For small and medium businesses, buying data storage is an infrequent activity that can present a bewildering array of options and price points. But with data becoming increasingly critical to performance, it is a decision buyers need to get right.
To learn more, listen to this IBM-sponsored podcast episode featuring Geoff Boreland, who has been selling storage for more than 20 years through his technology solutions business Evolution Systems. Beyond just selling hardware, Boreland has used his knowledge to build his own cloud storage solution based on IBM’s FlashSystem range to also offer private cloud services to their clients.
“We have transitioned from simply selling IBM products to using them also within our infrastructure,” Boreland says. “We are now an IBM customer, as well as a reseller.”
Boreland says the most important consideration when buying is to understand the data, as this will determine what the end solution should be.
“It's all about getting the right data onto the right storage so that the solution you end up with is cost effective,” Boreland says. “The two most important factors are around data security and data resiliency.”
Another critical question is how much storage will be needed. Boreland says buyers need to think long-term – something he says IBM has solved in a novel way.
“The storage utility model from IBM allows them to purchase storage solutions at a price that meets today's requirements, and yet delivers the capacity that is needed for the future,” Boreland says. “The units are delivered with all the storage capacity needed over the next 36 to 60 months, and the customer only pays for the additional capacity when it's consumed.
“What used to be a four-to-six-week lead time to add storage can now be performed in minutes.”
To hear more about how Evolution Systems is delivering the benefits of IBM’s FlashSystem storage, tune in to this iTnews podcast.
