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Sun StorageTek Tape Libraries Sweep Storage Awards in Both Midrange and Enterprise Groups From Storage Magazine's Quality Awards August 24, 2009, Volume 138, Issue 4
Sun StorageTek tape libraries received the top Quality Award in both the midrange and enterprise categories from Storage Magazine. This is the third time Sun finished first in the enterprise grouping of the service and reliability survey, and the second win in the midrange competition. "...the Sun/StorageTek combo has once again teamed up to snare top honors in Storage magazine's fourth annual Quality Awards for tape libraries with a resounding sweep of both the midrange and enterprise product categories," writes Rich Castagna in the periodical's report. The Storage Magazine Quality Awards are designed to identify and recognize products that have proven their quality and reliability in actual use. Results are derived from a survey of its qualified readers who assessed products in five main evaluation categories: sales-force competence, initial product quality, product features, product reliability and technical support. Products are rated on a scale of 1.00 to 8.00, where 8.00 is the most favorable score. This Quality Awards survey for tape libraries had 694 valid responses, accounting for a total of 811 product ratings. Seventeen product lines were included in the midrange and enterprise library categories with 13 receiving enough responses to be included in the final results. These included: Midrange tape libraries
Enterprise tape libraries
Sales-force Competence
Sun came out on top in the sales-force competence category for midrange libraries with a score of 6.63, surpassing second-place finisher IBM (6.37). Sun outpaced the field with the highest scores for five of the six statements in the sales-force category, with particularly high scores for the statements "My sales rep is knowledgeable about my industry" (6.82) and "The vendor's sales support team is knowledgeable" (6.76). Initial Product Quality
For enterprise tape libraries, Spectra Logic rated at the top with a score of 6.62 over Sun's 6.47. IBM and Hewlett-Packard (HP) Co. were third and fourth with ratings of 6.39 and 6.32, respectively. However, Sun turned the tables in the midrange library category with top scores for five statements; HP's 6.54 for "This product was easy to install" barely nudged Sun's score (6.50) to prevent the latter from sweeping this category. Sun also received one of only two 7.00 ratings in the entire survey for the statement "This product delivers good value for the money." Product Features
There was little doubt that users felt that Sun's feature set was the best, writes Castagna. In the midrange group, Sun topped the other vendors for every statement in this category, with a total product features score of 6.72. Runner-up IBM rated 6.49. Sun's impressive romp through the features category was highlighted by a very high 6.95 for "Overall, this product's features meet my needs" -- a resounding endorsement of its products' capabilities. In the enterprise field, Spectra Logic took the features category over Sun by the slimmest possible margin - 6.70 to 6.69. The two vendors divvied up the category with each coming out on top for four statements. Sun came close to garnering another 7.00, but fell slightly short with a 6.92 for "This product's operational performance meets my needs." Product Reliability
Sun came out on top in both the midrange and enterprise tape library groups. Among midrange products, Sun impressed once again by taking top honors for six of the seven statements and rolling up a winning category score of 6.61, well ahead of IBM's second-place rating of 6.26. Sun again flirted with a 7.00 score by notching a 6.91 for "The product meets my service-level requirement." Sun's win in the enterprise group, with a category score of 6.53, featured another near-sweep as it came in second to IBM on a single statement ("Vendor provides comprehensive upgrade guidance") while scoring highest on all of the others. IBM again achieved a solid second-place finish with a 6.38, while HP and Spectra Logic tied for third with identical 6.11 scores. Technical Support
Sun accomplished another double win by rising to the top in both the midrange and enterprise groups. Among midrange vendors, it scored 6.57. Sun topped the other vendors for seven of the eight statements with a very consistent range of scores from 6.30 ("This product is easy to service") to 6.67 ("Support issues rarely require escalation" and "Vendor's support personnel are knowledgeable"). In the enterprise library group, Sun's tech support ranked No. 1 receiving 6.51 vs. IBM's 6.47. As it did in the midrange group, Sun notched its highest statement score (a 6.81) for "Vendor's support personnel are knowledgeable." Would You Buy It Again
Sun backed up its midrange win with a solid 91% saying they'd buy their Sun product again. HP users were nearly as enthusiastic, with 90% saying they'd buy their library again. Overland Storage was a close third with 88%, followed by IBM (87%). In the enterprise group, Sun missed a "buy again" sweep by approximately 1 percentage point. HP topped the group with 89% saying they'd buy their enterprise library again, just beating out Sun and IBM, which both had 88%. More Information
Quality Awards IV: Sun shines again in tape library challenge
Sun Eco-Friendly Enterprise Storage Solutions
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tape is likely to be around for a while, and tape library vendors are apparently doing a good job of providing reliable, effective products. 
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Sun StorageTek Tape Libraries Sweep Storage Awards in Both Midrange and Enterprise Groups
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