Dell is unveiling new software to tie together disparate pieces of data centre hardware, making a pitch for an open system that runs counter to what some of its rivals are doing. Dell's updated Virtual Integrated System, which it announced on September 28, offers business customers software that can manage servers, storage and networking from other vendors, not just Dell.
The company said VIS provides customers the ability to fuse older and newer technologies, extending the life of older hardware as companies use newer technology.
IT management is not one of Dell's traditional businesses areas, but the company wants to increase its presence in the competitive data center business.
The company's approach is different from that taken by companies like Oracle Corp, which are pushing single-vendor options. Oracle last week unveiled Exalogic, a new hardware and software product that combines server, storage, and networking.
Dell said it hopes to set itself apart from companies like Oracle and Cisco Systems Inc by enabling choice and flexibility. "They tend to enable their own proprietary technologies in their own proprietary clouds. We are taking a very different approach," said Steve Schuckenbrock, who runs Dell's large enterprise business.
Schuckenbrock said the VIS announcement was not one of the bigger product launches of the year in terms of size, but was one of its most important in a strategic sense.
Personal computer sales make up the bulk of Dell's revenue base, and the company has been trying to diversify its business by boosting sales of higher-margin products such as software.
Comments
Comments are closed.