
selecting a SAN implementation from the website, then deploying it themselves.
Rather, Dell’s consulting wing will aid users making SAN decisions. However,
Sayegh says that Dell attempts to apply its model even to its service
offerings. Users can make initial decisions using software available on the
web, then use consultants to make final plans. “We’re trying to commodify
consulting,” he says.
Sayegh says
that many mid-tier businesses face similar problems, so consultants experienced
with these environments can assess situations efficiently. Dell is particularly
qualified to help Windows users, he believes, because Windows is Dell’s core
competency. “We are extremely focused on the solving the problems of customers
with Windows environments,” he says.
Unlike IBM
Corp, Hewlett Packard Co, or Compaq Computer Corp. through its acquisition of
Digital Equipment Corp., Dell has little experience selling mainframes or
minicomputers to businesses, sometimes raising questions about its credibility
as an enterprise vendor. In response, Dell has taken a number of steps to
assure its place in the enterprise.
In 1998,
Dell split its storage group off into a single unit, which reports directly to
chairman Michael Dell. Sayegh says its independence from the rest of the
company allows the division to develop for and pursue markets with greater
vigor. “On a quarterly basis, we introduce new SAN hardware to our customers,”
he says.
Last
December, Dell announced that it would OEM Unisys Corp.’s 32-processor ES7000
in order to offer a complete set of enterprise offerings from desktops to
high-end database servers. – Christopher
McConnell
About the Author
Scott Bekker is editor in chief of Redmond Channel Partner magazine.