Dell EMC Mid-Range VMAX or Other 1 PB Storage System?
Park Place Hardware Maintenance
Finding cost effective alternatives for your data center
Last year was an eventful one at what is now Dell EMC, with merger happenings, Data Domain product expansions, a transition from VNX to Unity, and then a change to the flagship VMAX series.
The first Dell EMC all-flash VMAX, the 250F, brought the respected storage system to the mid-range market with a 1 PB array priced at less than $100,000. Keeping the starting cost out of six figures is a benefit, but even so, it remains a hefty price tag. Various government agencies, charitable organizations, educational institutions, and small and mid-sized businesses simply can’t afford to shell out that kind of cash.
Fortunately, there are alternatives. Older (likely non-flash or hybrid flash) storage arrays with similar capacity—think any early VMAX—may fit the bill. Whether already in the environment, transitioned from a mission-critical workload, or found on the refurbished market, these systems can last for many years, as long as they have good support.
Third-Party Maintenance is Affordable Support
Sticking with support from the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) is expensive, and it’s only an option for a little while before end of support life (EOSL) strikes. A better choice for older systems s to seek out a third-party maintenance provider.
There are many advantages in turning to a company like Park Place Technologies:
- 40% to 70% savings when compared with OEM support;
- Reduced operational risk compared with in-house, do-it-yourself support;
- Full access to high-quality spare parts (and with Park Place, a lower dead-on-arrival record than Dell EMC!);
- Extensive engineering expertise and immediate escalation to Level 3 support;
- A bevy of proactive maintenance and comprehensive support measures to help minimize downtime and maximize performance;
- No EOSL date, plus upgrade options to extend hardware lifespans even further.
This type of support makes older 1 PB VMAX, VNX, or other storage arrays just as robust and reliable as a newer VMAX250F, but much more affordable. So if there aren’t “must have,” all-flash features in the new mid-range VMAX, it’s warranted to give that system a pass.
Give It a Try, says Gartner
Organizations that have been tempted by third-party maintenance but not sure how it would work for their environment can use this opportunity to give it a try. In fact, that’s precisely the recommendation the respected research organization Gartner made in a recent paper. They say targeting non-mission critical systems for a first foray into third party maintenance is a good strategic approach that carries many benefits.
Find out more about their perspective with a complimentary copy of the full report. Park Place Technologies is making it available for download through, so don’t delay in getting yours here (document is available through 7/17/17).