I don't know what specs you've been looking at for the HDS boxes, but they are pretty ho-hum. The literature is carefully crafted, but misleading on many points. Kind of disappointing, I would have expected better .. They also specifically mention EMC's shortcomings. You never discuss the competition.
For example, HDS's datasheet states that you can do 24 FC ports. Actually each controller works in pairs, and they are dual ported. So to get 24 ports, you just rack 6 systems in the same cabinet. They don't work together a la EMC. RAID levels? They don't even support RAID-3.
Much of their software is 3rd party, which is fine, but that means that it won't be a source for high revenue (unlike EMC).
Having said that, HDS strength is really more in sales/marketing, rather than storage hardware/software. Their literature looks great. If anybody things they are in a position to give EMC a run for the money, then they are very premature. HDS isn't in the same class yet. However, HDS is a bigger threat to the likes of Eurologic.
(And .. for the record, I don't work for EMC, and won't buy HDS on the IPO.).
David |
