Differentiating Hardware-And Software-Based Data De-Duplication

Data growth, the need to protect data and the desire to save money will not change any time soon. All of these issues are increasing, placing tremendous demands on IT organizations. D2D backup solutions are taking hold and those that leverage data de-duplication are delivering tangible benefits. IT organizations considering data de-duplication need to look past the immediate benefits of hardware-based approaches - mainly, the ease of deployment - and consider the long-term viability of the solution. As requirements evolve, issues of scalability, flexibility and manageability of the solution, as well as applicability to multiple use case scenarios will take precedence. ESG believes that software-based approaches provide benefits that can future-proof data de-duplication decisions.