The following is an excerpt from
a Dow Jones News Services
article
by
Frank Byrt
from April 4, 2001.
BOSTON-(Dow Jones) - Although it may hurt now, the current economic downturn
could someday mean good news for the computer storage services sector.
Companies' efforts to cut corners draws attention to the sector's cost-saving capabilities.
"Storage may be boring, but it's boring like a bank," said Steven Murphy, chief executive of Fujitsu
Software, a new U.S.-based company focused on the storage management software market.
Data storage demands of Internet use and e-mail virtually force companies to use storage service providers
to maintain the speed and integrity of their data networks, said Mary Collins, a technology analyst for Gilder
Technology.
These opinions were shared Tuesday as executives of several Boston-area storage and Internet companies
discussed industry changes. The discussion came in advance of next week's industry conference in California
sponsored by Gilder Publishing LLC.
The cost of managing storage networks is another impetus for companies to outsource the management of their
data storage since IT professionals are scarce, said Fujitsu CEO Murphy. And the cost of data management systems
even exceeds the cost of hardware, Murphy added.
Dale Vincent, chief executive of Mangosoft Inc. (MGOF), a provider of Internet-enabling software and services
based in Westborough, Mass., said he sees the increasing demand for data storage capabilities as a trend that
will continue growing.
Gilder's three-day conference - Storewidth 2001: The End of Storage - is scheduled to begin April 10, in
Laguna Nigel, Calif.
Gilder Publishing, founded by high-tech guru George Gilder, is a Massachusetts firm that publishes the
Gilder Technology Report.
