IBM today released a storage system with tiers and storage virtualisation for mid-sized companies, features previously reserved for enterprise customers.
The Storwize V7000 storage system (pictured right) was the first such product IBM sold to the mid-market.
It built its SAN volume controller appliance into the V7000 to virtualise its disk array; external storage could be connected to the V7000 and added to the virtualised storage pool.
Moving frequently accessed data to faster sold-state drives ("tiers") and thin provisioning were included in the latest software.
Its point-and-click interface made the storage system easier to use and would lower the time it took to train staff on the system, said Gavin Toovey, IBM storage product manager.
IBM has changed its licensing model with the Storwize range. The licence is paid for each enclosure rather than by the terabyte of disk space. An enclosure holds up to 120 3.5-inch drives or 240 2.5-inch drives, with a maximum 240 terabytes.
Toovey said the cost to virtualise on the platform was a third cheaper than before.
IBM was assisting its channel partners with sales, technical and enablement staff to sell the V7000, said Anna Wells, storage platform sales leader for IBM Australia and New Zealand.
Wells denied that the price cuts were due to competition.
"We have customers for whom pricing is paramount and we'll work with them as well," she said.
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