The Utility Storage model is a private flash storage that is dedicated and built on the key value proposition of providing customers with a future-proof storage system which is a consumption-based storage-as-a service which caters for their current and future storage needs.

It’s designed in a way that the client does not need to factor in large capex as the utility model would be able to support them to achieve more cost effectiveness, based on on-demand consumption as their storage needs increase over time. It enables our clients to standardize their entire core server which helps leverage and maximize its performance. S & I’s utility storage also supports all workloads such as IBM AS400 which was a critical workload in this model.

S & I’s innovative private storage system leverages on world class technology from IBM FlashSystem 7200 storage and provides the following distinct and key benefits:

• enables customers to standardize their entire core servers, IBM Power Systems and storage infrastructure to leverage and maximize performance.
• provides integration, automated configuration and provisioning management to reduce costs by lowering the tier pricing per 100 Gb on a consumption basis through reduction in time, effort and errors associated with manual provisioning and management of storage.
• Enables significant saving for higher consumption over time.
• provides integrated reporting of utilization by departments for charged-back reporting and consumption pattern trending across the department or departments.
• provides assurance of maintaining more than 20% capacity buffer to cater for urgent increase of capacity and future growth.

All the hardware and software maintenance will be managed by S&I ensuring simplicity, efficiency and cost efficiency.

Value Proposition

This is a private flash storage that will meet all the customers’ storage needs based on-consumption, on-demand basis. This future-proof storage system works seamlessly with IBM’s range of power servers that maximize performance and critical workloads. As such, customers can achieve greater agility and faster time to market. As this is a private, elastic storage-as-a-service, customers will enjoy a more cost effective commercial pricing based on a better consumption-based usage over time and therefore reduce their compliance cost, and a significant reduction of capital expense.

IBM Solutions Used

IBM FlashSystem 7200