The enterprise data storage landscape is evolving rapidly, driven by the increasing demands of AI workloads and the ever-present need for robust cybersecurity. The 23rd edition of TechTarget’s annual Storage Products of the Year awards highlights the top achievements in this field, recognizing products that excel in innovation, performance, ease of use, value, and usability. This article delves into the standout solutions across various categories, offering insights into the trends and key points shaping the data storage industry in 2024.
Backup and Disaster Recovery Services
Veeam Data Platform 12.2: Gold Winner
Veeam’s latest version, Data Platform 12.2, stands out for its exceptional instant recovery capabilities, high availability, and comprehensive backup options. This version notably supports the Proxmox Virtual Environment, enhancing its flexibility. A key feature is the Cloud Tier, which automatically archives data to public cloud storage, providing robust protection against ransomware and ensuring data flexibility.
The platform’s user-friendly interface and seamless integration with various environments make it a top choice for enterprises looking to enhance their data protection strategies. Veeam’s focus on innovation and performance has earned it the gold award in this category. Enterprises are increasingly aware of the need for holistic disaster recovery solutions capable of safeguarding critical information without compromising on accessibility and response times. Veeam Data Platform 12.2 meets these needs admirably, evidenced by its widespread adoption and positive feedback from key industry players.
Moreover, the architectural improvements in version 12.2 allow for faster data recovery and an extensive range of supported platforms, making it versatile amidst diverse IT landscapes. Whether a company operates on a traditional on-premise setup or a hybrid cloud architecture, Veeam’s platform offers tailored solutions ensuring data integrity. Significant upgrades to the user interface and operational dashboards provide IT professionals with greater control and visibility over their disaster recovery processes, streamlining workflow and reducing downtime.
Veritas Alta Data Protection 10.4: Silver Winner
Veritas Alta Data Protection 10.4, a cloud-native extension of Veritas NetBackup, excels in hybrid and multi-cloud environments. Leveraging advanced AI technologies, this solution offers significant scalability and operational efficiency. Features like Veritas Alta Copilot, which employs generative AI, further enhance its capabilities.
The product’s ability to seamlessly integrate with existing infrastructures and its focus on AI-driven enhancements make it a strong contender in the backup and disaster recovery space. Veritas’s commitment to innovation and usability is evident in this award-winning solution. AI technologies embedded within Veritas Alta help anticipate potential threats and optimize storage management, providing enterprises with proactive rather than reactive solutions. This predictive capability ensures that backup processes not only run efficiently but also adapt dynamically to changes within the IT environment.
Furthermore, the multi-cloud compatibility of Veritas Alta Data Protection 10.4 enables businesses to maintain a flexible and resilient backup strategy. As enterprises increasingly adopt multi-cloud solutions, the ability to protect data across different cloud services becomes crucial. Veritas responds to this trend by offering seamless integration and management across various cloud platforms, thereby addressing one of the critical requirements of modern enterprises. The generative AI features provided by Veritas facilitate effective storage optimization, ensuring that resources are utilized efficiently and costs are managed effectively. This balance of operational efficiency and cost-effectiveness is a significant factor in Veritas’s high ranking.
HYCU R-Cloud: Bronze Winner
HYCU R-Cloud continues to impress with its simplicity and cost-efficiency in SaaS data protection. The product integrates seamlessly with major platforms like Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure, offering granular recovery and protection. Its user-friendly approach and robust features make it a popular choice for enterprises seeking reliable data protection solutions.
HYCU’s focus on ease of use and integration capabilities has earned it the bronze award in this category, highlighting its effectiveness in addressing the needs of modern enterprises. As businesses of all sizes increasingly rely on Software as a Service (SaaS) applications, the importance of proficient and reliable data protection solutions cannot be overstated. HYCU R-Cloud addresses these needs by providing comprehensive protection without the complexities often associated with traditional data backup systems.
With a growing emphasis on cloud-native solutions, HYCU R-Cloud’s ability to provide deep integration with popular cloud environments means enterprises can manage backups efficiently without introducing significant operational overhead. Its modular design ensures that enterprises can scale their protection capabilities in line with expanding cloud deployments, maintaining agility and readiness in a dynamic tech landscape. Additionally, HYCU R-Cloud’s emphasis on cost-efficiency does not come at the expense of performance or features. The platform’s capability to offer granular recovery and robust protection makes it a compelling choice for businesses looking to balance efficiency, cost, and functionality in their data protection strategies.
