Why Storage Is Boring

Has storage lost its mojo? Is innovation dead? Have the suits who sell storage gotten boring, or is it the industry itself?

Let's answer in order: No. No. It's the suits.

What prompted that seemingly random pop quiz? A B&S reader nonplussed by our recent Q&A with EMC's Mark Lewis prompted a "Storage is Boring: retort on our message boards.

First, to address the subject line: Boring? No. Just not very flashy. After all, how do you sex up backup and archiving? Yet they are essential enterprise functions and in a lot of cases legally mandated.

The message went on to elaborate:

I'll tell you what happened: Vendors did a crap job of explaining what these virtualization switches did and why customers should buy them. The few able to understand the messaging then found they couldn't afford such fascination.

But what I hear underneath mje1234's message is this: Where's all the big thinking gone? Why are executives content to answer hard questions with bland patter?

Because to do otherwise is risky, and quite possibly very damaging to the brand, quarterly results, or share price. After all, the storage market is serious business. When you hold the keys to the data center kingdom, everything behind that door better work well. Going out on a limb isn't smart.

So instead of flash, we get the buttoned-down approach. Look at how the conversations about ILM and virtualization have given way to services talk. (See Late to the Party.) We'll install, maintain, manage, troubleshoot, and secure your data center. But we just won't call it innovation (or terribly interesting).

Storage is complex, but never boring. And as it's gotten more commoditized, it's gotten more ruthless and acquisitive. Factor in storage buyers' essentially conservative natures, and you've got a market that doesn't reward flashiness and panache.If you can get your big thoughts (and new products) to track with that, great. Otherwise it's just blather. And blather is boring.

Terry Sweeney, Editor in Chief, Byte and Switch