Cisco: Cisco storage networking is an element of its Architecture for Voice, Video, and Integrated Data (AVVID) family. "Cisco’s storage networking enable companies to extend their storage networks to the metropolitan, and wide area environments, to realize the vision of globally networked storage. This initiative helps enterprise organizations take best advantage of the existing infrastructure and accelerate the deployment of both block-based SANs and file-based NAS", says SV Ramana, vice president, systems engineering, Cisco India. It offers an infrastructure solution to transfer block data over LAN, WAN and MAN environments. Cisco’s Storage Networking 5420 storage routers supply end-to-end interconnect solutions for the transfer of data over IP-based networks from block transfer SCSI devices. They are an essential piece for tying fiber channel SANs and Gigabit Ethernet IP networks together. "The SN 5420 is the first product which incorporates the implementation of the Internet Draft Standard for iSCSI protocol, which enables access to storage devices and SANs over dedicated standards or shared Ethernet-based TCP/IP networks", says Ramana. Its model of services is both direct as well as indirect through SIs, resellers, and service partners.

Compaq India: It focused on the enterprise. "However, we are finding that more and more SMBs are coming up with requirements that need NAS or entry-level SANs, in addition to the tape restore automation solutions. All the three solutions from Compaq are priced at Rs 10 lakh approximately and therefore, are suitable for SMB requirements too. At the same time, our sales partners have risen up to the challenge of selling, installing, and maintaining fairly complicated storage solutions. We therefore are giving them more and more leeway in terms of addressing our major customers and supporting them in finding the storage solution that is just right for them", said Owais Khan, business manager, enterprise storage, Compaq India. Compaq, primarily, employs sales partners to deploy all our products and solutions. Of course, always some element of direct selling also gets involved.

Among the new things that it was doing until the HP-Compaq merger was developing a new storage technology called VersaStor. "This facilitates integration of disparate storage systems supplied by different vendors, and allows heterogeneous storage devices to be combined into a SAN-attached storage pool that is simple to manage as a single resource. A VersaStor storage pool supports server-less, transparent data migration based on high-level user policies. Storage pool dynamics are performed independent of servers, advancing the concept of server-independent SAN-based management", explains Khan.

EMC India: As a pure-play vendor, EMC claims to have done exceedingly well within a very short span of over one year of presence. T Srinivasan, country manager, EMC, says "EMC primarily provides solutions to address enterprise market and distributed enterprise. Some of our top customers are in telecom, banking, finance, manufacturing and media. We are primarily targeting at large corporates. We will make them aware of this through sales and marketing, events, and our channel partners, for a progressive market implementation". EMC’s overall business strategy is to broaden its reach, penetrate new markets, and gain market share in the region. And the company has appointed about fifty channel partners throughout Asia-Pacific. "India is a completely channel-driven market and all our business is routed through partners. In India, we have tied up with Wipro, HCL, and Techpacific, as our preferred partners. EMC’s channel partners are instrumental to the company’s success in the small and medium sized enterprise market, which constitute a sizable portion of the Indian marketplace. Under this initiative, partners will have access to a full range of EMC sales, service engineering and marketing resources. EMC in India is investing heavily in providing training to its partners, which are designed to ensure that they receive full access to the world-class training programs for information storage operators, builders, architects and instructors", says Srinivasan. It recently announced the availability of new Symmetrix family of products for hyper-consolidation of storage.

Hitachi Data Systems (HDS): HDS, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hitachi Ltd, had recently opened an office in Bangalore and introduced its top-of-the-line products, which include the highest availability and highest performance storage subsystems available—9960 and 9200—coupled with SAN services. "We have three channel partners and have a good relationship with Sun", says V Vivekanand, business development manager, HDS. Commenting on the tie-up, PP Subramanian, country manager, HDS, India, says, "Sun has a very large install base; with this agreement we will now be able to raise visibility and accessibility of our storage products to these customers. With the strength of both companies in these markets, the combined capability of the two vendors is a very compelling value-proposition". The products in its kit are Freedom Data Networks, Thunder 9200, and Lightening 9900.

HP: HP offers end-to-end storage solutions. "Today’s high-end storage is not providing only hardware but a host of software to manage storage. You need solutions to optimize storage, storage builder, load balancing, zero downtime/server-less backup, logical units (LUN) management, etc", says Avijit Basu, marketing manager, NSSO. Further, HP also works with multiple ISVs and technology partners to provide backup, networking and software solutions. HP also has a very strong services team which offers solution to consultancy. The consultancy also indulges in project management, disaster recovery, SAN management and implementation, LUN design, backup services,etc.

IBM India: "IBM’s storage strategy is channel-driven. Worldwide and in India, a conscious effort is being made to work closely with IBM’s channel partners, to provide total storage solutions. IBM will continue to provide best-of-breed open storage solutions. In India, our channel partners have invested in IBM SAN solution centers, currently in Bangalore, Delhi and Mumbai. This allows channel partners to offer a host of solution demonstrations, test environment and consultancy services to customers, jointly with IBM", explains Basu Hurkadli, country manager, system sales, IBM India Ltd. IBM offers a complete portfolio of storage networking products and solutions that not only includes SAN and NAS but also IP storage. IBM has brought iSCSI and its block-protocol SANs to a market, now, served only by NAS, with its file-serving protocols. Besides, it has Tivoli storage management solution. Its IBM Global Services India group specializes in providing services ranging from early consulting, planning, and design, through integration and testing. As part of its consolidation, IBM plans to launch a full-fledged range of products, with high-end NAS boxes with shared NAS architecture, solutions with iSCSI technology. And has initiated storage tank for storage virtualization.