|
| EMC, CISCO GAIN |
After punishing EMC Corp. for late technology, high prices and bad sales tactics in 2002, storage managers are increasingly turning to them as a primary vendor. EMC has widened its mindshare lead over the field in the latest Storage magazine Purchasing Intentions Survey in both disk and storage management software.
Traditionally, users have rewarded vendors that introduce new technology. Hitachi Data Systems' introduction of TagmaStore bought them a little bump, but IBM Corp.'s DS series seems to have had little effect. Still to be seen is whether Hewlett-Packard Co.'s recent signs of life will be reflected in greater mindshare among users.
In the switch market, the story is simple: Cisco Systems Inc. is riding the growing popularity of large switches into a leadership position in the market. The big loser: Brocade Communications Systems Inc., whose problems with product development in prior years, coupled with an inability to convince some shops that its director products are on a par with those of McData Corp. and Cisco, have led to steadily declining mindshare as a market leader.
Respondents to Storage magazine's Purchasing Intentions Survey have consistently cited product features and functions as their number one factor in choosing a primary vendor. That suggests that no vendor should get too comfortable on the throne.
 |
|
ABOUT THIS SURVEY: Our survey was conducted in September 2005 by e-mail. Results are based on answers from 524 respondents, all of whom had specific purchasing authority for the product categories they were queried on.
|
 |
|