Enterprise Cloud Storage
HPE GreenLake for Private Cloud Business Edition Release 3: Gold Winner
HPE’s GreenLake for Private Cloud Business Edition Release 3 is a versatile software solution that excels in private and hybrid environments. The product offers high data availability and autonomous operational capabilities powered by HPE InfoSight and AIOps. Its converged functionality and seamless integration make it a top choice for enterprises looking to optimize their cloud storage strategies.
The solution’s ability to handle complex workloads and its focus on innovation and performance have earned it the gold award in the enterprise cloud storage category. Businesses today require storage solutions that not only provide scalable space but also integrate seamlessly into existing infrastructure, ensuring continuity and minimal disruption during upgrades or migrations. HPE’s robust design and advanced capabilities make it a central component of modern enterprise IT strategies, supporting both legacy systems and forward-looking cloud initiatives.
What sets HPE GreenLake apart is its ability to autonomously manage and optimize storage through machine learning algorithms. This self-managing capability drastically reduces administrative overhead and enables IT teams to focus on more strategic initiatives. Business continuity is further assured by HPE InfoSight’s predictive analytics, which identifies and resolves potential issues before they impact operations. The reliability and high availability provided by GreenLake, combined with its advanced automation capabilities, are critical factors in its top placement among cloud storage solutions.
Pure Storage Evergreen//One: Silver Winner
Pure Storage’s Evergreen//One updates its Storage-as-a-Service (STaaS) product with capabilities optimized for AI workloads. The solution maintains strong performance and offers seamless upgrade paths, providing scalable storage solutions for enterprises. Its focus on AI-driven enhancements and robust performance makes it a standout in the cloud storage space. Particularly in industries where AI applications drive significant portions of the business, the need for storage solutions that can handle high-speed, data-intensive tasks is paramount. Pure Storage’s evolution towards optimizing STaaS for AI workloads exemplifies this pivot within the industry.
One of the defining features of Evergreen//One is its ability to deliver continuous innovation without disruption. Enterprises can seamlessly transition to newer, more advanced technologies without downtime, a critical factor in maintaining competitive advantage. This constant state of readiness ensures that businesses can leverage the latest advancements in storage, staying ahead in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. Furthermore, Pure Storage’s commitment to sustainable technology, including energy-efficient storage operations and reduced e-waste through long-term hardware usage, adds a layer of environmental responsibility. These sustainable practices align with the growing emphasis on green IT, making Pure Storage a preferred choice for enterprises seeking to enhance both their operational and eco-friendly credentials.
MinIO Enterprise Object Store: Bronze Winner
MinIO’s Enterprise Object Store addresses the exabyte-scale data needs with its software-defined storage, particularly focusing on AI workload demands. The product offers comprehensive Kubernetes integration and quick deployment capabilities, making it a popular choice for enterprises looking to optimize their cloud storage strategies. As businesses accumulate vast quantities of data, the ability to scale efficiently while maintaining performance becomes a top priority. MinIO addresses these needs with a robust, software-defined approach that ensures flexibility and rapid deployment.
Moreover, MinIO’s architecture is built to support large-scale AI deployments, providing high-performance object storage crucial for training AI and machine learning models. The emphasis on Kubernetes integration reflects the industry’s shift toward containerized applications and microservices, allowing for greater agility and resource efficiency. MinIO’s ability to operate seamlessly within both public and private cloud environments further enhances its appeal, bridging a vital gap for enterprises with hybrid cloud strategies. The flexibility and power provided by MinIO make it a versatile solution capable of meeting the diverse and demanding requirements of contemporary enterprise data storage needs.
Enterprise Disk and Disk Subsystems
Weka WEKApod: Gold Winner
Weka’s WEKApod, an Nvidia-certified storage appliance, is recognized for its suitability for high-performance AI workloads. The product combines excellent speed and efficiency in a compact form factor, making it a top choice for enterprises looking to optimize their disk storage strategies. In sectors where data throughput and computational speed are critical, WEKApod sets a new standard by delivering unparalleled performance in managing large datasets essential for AI and machine learning applications.
