When Hitachi Data Systems launched its new AMS 2000 Adaptable Modular Storage Family last month, it did so with a little help from a Canadian solutions provider and its clients.
Toronto’s HighVail Systems was tapped by Hitachi to be a beta tester of the AMS 2000 before it launched, giving HighVail and its clients an early look at the next generation of Hitachi’s storage technology, and giving Hitachi valuable feedback on how the product performed in the field that could be incorporated into the final product.
“We have a core group of resellers, and of that group we pick a couple when a new product comes out to beta test it,” explained Todd Hemenway, regional manager, Canada indirect channels with Hitachi Data Systems. “They run it through the ringer, and make sure it’s applicable to their customer base.”
Hemenway said HighVail was tapped because it’s Hitachi’s top modular storage partner in Canada, and has particular expertise in that space. HighVail also has many customers in the financial services space; the other Canadian beta tester has a lot of public sector clients.
Being tapped as a beta tester is an “incredible value” for the solution provider and its clients, said HighVail president Bradley Brodkin. It gives them an opportunity to provide feedback to Hitachi, and gives them access to technical and research staff at the vendor that, as a regular partner, they wouldn’t normally have.
“Any time we’ve had a chance to get direct access to a development team it has been tremendously valuable,” said Brodkin. “And it shows our clients we have a relationship with Hitachi that is not just a reseller relationship. It’s a partnership, and we leverage a lot from that.”
The chance for High Vail to get an early look at new products is also a benefit for the partner and its clients, said Brodkin.
Hitachi’s Adaptable Modular Storage 2000 family includes three models — the 2100, 2300 and 2500 – with differing levels of performance, drives and support. Le Huan Tran, channels technical consultant for Hitachi Data Systems, said among the key new features is dynamic load balancing controllers, and the use of serial attached Scuzzi on the backend as well as serial attached drives. Also, SATA and SAS can be intermixed on the same tray.
Essentially, said Tran, the AMS 2000 family opens up enterprise-class storage functionalities to the mid-market. Brodkin also emphasizes the green and power savings enabled by the new offerings Inactive drives automatically spin down, allowing for power savings and lower cooling costs.
Hitachi Data Systems has 75 active channel partners in Canada from coast to coast, said Hemenway, doing about $70 million in annual business. He said he sees virtualization as a hot topic that is driving the storage market today, as is green storage, and ways of reducing the cost of storage.
“Companies want to know how they can add more storage at less cost, and they’re looking for partners that can help them do a better job, and achieve better storage utilization,” said Hemenway, adding even in a down market storage is a hot market.
Barry Morrison, regional vice-president and general manager, Canada, for Hitachi Data Systems, noted they’ve doubled their business in Canada over the last 18 months, and every quarter has seen steady growth.
“I think customers see storage as an area where we’re behind,” said Morrison. “Servers were consolidated with virtualization, and servers are the next opportunity. For Hitachi its never been better. But it’s around savings, being more efficient, and having cheaper storage behind a common management tool.”
Brodkin added Hitachi’s advances in storage technology are allow HighVail to make a case for investment in new storage technology as a cost-saver for cost-conscious clients, by achieving better utilization of their existing infrastructures.
“On our side business has never been better in terms of what customers are looking to do,” said Brodkin. “They’re looking to save money, and even as the economy is in a downturn they’re more conscious of where they can save costs.”
