DataDirect Networks (DDN) has now made it more attractive for companies to set up their own private cloud storage infrastructure by introducing Amazon S3 API compatibility with the firm’s ‘WOS’ object storage.
Hoping to entice customers that want the benefits of cloud whilst adhering to data sensitivity and sovereignty regulations, the move aids European companies which want cloud scalability, storage, and power bursts without having to use third party public or private cloud storage platforms.
DDN, widely known for its high power computing and big data storage solutions, has seen significant growth in its WOS object storage offering, growing 400% year-on-year. CMO Molly Rector told CBR that in Europe there is a lot less trust in moving data across borders and boundaries.
"In Europe, companies are not so comfortable with that," said Rector. "They have already decided not to use AWS."
Rector said that in the US, firms simply can’t compete against the economies of scale the larger cloud providers possess, but for security-conscious European firms, setting up private cloud storage brings multiple benefits.
Rector also highlighted the cost benefits of using DDN.
Rector said: "Keeping pace with the demands that unstructured data growth places on today’s storage infrastructures in the face of diminishing budgets has become a massive challenge for IT organisations everywhere, prompting keen interest in and rapid adoption of object storage platforms.
"DDN WOS S3 is designed for private and hybrid cloud infrastructures, providing customers with the flexibility to run their applications on premises or in the cloud."
She highlighted particular interest from biomedical and genomics firms, areas where the regulations and ethical issues of cloud usage can cause headaches for those in charge of sensitive data. By setting up private cloud infrastructures, the firms get tighter control of their data but still get the flexbility and collaboration benefits of public cloud.
