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Quantum Corp. is a leading data storage company specializing in backup, recovery and archive. Sunny John, country manager for India, Quantum, talked about the company’s portfolio and its plans to target the SMB market in India. Excerpts from an exclusive chat with Pragati Simlote of CyberMedia News:
Can you give us a brief overview of the storage solutions and services provided by the company?
We provide a wide range of data storage solutions. Our product portfolio includes tape libraries like PX720, PX510, PX506 and PX502. We also provide disk-based backup solutions such as Quantum DX100, Quantum DX30, Quantum DPM5500 and the DX3000 and DX5000 virtual tape libraries. We also have autoloader products like the Quantum SuperLoader 3 and Quantum DAT Autoloader. Our tape drives include the DLT product line, Quantum LTO drive and Quantum DAT/DDS drive. We also offer data storage services to our customers.
SuperLoader 3 autoloader, which is targeted at the SMBs comes free with StorageCare Guardian, a remote diagnostics and monitoring tool. Customers can have Quantum monitor their SuperLoader 3 24 hours a day, 365 days a year at no charge. If Quantum predicts that there may be a problem then we can dispatch a service person onsite to fix the problem even before it occurs.
Which are your target segments in India?
Today, as the cost has dropped and with the data storage and backup solutions becoming affordable, there has been a big change in the market. Customers cutting across verticals have recognized the importance of data storage and back up solutions. It is not just large enterprises’ domain, even smaller organizations are using our data storage services. Government and the telecom sector are also hot segments for us.
How do you help your channel partners provide the best storage solution?
We always encourage our channel partners to invest the time and effort needed to understand the unique challenges that is specific to different segments. Quantum offers a global reseller program named Quantum Alliance to ensure the best storage solution. This program helps Quantum channel partners stay ahead of the industry in terms of general and product-specific knowledge. In India, we have about 500 individual members. If end users contact Quantum directly, we can connect them with a qualified channel partner to provide the best data storage and back up solution.
Does the company have any specific storage solutions targeting the SMB segment, especially in India?
Quantum has three specific storage solutions for the SMB market. The Quantum DLT-V4 tape drive with a starting price of Rs 50,000 and a three-year warranty is an ideal choice for SMBs to meet near- and long-term data storage needs, either as a stand-alone product or as part of an entry-level server solution. The Quantum's SuperLoader3 (Autoloader), designed especially for providing the most reliable data storage solution, offers an exclusive package of advanced features, including Symantec's Backup Exec QuickStart software, remote management, a barcode reader and labels, mounting kit and cabling all at no additional cost. This product also expands from eight to 16 cartridge slots, so the customer’s investment is protected as his needs for storage solution grow.
Now with the new DLT-S4 tape drive, the Quantum PX502 (tape library) can easily satisfy customer data storage requirements up to 25 TB of native capacity, Quantum’s workgroup-sized PX502 tape library offers highly reliable automated backup solution at a breakthrough price.
With the PX500 Series, each library has the ability to be scaled and coupled with another in a simple process without a long downtime. If the need arises, a multiple-module system can be broken down and used for multiple locations.
How bullish is Quantum about growth in the SMB segment?
India contributes 20 per cent of the total market share of Quantum in the APAC segment. We would like to tap into the Indian SMB market since it is growing at a fast rate. We feel that majority of the SMBs here require efficient data storage systems without compromising on the cost. Quantum’s new DLT-S4 provides high capacity data storage; critical security features and advanced management at price lower than the older technologies like the LTO3 to meet the demands of SMBs in India. Standalone tape drive street pricing is estimated to start at $4,495 and a single DLT tape S4 cartridge costs about $100.
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