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Survey Shows Adoption of Storage Networks Continues

International Network Services identifies top challenges

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Storage networks will soon contain half of all centralized stored data, according to a new report from International Network Services Inc. The report also identifies top challenges and barriers network professionals will face in implementing their storage networking strategies.

The report, available at , includes the following findings:

- Half of respondents said it's very important to improve their storage networking capabilities.

- Lowering costs is the current theme for storage networking: it is the top benefit expected and most important consideration when evaluating a solution. However, a majority of respondents said justifying storage networking costs and benefits to upper management is a significant barrier to achieving their goals.

- Satisfaction with various characteristics of storage networking has increased significantly in the last year, with reliability and performance leading the charge.

Network planners face a difficult task in the year ahead: they need to keep IT spending in check and simultaneously convince upper management that investments in technologies like storage networks are necessary to achieve this goal, the report found. With the continued explosion in data captured in most enterprises, the survey shows that these planners are relying on storage networks to help them manage their data effectively, provide a secure environment while permitting widespread access, and keep costs at current levels.

INS network industry surveys conducted over the last six years have examined a full range of networking issues and technologies, from network and systems management, to network security, to next generation networking solutions. These projects provide IT/network managers and business executives insights into key issues impacting their ability to develop and deploy network-centric business applications.
Miriam Jones is a former chief copy editor of Government Technology, Governing, Public CIO and Emergency Management magazines.