ExaGrid Chosen Over EMC Data Domain

ExaGrid Systems, Inc. announced continued market momentum as multiple customers have selected ExaGrid’s EX Series over EMC Data Domain‘s DD Series system.

Recent customer wins include Volkswagen Credit, Seton Hill University, Bethune-Cookman University and Rio Bank, which have credited ExaGrid’s approach to disk-based backup and deduplication as the deciding purchasing factor.

ExaGrid is a disk backup solution purpose-built for backup that offers post-processing for fastest backups and restores and a grid architecture that expands capacity as data grows by adding full appliances to maintain fast backup performance and prevent backup windows from exploding. ExaGrid eliminates the scalability problems associated with competitive systems that use a fixed controller and expands capacity by adding just disk shelves as data grows until backup windows explode to an unacceptable level, requiring a forklift upgrade.

Volkswagen Credit Selects ExaGrid
after Testing Solutions Side-by-Side

• The financial services company chose the ExaGrid system based on its post-process deduplication, scalable architecture, overall ease-of-use, and price/performance.
• Prior to the ExaGrid deployment, weekly full backups were pushing beyond 72 hours. With ExaGrid, the company has seen as high as a 75 percent improvement in its backup speeds, and restores which are described as ‘lightning fast.’
• As a result, the company has installed ExaGrid appliances at five North American locations, with plans to install ExaGrid at additional sites in the future.

Customers Choose ExaGrid
for Scalability and Approach
to Disk Backup with Deduplication

• Seton Hill chose ExaGrid over EMC Data Domain based on ExaGrid’s scalable architecture, customer support model, and price/performance. Tape backup times were approaching 23 hours when they selected ExaGrid and have now dropped by two-thirds to less than eight hours. They cite ExaGrid’s customer support as ‘second to none.’
• Bethune-Cookman also chose ExaGrid based on the architectural approach to data deduplication. Backup times have been reduced by a factor of three times and restores are faster and easier.
• Rio Bank evaluated five vendors, including EMC Data Domain, and chose ExaGrid after due diligence based on solid product performance, scalability to accommodate future data growth, and customer references. Prior to ExaGrid, backups ran 15 hours a night and required 40 tapes a week. With ExaGrid, backup times have been reduced, and the bank also has greater data security from completely eliminating tape.

Marc Crespi, VP of product management for ExaGrid, said: "We find that more and more customers are choosing ExaGrid over Data Domain appliances because of our architecture purpose-built for backup and our overall approach to backup. Our GRID architecture is attractive to many companies who want to maintain fast backups as data grows and manage backup costs over time. ExaGrid’s solution is the only one designed to scale seamlessly as data grows, as compared to single controller systems which burden the IT user with a forklift upgrade to avoid expanding backup windows. In addition, customers rave about the quality and responsiveness of our technical support team and have given ExaGrid support world-class NetPromoter ratings for their knowledge of backup, expertise, and proactive approach to ensuring customer success."