Demand for disk-based data protection rockets

Fuelled by increasingly stringent compliance regulations and growing demand for business continuity, demand for disk-based data protection is set to soar over the next four years, analysts predicted today.

IDC estimates that the sector – which it estimates will clock up global sales of $8bn this year – will explode to generate more than $50bn in software and hardware revenues through to 2010.

"We have seldom seen so much unmet pent-up demand for a market that is already so large," said Robert Gray, research vice president, Worldwide Storage Systems at IDC.

"Latent demand is also high in the SMB market. However, traditional storage solutions are totally inadequate to meet current and future demand, creating significant opportunities for innovative suppliers."

"Users want a unified solution approach to data protection, security, and data management, supporting an orientation toward simplicity and integration," added Laura DuBois, research director, Storage Software at IDC.

"Storage solution suppliers must build a broad ecosystem of data protection functions through innovation, acquisition or partnership, and collaboration," she said.