DataCore Programs Accelerate Adoption of Software-Defined Storage

DataCore Software Corporation unveiled a series of initiatives designed to simplify, automate and reward expansion of software-defined storage (SDS) and hyperconverged Virtual SAN throughout the globe.

In addition to product enhancements and a simplified licensing/pricing model, the company launched a new customer loyalty program and community platform to foster community development through the sharing of best practices and success stories.

The moves ensure customers derive higher value from existing hardware and software investments, thereby driving accelerated adoption and expansion of software-defined storage technologies worldwide.

In DataCore’s soon-to-be-released Seventh State of the Storage Market Survey, automating frequent or complex storage operations; simplifying management of different types of storage; and extending the life of existing storage assets topped the list of business drivers for SDS. The survey results reflect the market’s appreciation of the economic advantages of software-defined storage and its power to maximize IT infrastructure performance, availability and utilization. DataCore’s new customer-centric programs are specifically designed to support customers in fully realizing these advantages.

Stepped-up discounts based on lifetime capacity consumption as well as no-charge feature upgrades make it even more attractive to scale up and out for added resiliency and throughput in pursuit of real-time, always-on data. DataCore’s simplified licensing/pricing model also offers greater flexibility, allowing customers to transition at their own pace from conventional 3-tier SANs to 2-tier servers SANs, or collapse into hyperconverged systems – whether on-premises, at the edge or in the cloud.

A key element of DataCore’s customer-focused campaign is the new Inside the Core community platform, which serves as a meeting point for customers to exchange information and learn from company experts and other like-minded peers. Benefits include privileged access to product previews and direct influence on future product developments, while having some fun sharing their experiences and winning prize.

“Every IT department is looking to reap the benefits of the software-defined datacenter. Our customers are quickly realizing the performance, uptime and flexibility advantages of software-defined storage, in addition to spending less time on repetitive tasks,” said Gerardo A. Dada, CMO, DataCore. “These programs are specifically designed to help them expand the benefits of the technology to cover more of their IT footprint including additional workloads or datacenters.“

New Members of DataCore Leadership Team,
Including Chief Product Officer Rizwan Pirani,
Spearhead Customer Initiatives
All new programs have been developed under the direction of DataCore’s expanded senior team, headed by CEO Dave Zabrowski and CMO Gerardo Dada.

Among the recent additions is Rizwan (Riz) Pirani, who joins as chief product officer. Pirani has most recently served in various senior leadership roles at Citrix Systems, Inc., since 1997. He led the worldwide software development of XenApp, as well as hundreds of product releases, constantly evolving delivery models with a customer-first focus. His leadership fostered an environment of innovation and delivery with international centers of development across various geographies.

Pirani also led the transformation of Citrix’s virtualization portfolio to the cloud, where he operationalized the delivery of a strategic roadmap for the cloud management and orchestration product line. After the success of cloud transformation, he structured Citrix’s move into big data and analytics.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Mathematics from Ohio Wesleyan University, a Master’s degree in Computer Science from Florida Institute of Technology and an MBA in International Business from University of Miami.

“It’s a joy to see how our software-defined storage solutions shift storage spending from a passive, recurring expense to a far more valuable investment in real-time data services,” said Pirani. “And seeing customers rewarded with faster response and better safeguards at lower virtualized infrastructure costs.”    

Paul Tilston has also joined DataCore as VP sales, Americas. He previously served as VP of strategic alliances at Cloud Cruiser, where he was responsible for overseeing all aspects of the company’s global partnership activities.

In addition to the unveiling of new customer-centric programs, DataCore also announced a number of updates to its SANsymphony SDS and hyperconverged Virtual SAN products, focusing on ease of use and high-speed networking technologies. These include persistent storage for Docker containers and a simpler, automated deployment for hyperconverged storage on VMware clusters.