HPE adds enterprise flash capabilities to SMB storage arrays
Hewlett Packard Enterprise is rolling out new hybrid flash and software-defined storage products for small- and mid-sized businesses (SMBs).
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With this expanded storage portfolio, HPE is hoping to gain market share among SMBs looking for enterprise-level data storage minus the cost and complexity of deployment. The the Palo Alto, Calif.-based IT giant says the two new storage options bring enterprise capabilities to sub-$10,000 price points.
The new products include the StoreVirtual 3200, an entry-level, hybrid cloud-based storage system starting at $6,000. According to HPE, the StoreVirtual 3200 brings SMBs a 64-bit ARM dual-controller array with a new RAID stack and advanced storage data services like snapshots, thin provisioning, and replication.
There's also the new solid-state drive (SSD) based MSA 2042, which HPE says delivers hybrid flash for application acceleration, automated tiering, and data protection features at under $10,000. According to HPE, the drive delivers up to a 60-percent increase in database transactions per second and 80 percent faster application response times compared to its predecessor -- at nearly half the cost.
"By lowering the cost of flash and enabling a composable data fabric across storage systems and hyper-converged appliances, HPE is helping customers get off the disposable technology treadmill and onto storage they can grow with, not out of," says Bill Philbin, SVP and GM for HPE Storage.
In a nutshell, HPE is betting that a majority of SMBs have been priced out of modern technologies like flash and software-defined storage. The products that are available (and affordable) tend to lack key features. HPE wants to solve both of those problems in order to lock down a small business customer base that could help drive revenue in the long term.