IDC's Storage Systems service delivers detailed analysis of vendor performance, industry trends, the anticipated rate of adoption of new technology and its impact on existing markets and vendor alliances, strategic initiatives, and new product introductions. IDC's Storage Systems service encompasses disk storage systems, storage area networks (SANs), networked controllers, storage virtualization, and optical and tape automation systems.

This service covers the following segments of the storage systems market:

• Disk storage systems hardware
• SAN infrastructure and networked controllers
• Optical automation systems
• Tape automation systems

Throughout the year, this service will address the following topics:

• Network-attached storage (NAS)
• Fibre Channel and iSCSI SANs
• Direct-attached storage (DAS)
• SAN infrastructure
• Block, file, and tape virtualization
• Tape and optical automation
• New technology adoption rates
• Significant product announcements and analysis
• Event coverage (e.g., acquisitions) and impact analysis
• Trends such as the use of nearline and archival disk storage as a part of a data management and retention strategy

Our research addresses the following issues that are critical to your success:

1. What products are competitors introducing, and what impact will this have in their markets?
2. How is the mix of information storage by organizations changing, and how will this affect the types of storage solutions they require?
3. What are the emerging options for data management (e.g., content addressable storage) and the implications for vendors and end users?
4. How will technologies such as 10Gbps Ethernet, InfiniBand, and FC over Ethernet affect existing SAN and NAS products?
5. What are the regional differences in buying behavior?
6. Where are optical automation systems gaining traction?
7. Which new tape formats will tape automation providers adopt?

IDC's Storage Systems service delivers ongoing insight into vendor performance and comprehensive periodic reviews of vendor rankings in key dimensions of measurement such as revenue and units. This service reviews vendor strategies; market positioning; emerging technology; the advantages and trade-offs of selecting tape, optical, or disk arrays as the medium for data storage and retrieval; and the important role of SAN infrastructure in the disk storage systems market. Top vendors in each domain are covered on a continual basis; studies discuss start-up companies, alliances, and acquisitions.

This service focuses on the following core research. In addition to the insight provided in this service, IDC may conduct additional research on specific topics, or emerging market segments, via research offerings that require additional IDC funding and client investment.

This study provides a worldwide annual ranking of vendor performance in key dimensions (e.g., revenue, NAS, and SAN).

This study covers Fibre Channel infrastructure: revenue, ports, and units.

This study provides an annual review of the host bus adapter market, including vendor rankings and a five-year forecast.

This study provides an annual review of the networked storage controller and storage virtualization markets (block and file) and a five-year forecast.

This study details market value, unit shipments, and vendor market share for SLR, DDS/DAT, 8mm/AIT, DLT/SDLT, LTO Ultrium, and half-inch cartridge tape technologies. It also includes a five-year forecast.

This study provides customers with worldwide data on current market size and a forecast of factory revenue and unit shipments of optical automation storage systems by size of system, form factor, and geographic region.

IDC offers a complete market intelligence solution customized to meet your business requirements. The array of products and services available to you includes:

• The opportunity to have your specific questions answered through personal interaction with industry experts who cover the topics and markets in your service
• Around-the-clock access to our market intelligence on idc.com, IDC's personalized Web experience
• A view of the market's future with 12 months of continuous intelligence about its direction and the reasons behind it, along with actionable advice for taking advantage of existing and emerging opportunities
• Special client discount pricing on purchases of research from other services
• Complimentary admission to IDC's annual Directions conference, where you'll hear our latest forecasts and network with IDC analysts and other industry professionals
• Complimentary invitations to monthly executive telebriefings, interactive forums designed to provide you with insights about research and strategies directly from IDC analysts

To find out how our flexible packaging options can meet your specific business needs, please contact your IDC sales executive.

As a privately held company, IDC believes that our customers are our primary constituency. A large percentage of every revenue dollar is reinvested back into our products, including more analysts, more geographic coverage, and extensive primary research.

Our steady growth over the past 10-plus years reflects our commitment to investing in our customers.