Quantum Boosts Backup, Cuts Prices for SMBs

Quantums Optyon hardware-based compression represents an industry advancement in VTL (virtual tape library) technology, the spokesperson said.

For example, a company can purchase a DX3000 with 1.5T usable capacity (RAID 5) for a suggested list price of about $10,000, which is a reduction of about $2,000, the spokesperson said.

Resource Library:

Intel and EMC target SMB storage. Read more here.

Quantum also enhanced the flexibility of its DX3000 and DX5000 disk appliances by including the option of choosing VTL or disk targets within the same appliance. This feature allows users to extend their backup options on a per-partition basis (up to 16 partitions), thus increasing disk capacity.

Prices are definitely becoming more competitive in this space, Dianne McAdam, director of enterprise information assurance with The Clipper Group, of Wellesley, Mass., told eWEEK in an e-mail.

"Quantum is offering more capacity at a lower price point for customers; this makes their solution even more affordable for customers," she said.

Can Quantum execute in the SMB space against EMC, Network Appliance, Hewlett-Packard, IBM—and all the smaller vendors?

"Quantum has always executed well through its channels—and channels are a good way to sell to the SMB market," McAdam said.

The merger with ADIC (which is focused much more on the enterprise and has a more direct sales force) gives Quantum visibility in the larger enterprise market, McAdam said, "but I would say that they have always had a presence in the SMB space. EMC has been successful in the SMB space with its partnership with Dell. HP has been marketing through its channels to the SMB space. The DX series of products has been successful product line for Quantum."

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