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Storage: Storage Resource Management (Probably) Saves Dollars
The amount of data that companies need to store is growing exponentially. Because of that, it doesn’t come as much surprise then that somewhere between 33 and 70 cents of every dollar spent on hardware goes towards spending on storage. Estimates are that storage systems are running somewhere at around 20 percent of optimal efficiency. And on top of acquisition costs, storage is running neck and neck with servers for power consumption costs. Those are the numbers compiled by InformationWeek.
The article surveyed software vendors offering SRM tools, tools specifically designed to monitor system storage, automatate storage configuration, and to assist with movement of data between different storage devices. The survey included vendors like BridgeHead Software, CA, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Network Applicance, Northern, Symantec, and Tek-Tools Software.
One problem uncovered in the survey was that no one vendor had the same definition of what an SRM system should do. The article cites BridgeHead Software as defining the ultimate goal of SRM as the ability to turn stored data into usable intellectual property. Other companies more concretely cited being able to discover, report and map storage resources as the main goal. Other goals include data capacity management and optimizing the movement and location of data.
The story also noted that while many vendors have anecdotal evidence of successes in reducing costs, there are few studies that actually show if SRM lives up to its hype. Without hard numbers, many organizations remain skeptical. Companies are looking for operational efficiency, cost savings and risk reduction.
