Buying update: Storage managers' purchasing plans

Tape hangs on
Last spring, storage buyers indicated they may finally be moving away from tape in their backup operations. At that time, the number of firms decreasing tape spending rose, while far fewer indicated they would increase spending on tape systems. It was the first significant shift we've seen away from tape, and this fall's results don't suggest that a comeback for the venerable technology is imminent.

Twenty-five percent of respondents say they plan to decrease their tape systems spending (vs. 24% last spring) (see "Plans for use of tape in backup operations," below). Over the period of a year, the number of storage managers planning to increase spending on tape dropped by approximately 12 points, from 47% in fall 2006 to 35% in the current survey.

Among those companies planning to add tape libraries, smaller is the operative word. In the fall of 2006, the average number of slots in planned library purchases was 150; that number dipped to 130 this past spring and plummeted to only 79 in the current survey. Compared to last spring, the scaling back of library sizes is happening in all organizations, with small companies expected to purchase 30% fewer slots, medium-sized firms cutting back to 48% fewer slots and large companies buying 26% fewer slots.


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Click here for all charts about this buying update: Storage managers' purchasing plans. (PDF).

This was first published in October 2007

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