Dell launches EqualLogic storage

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Less than a week after completing its tie-up with EqualLogic, Dell has launched its next generation iSCSI storage area network arrays.

Dell offered £1.4 billion for EqualLogic last year.

With very few changes to EqualLogic's last release, the Dell EqualLogic PS5000 Series is little more than repackaging exercise to bring the products into the Dell range, the company admitted.

"There's not a great deal of change," said Liam Farrell, a Dell sales engineer.

"It's more a branding change right now," said Kevin Wittmer, director of product marketing for EqualLogic Products.

That said, Dell is heavily promoting the new range's features. The PS5000 series is a iSCSI-based array, with support for 1TB drives and scope to create a 192TB stacked array. Each PS5000 has 16 bays, up from 14 on the EqualLogic model.

They feature end-to-end virtualisation, and completely scalable, Dell said, stressing how simple the product was to implement. Wittmer added one key aspect is that it can be installed in minutes - the demonstration took about 20 minutes - instead of days. "That enables users to solve other IT problems," Wittmer noted.

Wittmer also cited the new system's scalability, which he said will let IT departments avoid over-buying. The grid system allows for one array to be bought now, and others later as needed, with the virtualisation layer making any later additions look like part of the initial purchase.

Virtualisation was the last key point Wittmer described - the new system allows for end-to-end virtualisation, making management easier and more efficient, he said.

Simon Negus, vice president of service and solutions at Dell said: "This market is something our customers have been driving us toward." He said that 69 per cent of iSCSI early adopters are using virtualisation. "iSCSI and Virtualisation are kind of joined at the hip."

The PS5000 starts at £14,200.

In addition to the storage release, Dell also announced that it has simplified its services portfolio, cutting the number of service offerings down from 10 to do with the introduction of ProSupport.

Dell has invested around $200 million into its services line up with the aim of removing complexity for individuals and IT professionals, according to Craig Routledge, services director for Dell in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

"Too many offers made it quite hard for our customers to understand which service was best for them in a particular geography," he said. "We became very aware this fragmented support model was no longer [relevant]. [It was a case of saying] 'Let's get back to basics and help our customers...'"

He added: "[ProSupport] is easier to use based on the type of individual using the service, easier to buy - but still with a healthy range of choice built in - and absolutely globally consistent."

(Additional reporting by Maggie Holland)

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