Microsoft Seeks Storage Presence

The Redmond, Wash.-based software giant is building an ecosystem of storage partners, including OEMs, integrators and system builders specializing in storage, said Charles Stevens, corporate vice president of sales and marketing for Microsoft's Enterprise Storage Division.

The company already has a stable of 35 OEM partners for its Windows Storage Server operating system, including EMC, Dell and Hewlett-Packard, he said.

Moving forward, Microsoft expects to work with distributors, including Tech Data, Avnet Hall-Mark and Bell Microproducts, to recruit storage solution providers that can customize storage-related applications, Stevens said. The company also plans to recruit about 200 system builders to sell preconfigured storage systems, he said.

Joe Toste, vice president of marketing at system builder Equus Computer Systems, Minneapolis, said he is interested in what Microsoft has to offer on the storage side but is having trouble getting more information. "It's hard to get anything from Microsoft,they're trying to get you to focus on Windows Server 2003," he said.

Stevens said Microsoft doesn't intend to compete with the likes of EMC and Veritas Software but will work with them. "We're not going to compete with SANs but make SANs more storage-friendly."

Looking forward, Microsoft is working on "lightweight" I/O technology and intelligent application capabilities for its storage platforms to make it easier for corporations to back up databases, e-mails and SharePoint applications to NAS/SAN servers, Stevens said.

Meanwhile, Microsoft's storage division will harness next-generation file systems in the Longhorn OS and Yukon database to enable the storage,and retrieval,of application data, objects and Web services, he said.

Paula Rooney contributed to this story.