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Enterprise Adoption of SSDs Remains Slow: Page 3 of 3

Third, while larger enterprises have IT staffers that can capably deploy and manage SSDs in mixed storage environments, many medium and small-sized businesses lack such internal expertise. This creates reluctance to go out on the limb for newer and more expensive technology.

It is also one reason why the new frontier of SSD research and development is focused on software systems that are designed to automate the management of SSD resources when they are combined with hard drives and other media. Sun, BlueArc, and IBM all have software management system initiatives aimed at demystifying SSD deployment and management. "Certainly, there are database and storage administrators out there who understand exactly where the 'pinch points' are in their transaction systems -- and how SSDs can affect that," says IBM's Barrera. "But by adding automated provisioning of storage, the process is simplified."

In 2009, the value proposition for SSDs is slowly taking hold in enterprise IT thinking, and most suppliers say that they are seeing business technology managers spell out requirements and options for SSDs when they seek proposals for new systems. Vendors also say that virtually all of their customers are looking at SSDs as they make plans for new systems. Nevertheless, SSDs have been adopted by only a few enterprises that require the highest performance and most experts expect that the pace of adoption will remain slow this year. Optimistic vendors expect deployment of SSDs in mainstream enterprise IT shops to pick up steam in 2010.