The compactness of the WEKApod, combined with its high-speed capabilities, allows enterprises to maximize data center space while achieving significant performance gains. This efficiency is crucial in environments where physical space is at a premium, and operational speed directly impacts business outcomes. The Nvidia certification further assures compatibility and optimized performance for AI tasks, reinforcing WEKApod’s position as an industry leader. This storage appliance’s design prioritizes not only speed and efficiency but also reliability, ensuring consistent performance under demanding workloads.
Infinidat InfiniBox SSA G4 F4416T: Silver Winner
Infinidat’s InfiniBox SSA G4 F4416T maintains high performance and reliability with notable enhancements from its switch to AMD processors. The product supports expanded ecosystems, including Microsoft Azure, making it a versatile choice for enterprises looking to optimize their disk storage strategies. The transition to AMD processors represents a significant upgrade, enhancing processing power and efficiency, which is vital for handling intensive, data-heavy operations.
The expanded ecosystem compatibility ensures that businesses can integrate InfiniBox seamlessly into existing IT environments, whether on-premises or within the cloud. This flexibility is essential for enterprises looking to maintain operational continuity while adopting new storage technologies. Infinidat’s commitment to high performance is evident in the product’s ability to deliver consistent and reliable data access, critical for business operations that require uninterrupted service. The robust architecture and sophisticated features of the InfiniBox SSA G4 F4416T position it as a top contender for enterprises needing reliable and scalable disk storage solutions.
Furthermore, the enhancements brought by the switch to AMD processors not only improve performance but also reduce latency, ensuring quicker access to stored data. This boost in efficiency is particularly beneficial for applications requiring real-time data processing and swift decision-making capabilities. Additionally, InfiniBox’s implementation of advanced data reduction techniques helps optimize storage capacity, enabling enterprises to manage larger volumes of data without proportional increases in storage costs. These features collectively reinforce Infinidat’s standing as a provider of top-tier, enterprise-grade storage solutions.
Dell Technologies PowerStore with PowerStoreOS 4.0: Bronze Winner
Dell Technologies’ PowerStore with PowerStoreOS 4.0 introduces significant OS upgrades that boost performance and enhance overall capabilities for data protection and multi-cloud support. These upgrades position PowerStore as a formidable solution for enterprises striving to balance performance, scalability, and security within their storage strategies. The new OS version includes advanced features designed to streamline operations and improve data handling efficiencies, crucial in today’s fast-paced digital environment.
PowerStore’s adaptive architecture is designed to scale according to the evolving needs of businesses, providing a flexible, high-performance platform capable of handling increased data loads without compromising on speed or reliability. The seamless integration of enhanced data protection measures ensures that sensitive information is safeguarded against potential threats, aligning with the ongoing focus on cybersecurity within the industry. Furthermore, PowerStore’s new capabilities for multi-cloud environments enable enterprises to manage and protect data across diverse cloud platforms efficiently, facilitating centralized control and improved data governance.
These improvements include an emphasis on enhancing data mobility and accessibility, ensuring that enterprises can quickly and securely retrieve critical information irrespective of its storage location. Dell’s focus on continuous innovation is evident in PowerStore’s robust feature set, which combines cutting-edge technology with user-centric design to deliver a superior storage solution. By addressing the multifaceted challenges of modern data management, PowerStore with PowerStoreOS 4.0 demonstrates its value as a comprehensive enterprise storage option.
Storage System and Application Software
Hammerspace 5.05: Gold Winner
Hammerspace 5.05 stands out for providing unparalleled management of unstructured data across various storage environments. The product integrates innovations that support extensive AI activities and S3 data enhancements, making it a top choice for enterprises grappling with massive amounts of diverse data types. This software solution emphasizes making unstructured data easily accessible and actionable, a significant advantage in data-driven industries.
One of the key strengths of Hammerspace 5.05 lies in its ability to abstract data from the underlying infrastructure, allowing seamless access and management across different storage systems. This capability is particularly valuable for businesses operating hybrid or multi-cloud environments, where data is often dispersed across multiple platforms. By providing a unified view and control over unstructured data, Hammerspace facilitates improved data governance and operational efficiency. The integration of AI capabilities further enhances its value, enabling automated data handling processes that streamline workflows and reduce manual intervention.
