2006 CHANNEL CHAMPIONS

External Storage Backup Subsystems

Champ: Hewlett-Packard

CRN logo By Joseph F. Kovar, ChannelWeb

3:00 PM EDT Fri. Apr. 14, 2006
From the April 17, 2006 issue of CRN
A consistent showing across the board gave Hewlett-Packard the edge it needed to come out on top in an otherwise close contest for the 2006 Channel Champions title in external storage backup subsystems.

HP, Palo Alto, Calif., grabbed or shared the top marks on 13 of 15 criteria. But its overall satisfaction rating of 77.5 was still just six-tenths of a point ahead of runner-up IBM (76.9). Quantum (76.2) was third and Sony (66.6) fourth.

In technical areas, HP was tops in the interoperability and management features. IBM held a slight edge in scalability but fell back on price/performance. Quantum came in second overall in technical satisfaction.

HP has always been known for ease of product installation, said Carl Wolfston, director of Headlands Associates, a Pleasanton, Calif.-based solution provider. And a big reason for that is its emphasis on interoperability. "They've done an excellent job of making sure Part A works with Part B," he said.

HP's one weak spot in the technical space—scalability—is one the vendor has been addressing, said Patrick Eitenbichler, director of marketing for HP's StorageWorks Division. HP in February unveiled a tape library that fits two drives and 10 Tbytes of capacity in a 2U space and bumped the capacity of its virtual tape library from 10 Tbytes to 70 Tbytes.

On the channel program criteria, HP held the edge in service revenue opportunities, responsiveness to solution provider feedback, and margins and rebates. It dropped 1.5 points behind IBM and Quantum in the area of reducing channel conflict. And it tied for first with IBM, the runner-up in channel program satisfaction, in five other areas.

While HP may not always have an easily defined technological edge over its competition, the vendor offers the industry's best training and education, said Stephen Monteros, general manager of GST, Brea, Calif. "Their training programs let our engineers deploy their products easily," he said.

Wolfston said HP will work with channel partners to close deals, but that having a good inside relationship is a must. "They will help us go head-to-head against street prices, but you have to ask for it," he said.

External Storage Backup Subsystems

 
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