Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd and DataCore Software Corporation announced that they have entered into a strategic business partnership agreement. Samsung will create a new line of Samsung iSCSI Storage Servers focused on the Korean marketplace. Samsung will combine its servers and DataCore’s SANmelody software to build entry-level systems aimed at penetrating the small-to-medium sized business customer base in need of storage networking. In addition, Samsung will develop a joint sales and marketing program with DataCore to target disaster recovery and infrastructure solutions to users who can benefit from the flexibility and responsiveness of storage virtualization.
Samsung will launch the new Samsung Storage Severs in October 2005. The Samsung Storage Servers are based on Samsung’s ZSS-100 systems. The systems are being delivered pre-installed with DataCore’s SANmelody. The software transforms these systems into powerful and simple-to-use iSCSI Storage Servers — a first for the Korean market.
The product is equipped with an Intel Pentium 4 processor of 3.6GHz, 1TB of SATA disk storage and DataCore’s SANmelody software. The software enables the Samsung Storage Servers to provide a range of networking storage services that allow disk capacity to be easily served non-disruptively to application servers over standard Ethernet iSCSI infrastructures. The Storage Servers are an excellent solution for storage consolidation and improve overall productivity and disk utilization. Also, the Samsung Storage Servers can be easily upgraded to higher-end SANmelody features and to platforms that can benefit from the full range of DataCore’s storage virtualization capabilities.
Unique high-end capabilities and upgrade options include advanced data protection technologies for enterprise-class storage environments as well as synchronous and asynchronous mirroring and replication options. Best of all, these capabilities remain affordable to a broad range of SMB customers — enabling a simple-to-use solution for disaster recovery to be achieved within a smaller budget.
Samsung is targeting the SMB market and enterprise department users who require more efficient storage management, network back-ups and storage pooling, plus the traditional storage market that prior to iSCSI storage networking could not afford to deploy cost-effective storage servers and SANs. Compelling advantages of the Samsung Storage Servers are ease-of-use and the capability to set up a complete operational iSCSI storage network in a matter of minutes.
To grow and quickly gain presence in its target market, Samsung will work with its five major server distributors and 250 server business partners to create a channel and pipeline for sales. In addition, its direct sales force will cover Samsung Group enterprise accounts. Samsung has developed a sales and technical education program for their internal resources and business partners to help launch the product line. Beginning this month, Samsung has already selected over 30,000 users as targets. An e-marketing campaign will be launched to notify these Windows server end users of the new Samsung Storage Server product line.
Samsung is also evaluating new business models and services to foster Disaster Recovery solutions and upgrade paths for those SMB customers with limited budgets who need to scale and better protect their data.
Lee In-Ho, vice president of the server business unit Samsung SSE, said, “This is Samsung Server’s first partner supplied business solution. We have worked hard to understand user requirements and evaluated a number of solutions for well over a year. We are now confident that DataCore is the right solution. The price performance makes these systems a compelling solution. The combination of Samsung systems and DataCore software will enable SMB customers to better manage their growing storage and gain the flexibility and data protection infrastructures they need at surprisingly cost-effective prices.”
Peter Thompson, DataCore’s managing director of Asia Pacific, added, “With DataCore software, Samsung Storage Servers are able to provide a new level of price performance for storage users. These systems will redefine the marketplace in Korea. SMB customers in Korea can finally afford the rich storage networking and IT capabilities that enterprise customers have benefited from in protecting and managing their storage. End-users and the market as a whole will be very pleased at the value provided by these products’ superior functionalities, scalability and price.”
