Network Appliance looks to high end

Multiprocessor appliances aimed at data-centre apps

Vendor Network Appliance is targeting the high end of the storage market with the launch of its first multiprocessor storage appliances.

The NetAppF880 and F880C are aimed at data centre environments and applications, including large databases, enterprise resource management and directory consolidation. In a clustered configuration, the product will provide up to 18Tb of storage space.

The new products form part of Network Appliance's Data Fabric strategy, which is designed to work with different forms of network storage.

"It's not just about adding terabytes of storage, it's about how it all comes together in a user's environment to drive down costs," said Ian Henderson, the company's vice-president EMEA.

Stuart Gilks, a technical services manager at the firm, said Network Appliance is trying to develop a broader strategy than just NAS or SAN.

"That whole SAN versus NAS thing has gone away as a debate," he said.

While it has mainly gone direct in the US, Network Appliance is very channel- focused in EMEA, Henderson said.

"We've got a healthy direct team, but we work closely with channel partners, especially for vertical markets."