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By Pia Heikkila, 12 October 2001 16:47

NEWS Fujitsu has slammed EMC's storage software for being too expensive, claiming to deliver the same technology at less than half the price. Fujitsu claims that its virtualisation technology can perform both the data mirroring function - the ability to keep databases synchronised on different servers across a storage network - and snapshot technology - a quick data back-up function. These functions are normally marketed as two separate software products. Fujitsu attacked EMC's software for performing these functions on a proprietary level and at a much higher price. Nicholas Tabellion, CTO of Fujitsu Softek, said: "If IT departments are running on EMC's storage products, they have to buy both data mirroring and snapshot technology separately which are both proprietary technologies to EMC. Our virtualisation machine can do the same thing at less than half the cost of EMC's technology." But Nigel Ghent, marketing manager for EMC UK, lashed back by accusing Fujitsu of jumping on the virtualisation bandwagon and ignoring other storage issues. "Fujitsu likes using the currently trendy word 'virtualisation' in storage. In effect they are only looking at the cost of performance related technologies like mirroring and snapshot, but fail to understand other important areas such as availability, support and management of the total of IT environment," he said. Graham Rowe, marketing manager at Positiv storage consultancy was more conciliatory about Fujitsu's jibe. He claimed there was still a place for EMC's proprietary approach. Companies thinking of deploying virtualisation technology should assess according to their individual needs. "EMC is good at making big robust machines, so if the IT department needs those machines, they should invest in them. In storage, like everything else in life, you pay for what you get," he said.