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NETWORK WORLD NEWSLETTER: MIKE KARP
on STORAGE IN THE ENTERPRISE 10/25/01 - Today's focus: Companies worth investigating Dear Wincenty Kaminski, In this issue: * What kinds of companies are worth looking at? * Links related to storage * Featured reader resource _______________________________________________________________ More with Less Budgets are either stagnant or shrinking this year, and net executives are being forced to do more with less money - and often fewer people. We've compiled a series of Network World articles, newsletters and columns you can use to make the most of your budget and resources. http://nww1.com/go/ad169.html _______________________________________________________________ Today's focus: Companies worth investigating By Mike Karp Just what is a good working definition of Storage Resource Management? As I pointed out last week, understanding a vendor's definition of SRM goes a long way toward helping you understand their approach to the technology and the value the vendor can deliver. Some companies don't lay out this information too well when they visit prospective customers, either because they didn't consider including it in their presentation, or (and this is indicative of an entirely different type of company) they are too focused on their technology for technology's sake. Most of us shouldn't waste too much time on vendors that have not thought about how they can help us - if they haven't taken the time to understand our business needs, we probably shouldn't take the time to listen to their needs. We can perhaps be more generous to the other set of companies, the group that often develops technology for technology's sake. Those vendors are often young firms with ideas that are exciting, new and frequently useful, but a reality check shows that they need to realize (as has been so well pointed out in the last few years), that this sort of business approach only appeals to a very small segment of the market referred to as "early adopters." It doesn't carry much weight with the rest of us, the majority of whom need to see proven business values to justify their expenditures. Historically, new and relatively small companies have fallen into this second category: it's the "two guys in a garage syndrome." These days however, I see several that are getting past the technology-first bias and seem to be making a real effort to provide us with business solutions we can actually use. Every few weeks I like to point out one or two of these for you, on the theory that while what they do may not be right for most of you, it will likely be of use to some of you. And when they lay out their value propositions and identify their approach to SRM, it is easy for you to calibrate what they are bringing to the table. This week's interesting find is TrelliSoft, a company out of Glen Ellen, IL (http://www.trellisoft.com) that provides SRM services across a number of platforms. Its Java-based architecture potentially means a single solution to solving problems across a number of operating systems. The problems Trellisoft addresses include disk space optimization, quota enforcement, storage chargeback and capacity planning. One feature I particularly appreciated is its ability to identify files NOT backed up, which can go a long way toward eliminating surprises during the business day. If you would derive value from these capabilities in your shop, Trellisoft is probably worth a look. _______________________________________________________________ To contact Mike Karp: Mike Karp is senior analyst with Enterprise Management Associates (http://www.enterprisemanagement.com) in Boulder, Colo., an analyst and market research firm focusing exclusively on enterprise management. He works out of Portsmouth, N.H., and Westboro, Mass., and can be reached via e-mail at mailto:mkarp@enterprisemanagement.com _______________________________________________________________ RELATED EDITORIAL LINKS Archive of the Storage newsletter: http://www.nwfusion.com/newsletters/stor/index.html _______________________________________________________________ FEATURED READER RESOURCE Network World Fusion's Net.Worker site Whether your company is growing larger or scaling back, corporate managers are looking for ways to cut costs while retaining and recruiting star employees. One smart solution - at least on paper - is to let some employees work from home. Network World's Net.Worker Web site bridges the gap between the telework concept and the hardware, software and services needed to make it happen. We bring you news and reviews, sound advice and keen insight into the technologies and solutions you need to manage a remote and mobile workforce. Visit http://www.nwfusion.com/net.worker/index.html _______________________________________________________________ May We Send You a Free Print Subscription? You've got the technology snapshot of your choice delivered at your fingertips each day. Now, extend your knowledge by receiving 51 FREE issues to our print publication. Apply today at http://www.nwwsubscribe.com/nl _______________________________________________________________ SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES To subscribe or unsubscribe to any Network World e-mail newsletters, go to: http://www.nwwsubscribe.com/news/scripts/notprinteditnews.asp To unsubscribe from promotional e-mail go to: http://www.nwwsubscribe.com/ep To change your e-mail address, go to: http://www.nwwsubscribe.com/news/scripts/changeemail.asp Subscription questions? Contact Customer Service by replying to this message. Have editorial comments? Write Jeff Caruso, Newsletter Editor, at: mailto:jcaruso@nww.com For advertising information, write Jamie Kalbach, Fusion Sales Manager, at: mailto:jkalbach@nww.com Copyright Network World, Inc., 2001 ------------------------ This message was sent to: vkamins@enron.com
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