Businesses are faced with a tidal wave of data, according to IBM Storage General Manager Andy Monshaw, and storage virtualization is one the keys to helping clients manage and unlock that data, as well as offer clients greater vendor choice.

During a keynote address at today's Storage Networking World conference, Monshaw emphasized that clients were not only trying to capture the data deluge, but more importantly they're trying to figure out how to convert that data into information that they can use to manage and grow their businesses.

Storage virtualization software, such as IBM's industry leading SAN Volume Controller (SVC), is a key to helping manage that data, as clients have to worry less about incompatible storage hardware providers. Storage virtualization offers clients improved total cost of ownership (TCO), increased application availability, better utilization, and greater freedom of choice.

Adds Monshaw, "IBM today is announcing that it has eclipsed 1,900 virtualization engine customers with its SAN Volume Controller, managing more than 15 petabytes of data. Clients are recognizing that this leading technology not only provides costs benefits but actively improves business continuity and application performance, which is one reason IBM is adding, on average, approximately five new SVC clients each business day."

Virtualization offers customers better utilization and better control. It opens up the infrastructure and gives clients freedom of choice. Monshaw compared the increased freedom promised by storage virtualization to one of the key benefits delivered by Linux. "Five years ago, server customers were essentially locked into their operating system. Linux changed that by providing greater freedom of choice. Today, we're witnessing a similar game-changing time for the storage industry through storage virtualization."