IBM expands all-flash storage offerings

IBM has announced enterprise-class, all-flash storage designed to provide small, midsized organizations and global enterprises with primary storage for cloud or cognitive applications and workloads.

The company also announced today IBM's "Flash In," a storage migration programme designed to help companies looking to leverage its expertise, like Dell and EMC clients, easily transition to IBM storage solutions.

IBM Storwize V7000F and IBM Storwize 5030F are all-flash arrays that the company claims meet the needs across the wide breadth of primary storage applications, workload and use cases at cost-effective price points.

Built with IBM Spectrum Virtualize, the Storwize all-flash solutions is claimed to reduce the cost and complexity of data center and cloud environments. The IBM management software improves storage efficiency with features such as real-time data compression, thin provisioning, and snapshotting across nearly 400 different storage arrays from a multitude of vendors. IBM Spectrum Virtualize also optimizes data security, reliability and operational costs. The software automatically tiers, migrates data from one storage array to another, provides secure data at rest encryption, and remotely replicates data for disaster recovery and business continuity purposes.

The new IBM Storwize storage solutions will be available worldwide from IBM and through IBM Business Partners beginning early September. Pricing begins at $19,000.

Under the new program, clients will receive data migration and installation services for five consecutive days for either on-site replacement or upgrades.

Business Partners looking to add IBM as a strategic vendor to provide more long-term stability and broaden their solutions portfolio will find a set of comprehensive benefits that compare very favorably to what they may experience today.

Up to 80% of all-flash storage is sold by IBM Business Partners.

"With any merger or acquisition, there is unrest in the industry creating uncertainty for channel partners," said Mark Wyllie, chief executive officer, "It's critical that Business Partners have a strong relationship with a company like IBM that is committed to the channel and has proven leadership across key investment areas like flash and software defined storage, in addition to providing resources for ongoing development, training and support that opens the doors to growth."

Clients choosing to migrate from Dell or EMC can also select from the following IBM storage solutions: FlashSystem A9000, FlashSystem A9000R, FlashSystem V9000, FlashSystem 900, DS8888, Deep Flash 150 with Spectrum Scale, Storwize V7000F and Storwize V5030F.