In the age of information, we have a great need for data storage. Application deployment suffers when storage isn’t adequate enough to handle capabilities. At the same time, storage and data demands continue to grow, putting pressure on the enterprise that is difficult to escape, even when progress is being made.
For some, the solution needed to address these challenges is flash. According to a recent post in Information Age, flash dominates conversations concerning enterprise storage. While flash is considered very fast, it may be time to focus the conversation on the value it brings to the enterprise. As vendors continue to enter the space with different options in flash, it’s important to understand the use case and what you need to consider before making any investments, even if they will support application deployment.
To that end, there are a few things we need to know about flash to make the right choice. For one, the economics surrounding the technology are changing. When it first emerged on the market, flash was much more expensive than disk, making it more difficult to convince decision makers that it was the better option. But price points have come down considerably, a trend that is expected to continue. Essentially, the amount of storage capability on each flash Solid State Drive (SSD) increases over time, bringing down the cost per gigabyte.
Software is also getting smart, which means we have to stop thinking about flash as merely a storage medium and instead consider the implications for application deployment. SSDs serve as the building blocks, but the benefit comes from where you put them and how you use them. Think of software as the catalyst of flash as it brings flash to life, enabling businesses to use the medium in innovative ways to derive the most value.
As a result, it is application deployment that must lead flash procurement. The reality in this market is that there are too many vendors and options, making it seem overwhelming to make the right choice. Decision makers need to ask the right questions and the right questions do not start with hardware. The end customer has to own the application deployment side of the conversation to ensure the most value and the right choice – it should never lie with the vendor. This ensures the understanding of the application before the flash strategy is created.
The right way to purchase flash challenges conventional thinking and changes the way the enterprise has always purchased storage. But we know that with innovation must come innovative thinking. Never in this space should we hold tight to the status quo. The ability to move with agility is what delivers a competitive advantage and a better experience for the customer overall. It doesn’t just apply to customer service – it applies across all operations.
Edited by Rory J. Thompson