As the debate rages over the future of the tape storage industry, sector ­stalwart Tandberg Data has been ­re-inventing itself as a purveyor of a wider range of storage solutions.

The tape vendor cemented its change in industry focus earlier this month with the release of two disk-based storage solutions aimed at the SME market – the
DPS2000 NAS series and the firm’s new back-up and deduplication ­
offering, AccuGuard.

The launch of both products is the culmination of a two-year consultation between the firm and its ­channel partners, explained Marije Stijnen, vice president of marketing at Tandberg.

“Over the past 10 years there has been a decline in the tape market, and for our business to grow it made sense to branch out into other areas,” said Stijnen.

“These latest releases are a very significant part of our focus on becoming an end-to-end data ­solutions provider.”

Stop the tape
In a recent IDC survey of 501 US-based IT managers, 59 per cent said they have reduced the amount of tape backup they use.

Additionally, 32.4 per cent of those questioned said they had been able to eliminate the technology completely from their storage infrastructure.

Phil Jones, chief technical officer at rival vendor Shoden Data Systems, said that in light of the downturn in popularity of tape-based solutions, Tandberg was wise to pursue other sources of revenue.

“It really is the end of the tape now,” said Jones. “In the past, people have clung on to the format because it was more cost-effective, but the net cost associated with storing data on disk has gone down and the argument is not nearly as compelling any more.”

Richard Shea, vice president of sales at storage vendor Green Bytes, said Tandberg would find itself pitted against some “major players” in the disk storage market, which could put paid to its growth plans.

He said: “They are a bit late to the market, so they’ll need to work hard and bring out unique solutions with distinct value-add opportunities.

“The deduplication technology [AccuGuard], for example, will need to be superior to what its rivals are already offering.”

Gareth Bray, solutions business manager at Tandberg distributor Micro Peripherals, is confident that the firm’s storage solutions will stand up against what its more
established rivals in the disk space have to offer.

“The AccuGuard deduplication functionality usually only exists at the high end and the company is bringing that value at a very competitive ticket value,” he said.

The fact the DPS2000 features NAS and optional iSCSI capability at an SME-friendly price tag should also work in Tandberg’s favour, claimed Bray.

Stijnen stated that SMEs’ pricing constraints had been a key consideration for his firm in developing its disk offerings.

“We know that most SMEs spend around $6,000 (£3,960) on data protection and for us the challenge was ­producing an all-in-one solution
that would sit within that price range,” she explained.

Partner benefits
To help drive sales of the firm’s new product lines, Tandberg is also planning to recruit more VARs and overhaul its global partner programme.

“It is not going to be an aggressive recruitment campaign,” said Stijnen. “Our sales team in the UK are committed to recruiting VARs as part of the ongoing nature of their job and will, ideally, be looking for partners with experience of working with SME clients in a NAS and deduplication capacity.

"We have a lot to offer the right partners, though, including door-opening products that provide resellers with real opportunities to differentiate themselves in the market.”

Potential partners would be dealing with an “exceptionally channel-friendly” and 100 per cent partner-focused company, added Bray.

“Unlike other players in the tape space, they do not take deals direct once they go over a certain value, which is a big consideration for a lot of resellers who have had negative experiences elsewhere,” he said.

Ray Quattromini, managing director at Tandberg VAR Fortuna Data Systems, said resellers that sign up with the vendor would receive deal registration opportunities and access to marketing materials.

“The products have always been innovative and affordable, which is why most of our low-end storage offerings are based on Tandberg solutions,” he said. “The support and after-sales service the company offers is also second to none.”

However, Shea said it is the firm’s existing partners who could lose out as a result of Tandberg’s decision to diversify its product lines.

“There are a diminishing number of players in the tape space and lots of vendors selling disk-based products,” he said. “As a result, resellers could find their margins compressed because there are so many firms offering similar kinds of products.”