StorPool Storage v21: Silver Winner
StorPool Storage v21 demonstrates the industry’s move towards software-defined storage, focusing on performance, scalability, and innovative features like erasure coding and comprehensive iSCSI support. The decision to elevate StorPool reflects its potent blend of cutting-edge technology and practical functionality, designed to meet the rigorous demands of modern enterprises.
Key to its appeal is StorPool’s dedication to ensuring high availability and performance, even under heavy workloads. With the integration of advanced erasure coding techniques, the platform achieves remarkable data protection without sacrificing efficiency or speed. This innovation is critical for businesses that handle substantial data volumes and require rapid, reliable access to their stored information. Additionally, StorPool’s extensive support for various storage protocols, including iSCSI, highlights its versatility and adaptability within diverse IT infrastructures. This flexibility makes it a preferred solution for enterprises looking to future-proof their storage capabilities while maintaining optimal performance levels.
Ctera Enterprise File Services Platform 8.1: Bronze Winner
Ctera’s Enterprise File Services Platform 8.1 excels in delivering secure multi-cloud file services, with a particular emphasis on strong data protection measures and cyber-resilience. The platform’s robust capabilities in this respect are underscored by its advanced features, such as Write Once, Read Many (WORM) and honeypot functionalities, which enhance its cyber-resilience.
Ctera’s focus on creating a secure and reliable file services platform addresses the growing need for efficient data management across multiple cloud environments. Its sophisticated security measures ensure that data remains protected from threats, while the multi-cloud capabilities offer seamless integration and management across different cloud platforms. The emphasis on cyber-resilience is particularly relevant in today’s threat landscape, where businesses face an ever-increasing number of cyberattacks. By providing robust protection and reliable performance, Ctera’s platform ensures that enterprises can confidently manage their data in the cloud, making it a valuable addition to any modern IT strategy. The combination of strong security, ease of use, and comprehensive multi-cloud support further underscores Ctera’s position as a leader in the enterprise file services space.
Trends and Consensus Viewpoints
A notable trend evident from the awarded products is the critical role of AI in shaping data storage requirements. Products that handle AI-driven workloads efficiently received high praise, indicating the emphasis on performance and scalability. The integration of advanced AI and ML technologies, particularly in backup solutions, underscores the industry’s shift toward intelligent automation and enhanced cyber protection.
Additionally, the judges’ focus on usability reflects a broader trend towards simplifying complex storage infrastructures. Solutions that offered seamless integration across environments, whether on-premises, hybrid, or multiple clouds, were especially favored. Usability enhancements not only reduce the burden on IT teams but also ensure quicker deployment and more efficient operation, key considerations in highly dynamic enterprise contexts.
Summary of Findings
The findings highlight the thorough approach taken by regulatory bodies such as the SEC when addressing the complexities of cryptocurrencies. The analysis of the SEC’s handling of the spot Ethereum ETF application, including its solicitation of public comment, reveals a careful consideration of digital assets and their integration into existing regulatory frameworks. Furthermore, the parallel drawn between Ethereum and Bitcoin ETFs underscores the ongoing challenges and differences in regulatory processes applied to various cryptocurrencies.
The landscape for enterprise data storage is undergoing swift changes, largely fueled by the rising demands of AI workloads and the critical necessity for strong cybersecurity measures. These changes are recognized in the 23rd edition of TechTarget’s annual Storage Products of the Year awards. The awards shed light on top-performing products in this domain, acknowledging those that stand out in terms of innovation, performance, ease of use, value, and overall usability.
This article takes an in-depth look at the exceptional solutions in various categories, revealing the trends and essential elements that will shape the data storage industry in 2024. As technology progresses, the importance of efficient data management and security becomes even more critical, reflecting in the year’s highlighted products. These leading products offer insightful glimpses into what to expect in the future of data storage. From cutting-edge developments ensuring better performance and security to user-friendly designs that provide greater value and ease of use, the emphasis is on meeting the complex demands of today’s data-driven world.
Stay informed about the advancements in data storage to understand how these top products are setting new standards for 2024, providing key solutions to meet the ever-evolving challenges in the industry.
