Hu Yoshida, chief technology officer of Hitachi Data Systems Corporation, said the company was now offering storage virtualisation, which enables users to access their own storage as well as selected third-party storage devices though a single interface.

It can also simplify the storage environment by hiding technology changes from end users.

Virtualisation is the use of software and supporting hardware to ease the task of managing complex systems, including storage systems. It also involves software and hardware storage products that are more scalable and easier to manage.

The firm now offers systems which can contain up to 32 petabytes of internal and external storage to be aggregated into one common pool and managed by a single set of tools and software.

It offers a return on investment within 14 months and cost savings averaging 27 per cent compared with existing storage technology.

One petabyte is a unit of computer memory equal to 1,024 terabytes.

"Intelligent storage separates the brain from the body. It has changed the playing field by separating the commodity media disks from the intelligent control unit, breaking the monolithic growth spiral and at the same time enhancing modular storage," Yoshida said.

IDC reported that the worldwide market for storage will increase from 2,000 petabytes in 2006 to 8,000 petabytes in 2009, and the market will average growth of around 58 per cent.

He said Thailand is a growth market where the firm has now sold its storage systems to five customers. It has implemented more than 4,000 virtualisation storage systems throughout the world.

Taveesak Saengthough, country manager of Hitachi Data Systems, said the company will sell its products covering two main areas - the large enterprise market such as telecommunications operators, and the medium-enterprise market which includes banks and financial businesses.

Jirapan Boonnoon

The Nation