The digital transformation of business is powered by data, and that information must be stored in safe, high-performance storage solutions. IBM has entered the data storage market with a number of offerings to meet the changing needs of tech businesses.

To get an inside look at IBM’s data storage plans, Dave Vellante of theCUBE, from the SilconANGLE Media team, talked with Eric Herzog, VP of marketing at IBM Storage, at the VMworld 2015 conference.

The conversation started off with a question about the experience of partnering with Cisco Systems, Inc., another industry giant. Herzog replied that he was very happy with their relationship, as Cisco provided an excellent channel for their products with a great sales model. They have been partners for quite a long time, and would likely remain so.

A strategy of consumption

Herzog explained that IBM had a very strong commitment to data storage, one backed by considerable investment. It has built its data storage strategy around several different models of consumption, defined by how customers use their products. Some customers want an end-to-end solution, others favor a software-defined approach, and still others look toward the Cloud. Many accounts use several models to meet their needs.

Each model is balanced around the two factors of performance and capacity. Since the real value of storage is found in how software can make use of the data, the right model is necessary to properly optimize the data for the client’s software environment.

IBM’s vision of the data storage future

The discussion then turned toward what IBM might have in store for the future. Herzog mentioned it was all about innovation in this space and had a number of product releases coming up soon. Its strategy was to support everyone and keep the development going. Their goal was to help drive the business value of data well into the future.

Watch the full interview below, and be sure to check out more of SiliconANGLE and theCUBE’s coverage of VMworld 2015.

Photo by SiliconANGLE