Sun powers up new pay-per-use model
Metered pricing system aims to cut out up-front expenditure
Sun has developed a metered pay-per-use model for network storage which is available direct or through the company's iForce partners.
The service is initially aimed at high-end datacentres, but Sun plans similar services for customers that use low-end and mid-range storage systems.
The product is based on Sun's StorEdge Power Units, which include hardware, software, installation and other services, support and licences. Also included are SunSpectrum Platinum Support and Sun's StorEdge management portal.
"We are driving enterprise computing from current fixed pricing to flexible pricing and management models as part of our broader Information Lifecycle Management strategy," said Mark Canepa, executive vice- president of network storage at Sun, in a statement.
Paul Leonard, web services and software manager at Sun, said the firm is aiming to change the way customers build their storage. "We are developing pay-as-you-go and on-demand storage through Sun and our iForce partners," he said.
Sun has claimed that the model means customers have to pay only for the storage capacity they consume, which cuts out up-front capital expenditure for hardware and software.
David Kehoe, head of channel development organisation at key Sun distributor GE Access, is doubtful that Sun's pay-per-use scheme is new or revolutionary, but he said it improves customer choice.
"Pay-per-use has been around for a while," he said. "It's always another option. The reality is that the channel exists to serve the customer, and it will support pay-per-use storage if that's what they want."
James Governor, principal analyst at RedMonk, said: "Sun wants to make its offering more attractive to enterprises, and one way to do this is to make the licensing, leasing and purchasing of products easier. Pay-per-use is an attempt to get away from over capacity, and SME businesses could benefit from this."