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ROUNDTABLE: STRATEGY TAKE YOUR PARTNERS VALENTINE'S DAY SEEMS LIKE A DISTANT MEMORY ALREADY, SO IN THE SPIRIT OF TRUE ROMANCE STORAGE MAGAZINE TALKS TO A PANEL OF INDUSTRY EXPERTS ABOUT HOW TO FIND 'THE RIGHT MATCH' WHEN LOOKING FOR A STORAGE SOLUTION THAT SUITS YOUR NEEDS When a single product can easily cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and have a significant impact on the rest of the IT infrastructure, selecting the right storage solution can be a daunting affair. When successful organisation/storage solution partnerships are based on trust and long-term commitment, how can IT administrators find the solution for them, rather than end up disappointed after a flash in the pan (pun intended)? The approach to finding the right match when it comes to data storage products should be similar to that a person would apply to finding a suitable romantic partner: there are some qualities an IT solution has to have that are nonnegotiable, others less so. Eric Polet, product marketing manager at Spectra Logic, explains, "There are some traits that your match must absolutely have, such as honesty, kindness, sense of humour, intelligence, etc. These essentials will vary from person to person." He compares this human element to the search for a storage solution: "An end user organisation must go through the same initial process: the IT team must determine what it requires for its long-term success and happiness such as business priorities, critical needs, future plans, shared values, preferences and limitations." Polet also gives us an example of such match-making when it comes to technology: "Choosing between a private cloud, hybrid cloud, pure cloud, or multi-cloud is a good example of how it is essential to identify your nonnegotiable criteria during the selection process." Saimon Michelson, field CTO at CTERA, takes a slightly different approach. "A good way to start is to conceptualise the finish." He continues: "Decide what you're trying to get out of the new solution. Are you looking for more cost-effective means of storing unused data? Are you trying to 24 STORAGE Mar/Apr 2021 @STMagAndAwards www.storagemagazine.co.uk MAGAZINE
ROUNDTABLE: STRATEGY "A good way to start is to conceptualise the finish. Decide what you're trying to get out of the new solution. Are you looking for more cost-effective means of storing unused data? Are you trying to enhance the productivity of remote workers post-COVID?" - Saimon Michelson, CTERA enhance the productivity of remote workers post-COVID?" COME TOGETHER Those 'deal-breakers' Polet mentions are crucial when putting together a plan, be it for a potential life partner or a storage solution. Ensuring they are taken care of means that organisations can relax knowing that their must-haves are covered. Scott Sinclair, principal analyst at ESG Global, tells us what he believes some of these priorities should be: "For data storage, the essentials, such as high availability, performance, cost, and ease of use, are still important, but those are really just the beginning of finding the right solution." Sinclair went on to explain how some organisations can underestimate their growth: "Once the essentials are met, prioritise storage solutions that provide the most flexibility to change with the needs of your organisation, and not just in terms of adding capacity or even more performance." As Veniamin Simonov, director of product management at NAKIVO explains, success depends on both the storage solution and the organisation involved: "A good understanding from the organisation, explaining its needs, and fairly accurate projection for the next few years are crucial. Then it's a matter of searching for a solution which is not only a good fit at present, but is also likely to be suitable in the coming years. Afterwards, one or more selected products should be evaluated and tested." This is useful advice: as many people in the dating game will tell us, sometimes you may think you know what you are looking for in a partner, but it is only when you sit down and write a list of priorities that you form a clear idea of the attributes your match needs to bring to the table. Another consideration when trying to identify 'the one', is how much you are willing to invest in the relationship. Spectra Logic's Polet spells out what should be examined in terms of cost: "The initial and ongoing costs, the time requirements, and the flexibility of the solution must all be weighed before choosing." STAND BY ME Whether the chosen one will be reliable is another factor: lack of reliability can lead to a severe breakdown of trust and reputation, leading to the demise of the relationship and damaging future ones. In this case that could be an end user discounting a particular technology altogether due to a bad experience. Doug Williams, Northern Europe alliance & channel director at Scality, commented: "It is vital to find a reliable match that will always show up for you, whether that is your partner or your data storage array; this is a deal breaker. IT organisations should also look for longevity in their chosen solutions to allow for growth and development over the years." Any IT administrator wishing to enjoy a fruitful, long-term relationship with its IT environment also needs to think of anyone else who may be affected by this partnership. If their new match is going to affect other users in their company it is important that their needs are also taken into consideration during the selection stage. www.storagemagazine.co.uk @STMagAndAwards Mar/Apr 2021 STORAGE MAGAZINE 25
Page 1 and 2: STOR MAGAZINE STORAGE The UK’s nu
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Page 8 and 9: CASE STUDY: WATERAID STUDY: WATERAI
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Page 13 and 14: PROFILE: PROFILE: SUPERMICRO Liang
Page 15 and 16: MARKET FOCUS: FOCUS: SURVEILLANCE "
Page 17 and 18: TECHNOLOGY: OBJECT STORAGE "Object
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Page 21 and 22: MARKET FOCUS: FOCUS: CLOUD BACKUP "
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