IT professionals have debated over the exact meaning of the term software-defined storage (SDS). While the details may still be undefined, everyone agrees that this data storage method uses generic hardware and vendor-specific software. In essence, SDS emphasizes the role of software in data storage, while traditional solutions focus on the hardware.

After reaching out to hundreds of IT professionals, researchers writing The State of Software-Defined Storage 2015 Market Survey discovered the 3 main reasons why businesses use SDS:

The Ability to Use Your Existing Hardware

The main reason organizations use SDS is to extend the life of existing IT infrastructure. This hardware-independent approach ensures that your data storage system is unlikely to become obsolete in the future.

Cost-Effective and Flexible

Secondly, the survey highlighted that this approach to data storage can save you money. If you need new equipment, SDS lets you shop around for the best deals on hardware, even if that means buying equipment from Manufacturer A in one year and Manufacturer B the next year.

While traditional solutions lock you into a contract and force you to purchase vendor-specific hardware, SDS service providers allow you to buy any hardware you want and usually offer pay-as-you-go plans. This flexible approach lets companies scale up more easily.

Automatic Efficiency

As the third main business driver for implementing an SDS solution, the survey pointed to this approach’s use of automated tools. These tools manage workloads so that your system performs more efficiently. By automating frequent tasks, these tools save you the time it would take to manually do them. Additionally, SDS solutions provide centralized systems and easy-to-use interfaces. In short, these features make managing data much simpler.

Contact your IT provider for guidance on leveraging SDS to manage your data storage costs.