IDC's Storage Systems service delivers detailed analysis of vendor performance, industry trends, the anticipated rate of adoption of new technology and its impact on existing markets and vendor alliances, strategic initiatives, and new product introductions. IDC's Storage Systems service encompasses disk storage systems, storage area networks (SANs), and storage virtualization.

• Enterprise disk storage systems
• Network-attached storage (NAS)
• Object-based storage systems
• Fibre Channel, Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE), InfiniBand, and iSCSI SANs
• Direct-attached storage (DAS) and switched SAS
• Block and file virtualization
• New technology adoption rates
• Significant product announcements and analysis
• Event coverage (e.g., acquisitions) and impact analysis
• Trends such as the use of nearline and archival disk storage as a part of a data management and retention strategy

• Worldwide Disk Storage Systems Forecast and Analysis
• Worldwide Disk Storage Systems Vendor Shares
• Vendor Profiles, Case Studies, Demand-Side Viewpoints, and End-User Insights
• Annual Top 10 Predictions for the Enterprise Storage Market
• Product and Event Analysis
• Qualitative Insights and Technology Assessments

In addition to the insight provided in this service, IDC may conduct research on specific topics or emerging market segments via research offerings that require additional IDC funding and client investment.

1. What products are competitors introducing, and what impact will this have in their markets?
2. How is the mix of information storage by organizations changing, and how will this affect the types of storage solutions they require?
3. What are the emerging options for data management (e.g., content addressable storage) and the implications for vendors and end users?
4. How will technologies such as 10Gbps Ethernet, InfiniBand, and FCoE affect existing SAN and NAS products?
5. What are the regional differences in buying behavior?
6. How will object-based storage systems change the storage landscape?
7. How do universal or multiprotocol storage systems affect end-user behavior?

IDC's Storage Systems service delivers ongoing insight into vendor performance and comprehensive periodic reviews of vendor rankings in key dimensions of measurement such as revenue and shipped storage capacity. This service reviews vendor strategies, market positioning, emerging technologies, the advantages and trade-offs of selecting HDD/SSD-based arrays as the medium for data storage and retrieval, and the important role of SAN infrastructure in the disk storage systems market. Top vendors in each domain are covered on a continual basis; studies discuss start-up companies, alliances, and acquisitions.

For IT suppliers or IT buyers doing business planning and budgeting, sales and marketing, or performance measurement, we have the custom offerings to optimize your success at every stage of your business. Our data- and content-driven approach helps you make better decisions, drive more effective marketing programs, and effectively measure your success — resulting in a greater return on your investment.

Whether you are a technology buyer or provider, IDC Insights' research translates today's global end-user requirements and trends into business opportunities for your organization. With dedicated businesses targeting energy, financial services, government, healthcare, manufacturing, and retail, IDC provides unmatched integration of global technology and vertical industry expertise to deliver industry-specific customer intelligence that gives clients a powerful business advantage.

Connect and engage with a global network of business and IT professionals in the first-of-its-kind end-user community at http://idc-insights-community.com.