Quoting OneStopClick 

Storage virtualisation will emerge as a "critical competitive battleground" in the storage industry, claims research firm IDC.

The company said that over the next five years all forms of storage virtualisation will compete and drive changes in storage system architectures.

"Storage virtualisation has come of age. It's no longer a nascent market with limited user deployments and immature technology. Forty-nine percent of those surveyed are evaluating storage virtualisation solutions, and 34 per cent have already implemented such a solution," said Laura DuBois, research director for storage software at IDC.

The company said new technologies will spur significant investments in new storage software solutions, and potentially disrupt the current competitive environment.

"Our survey respondents' high level of interest reflects the growing role that file-centric applications have in many companies," added Richard Villars, vice president of storage systems at IDC.

"Given current data-generation trends, file virtualisation will emerge as an even more critical market for storage solutions providers."

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