In the world of data storage, one size does not fit all. Some companies want capacity; others want performance or low operational costs. While the storage market is moving toward all-flash arrays, not every system is created equal. One company that has capitalized on the unique storage needs of business is Tegile, Inc., a provider of hybrid and all-flash data storage.

To discover more about the data storage business, Stu Miniman (@stu) and John Walls (@JohnWalls21), cohosts of theCUBE, from the SiliconANGLE Media team, visited the VMworld 2016 conference in Las Vegas. There, they talked with Rob Commins, VP of Marketing, Tegile, Inc.

A split in the market

The conversation started with a look at the storage market and how it has changed. Commins explained that Tegile started as a hybrid company with flash and disk systems. Recently, it entered the all-flash business. He mentioned how the company has seen the flash market split into high-performance and high-capacity systems to better fit customer needs.

“We buy into the idea that one size does not fit everyone,” Commins said. He spoke about how his company runs a wide variety of systems for the indecisive manager. A lot of it has to do with being able to move around and change your mind over time, he said.

Future-proofing an investment

Commins mentioned that storage vendors don’t win or lose on performance anymore. The current technology is so much faster than the traditional use cases that it’s not an issue. Instead, Tegile offers to take the usual three-to-five-year technology refresh off the table. They do this with a lifetime storage contract, where Tegile rolls in with new systems as part of the maintenance agreement.

Customers say it works, and they don’t have to monitor the system, Commins said. The people who would normally have to maintain things can focus on creating value for their company. Commins then described storage by comparing it to a factory on the river, generating its own power with a water wheel. That’s the old way. Now, companies just plug into the wall. He stated that storage will soon work the same way.

Watch the complete video interview below, and be sure to check out more of SiliconANGLE and theCUBE’s coverage of the VMworld 2016.

Photo by SiliconANGLE