Dell, Inc. introduced new infrastructure consulting services to help organizations of all sizes improve their storage management and data protection, enable effective disaster recovery procedures and implement backup recovery processes. These services will help companies better manage traditional data and the new and rapidly growing digital file content created by the increasing adoption of Web 2.0 technologies in business. Enterprise and medium-size organizations can expect to experience 55 percent compound annual growth rates in the volume of their file-based storage capacity over the next several years.

Connected Era Creating Unprecedented Storage Demand
The amount of information created this year will surpass available storage capacity as more and more consumers and businesses go online. Companies must manage the complexities of growing storage infrastructures and protect, back up and retain data to comply with industry regulations, while protecting themselves from increasingly sophisticated external threats. Companies also want to fully utilize storage so that they don't pay for storage that is not used.

"For many customers, managing their data access, protection and recovery environment has become unnecessarily difficult and the risk to the business through data loss in the event of human error or disaster is both real and material," said Paul Kaeley, Storage Consulting Practice Director, Dell. "Dell's new consulting services provide a path to simplifying customers' storage and backup environments."

"Dell examined not only our immediate needs but also our goals for the future in terms of replication, disaster recovery and data back up," said Barry Schwartz, IT/Network Manager of Metrologic Instruments.
Dell improved the efficiency of Metrologic's data back up from 80 to 14 hours by consolidating servers, resulting in a goal of 200 percent return on investment, and helping ensure business continuity and protection of 40 years worth of the company's intellectual property.

Services Designed Around Storage Management and Data Protection Pain Points

Dell will work with customers to:

• Implement a tiered-storage infrastructure where less critical data can be moved to the appropriate tier helping to drive down costs for the business;
• Rapidly identify improvements within backup and recovery infrastructure and help customers to stabilize and optimize operations; and,
• Plan, design and implement data disaster recovery to help protect and recover data in event of crisis.

Additionally, in partnership with GlassHouse Technologies Inc., Dell will plan, design and implement IT disaster recovery plans to ensure companies have the people, process and tools to restore IT operations in the event of a crisis. Dell can also simplify the management of heterogeneous backup environments by providing managed backup, remote backup monitoring and remote backup reporting.

"There's an appetite for storage services, but companies are weary of long engagements that last for six months and the end result is a PowerPoint with a bunch of meaningless platitudes," said Stephanie Balaouras, Forrester senior analyst. "What I like about (Dell's services) is that there is an emphasis on consulting engagements that are short in duration and the recommendations are useful and actionable."

Tiered Storage, Data Disaster Recovery and Backup Restore Optimization and Stabilization services are now available worldwide, except in Latin America. IT Disaster Recovery, Enterprise Backup and Restore Assessments and Managed Backup, Remote Backup Monitoring and Remote Backup Reporting services are available to customers in the U.S., U.K. and Canada and will be available to customers in the rest of Europe and Asia later this year.

Practical Solutions, Not Armies of Consultants
Dell has a modular approach to infrastructure consulting. The company uses tools, automation and repeatable methodologies and best practices to identify pragmatic solutions to IT infrastructure management challenges in days and weeks rather than months. Dell services also include on-going support and managed services.

Storage Consulting services are available directly from Dell and through Dell's Partner Direct program.