iSCSI: An Option You Need To Offer

Have you every really wanted something that was out of your budget? This happened to me earlier this year when I bought a new snowboard. Long story short, the less expensive board I bought rides great, and that's what I care about. It's the same thing for your customers; many of them want networked storage, but a Fibre Channel SAN (storage area network) is just not realistic with their budgets. The question is, can you help them get the same end result and stay within their budgets?

With the market's acceptance of iSCSI, you can offer your customers an alternative to Fibre Channel. An iSCSI SAN provides end users many of the benefits of Fibre Channel at almost half the cost, and you don't have to worry about losing business because of budget constraints. It may be a quicker sale, since most end users already have IP networks.

Only 20% Of End Users Have Networked Storage
It's easy to think the market is saturated when it comes to networked storage. Many of the VARs we cover install SANs, develop disaster recovery solutions, and reconfigure data centers with NAS (network attached storage) devices and tape libraries. However, IDC Research estimates that only 20% of IT departments have networked storage; that leaves many small and midsize businesses that need your help. These companies have outgrown their DAS (direct attached storage) and are looking for a better way to manage their data.

Many iSCSI SAN solutions have the software features end users want, including unlimited scalability, advanced data protection, snapshots, and centralized management with user-friendly interfaces and remote access. So why risk losing a customer just because you don't offer an alternative to Fibre Channel? Sure, an iSCSI SAN sells for about 40% to 50% less than a Fibre Channel SAN, so you may not make as much profit on it. But, hey, wouldn't you rather earn the profit on an iSCSI SAN than lose that customer to another VAR?