We're just a customer. We don't have a business relationship with the company.

I'm an outsourcing service provider and I've had a lot of experience using the solution. 

We have everything from DS8100 disc storage, all the way up to 8990s.

I'd advise new users to read the implementation installation guide. Most of the questions are answered in there. People just tend to skim over it and don't get into the details. However, it's important in making everything run smoothly and understanding the solution. That's probably the best advice I've actually heard from anybody. At the end of the day, don't be someone who skips the instructions, and all of a sudden you have a pile of parts.

I'd rate the solution nine out of ten.

The overall performance of the product is unparalleled. If you're looking for an end-to-end solution, there is no better choice.

I would advise them to look into it. See if it matches what they want to do. Most vendors provide these features. If they want to sell their boxes, then they have to have these features. Otherwise, why would you want a box that doesn't have the features that you need for disaster recovery? Other vendors offer similar features, but this is the one we chose.

I'd recommend this solution to others, but I'd tell them first to check if that can code for it.

On a scale from one to ten, I would give IBM System Storage DS8000 Series a ten.

You have to have a lot of testing time and a lot of understanding of the product. Obviously, support from the vendor is huge. It's just a long process. It takes a long time to implement and manage a big tool and a big piece of work like this. You have just got to work with your vendor.

I really recommend the IBM DS8000 solution as it is the most advanced technology available for storage solutions.

Whilst looking for a vendor, it is important for us that both the product and support should be reliable.