Disaster recovery is the primary reason why businesses currently use SANs, rating 5.0 on a 5-point scale where 5 means very important. Consolidation of storage is the key driver for businesses that are planning to use SANs, scoring 5.0. Manufacturing is the leading vertical market for SANs, followed by government. Windows NT is the leading platform for SANs. Cost and interoperability are the two most significant potential barriers to adopting SAN solutions.
Performance is the single most influential product requirement when companies buy SANs.
Information on software or platform interoperability is the most important type of data considered when companies buy SANs. The median expected return on SAN is 33 percent. The most influential factor in determining return on SAN investment is less downtime due to scheduled backup. Companies that use or plan to use SANs score this factor at 5.0 on a scale where 5 means very influential. To help IT product manufacturers identify and implement successful indirect sales strategies in the SAN market, Reality Research is conducting a second wave of SAN research to further examine the purchase process, define customer solution requirements and identify opportunities for leveraging both direct and indirect channels to deliver SAN solutions.