History (1989): IBM Earnings Affected by Non-Replacement of 3380 HDDs

IBM’s new HDDs, code-named Soquel, and maybe afterwards 3390, should replace the 3380, but its announcement is still hold up.

This concern is beginning to worry Big Blue who had to admit that its earnings did not meet expectations in its third quarter, for many reasons including the delays with the 3390 .

Users are already starting to search for alternatives from its best-known competitors, especially NAS .

Like IDC’s figures prove it, IBM’s share in the 3380 disk drives and compatibles has considerably grown from 1987 to 1988, but it would be amazing if Big Blue kept the three-quarters of this market in 1989 and 1990.

WW market for 3380 disks and compatibles

This article is an abstract of news published on the former paper version of Computer Data Storage Newsletter on issue ≠21, published on October 1989.