Hitachi Data Systems Announces Industry’s First Unified Platform with Virtualisation for All Data Types

Hitachi Unified Storage VM Virtualises, Manages and Unifies Block, File and Object Data on a Single Platform

• Only Unified Storage Product to Offer a 100 Percent Data Availability Guarantee
• 90 Percent Faster Data Migration and 30 Percent Better TCO Compared to Non-Virtualised Systems
• Up to 40 Percent Lower Environmental Costs than the Competition

Sydney — September 26, 2012 — Hitachi Data Systems Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501), today extends its leadership in virtualisation with the industry's first unified storage product that provides enterprise-class virtualisation for all data types (block, file and object). The new Hitachi Unified Storage VM (HUS VM) separates itself from the competition by enabling 90 percent faster data migration and 30 percent better total cost of ownership (TCO) compared to non-virtualised systems. Designed specifically for medium enterprises in Australia and New Zealand, HUS VM simplifies operations and enables more efficient storage management across all virtualised storage assets, including multivendor storage. HUS VM is also supported by Hitachi Command Suite management software as part of a single software management platform. This configuration helps customers deliver storage service levels when, where and how they need them. Backed by legendary Hitachi reliability, HUS VM is the only unified storage product to provide a 100 percent data availability guarantee.

A problem for medium enterprises in Australia and New Zealand today is a lack of scalable, versatile virtual storage solutions. Without these solutions IT staff members with multiple duties struggle with the same demands as large enterprises, but with even tighter budgets. In addition, medium enterprises now require virtualisation solutions that consolidate and simplify data management, enhance performance and reliability, and improve serviceability. Until today, medium enterprises were forced to compromise quality, reliability and the ability to effectively virtualise their data in order to meet their limited budgets. These trade-offs could result in more complexity, missed service level objectives (SLO), disruptions in data mobility, and lower efficiency overall. As the first unified storage platform with enterprise-class virtualisation for all data types, HUS VM brings to medium enterprises much greater capacity-efficiency across all storage assets.

According to Adrian De Luca, ANZ Chief Technology Officer at Hitachi Data Systems, "Today HDS has redefined what virtualisation means to medium enterprises in Australia and New Zealand by bringing our industry-leading virtualisation capabilities to this market segment. Now all sizes of enterprises can virtualise, manage and unify their choice of data on a single platform. No other IT systems company today offers the combination of performance, scalability and virtualisation capabilities that HDS does with the new HUS VM. Customers can now deploy storage for all data types and easily grow to meet expanding requirements while still meeting service level objectives for critical business applications. They can meet these business needs and still control the costs of managing their most valuable information. Alongside our market-leading Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform and Hitachi Unified Storage, we now have what we believe to be the industry's strongest portfolio spanning small, medium and large enterprises."

HUS VM: Virtualise, Manage, Unify All Data
Incorporating a new storage virtualisation system, HUS VM is a unified storage platform for all data, built from the ground up to meet application availability and performance requirements with a lower investment in storage. It is simple to manage, optimized for critical business applications, and more efficient than other storage systems on the market today. HUS VM features include:

Enterprise Storage Virtualisation

• Compared to other products in its class, HUS VM offers the highest external virtualised capacity – up to 64PB, which can include storage systems from different manufacturers.
• HUS VM enables 90 percent faster data migration compared to non-virtualised systems, resulting in lower risk and effort.
• HDS is the only IT systems company with true end-to-end virtualisation of all data types.

Unified Storage Architecture

• The system consolidates block, file and object data natively onto a single platform to quickly deliver secure data services.
• Its unified platform allows customers to share resources for different applications to lower capital investment and lower operation cost.

Ease of Management

• Unlike many solutions on the market today, HDS offers one software platform to consolidate and manage storage for all data types.
• Hitachi Command Suite unified management reduces the time required to administer storage for multiple applications.

Operating Efficiency

• Total cost of ownership is reduced by 30 percent compared to non-virtualised systems
• Up to 40 percent lower environmental cost is due to power efficiency and space-saving design.¹
• The highest-in-class single home directory size manages more files and folders than competitive offerings.
• The largest-in-class volumes decrease the time needed to manage growth of large file systems and millions of files.

Extends HDS Flash Strategy

• HUS VM supports solid state drive options now, and will extend the recently announced HDS flash strategy with integrated flash devices based on the new Hitachi flash memory controller unveiled in August.

Customer Benefits and Support
HUS VM provides medium enterprises with the highest reliability and the highest scalability inside and outside the storage system. With HUS VM, organisations can increase their capacity efficiency with storage virtualisation and ease the migration of data with less effort.

HUS VM is supported by a proven global services organisation and a network of partners to help reduce operational and capital costs. HUS VM also simplifies virtualised application management and deployment for block and file requirements, including VMware, Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft Office SharePoint Server, Microsoft Exchange Server and VMware View (VDI). Additional HUS VM plug-ins and adapters will help administrators of Microsoft System Centre, Oracle Enterprise Manager and VMware vCenter gain detailed visibility and manageability of their infrastructure applications. Several strategic partners, including technology partners Brocade, Cisco, Intel, Microsoft Corp. and VMware, and Hitachi TrueNorth™ Partners including ASG, Datalink, Lumenate, Mainline Information Systems and ViON, have provided their perspectives on the new Hitachi Unified Storage VM. Enhanced HDS migration and management services leverage virtualisation and a unified architecture to transition customers seamlessly to the new platform and quickly improve their operations in the new virtualised environment.

Enhanced Partner Training for HUS VM
Hitachi Data Systems will include all HUS VM partner training into the Hitachi TrueNorth Partner Scholarship Program. The Hitachi TrueNorth Scholarship, on approval, provides free training to partners and is available for all training provided by the award-winning Hitachi Data Systems Academy. The TrueNorth program aligns with partner needs and ensures partners are empowered to learn, understand and create innovative solutions based on Hitachi Unified Storage. Hitachi TrueNorth partners can find out more details on the latest offerings for HUS VM by accessing the company's online training portal.

Supporting Customer Quote

• The University of Melbourne, Australia: "At the University of Melbourne we are currently evaluating Hitachi Unified Storage VM as a replacement for our previous generation Hitachi storage array. HUS VM looks very attractive to us as it simplifies transitioning our current virtualised environment while providing the additional benefits of now being able to virtualise any data type and maximise storage performance using Hitachi Dynamic Tiering." – Niels Madsen, team leader, Storage Services, Information Technology Services

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About Hitachi Data Systems
Hitachi Data Systems provides best-in-class information technologies, services and solutions that deliver compelling customer ROI, unmatched return on assets (ROA) and demonstrable business impact. With a vision that IT must be virtualised, automated, cloud-ready and sustainable, Hitachi Data Systems offers solutions that improve IT costs and agility. With more than 5,800 employees worldwide, Hitachi Data Systems does business in more than 100 countries and regions. Hitachi Data Systems products, services and solutions are trusted by the world's leading enterprises, including more than 70 percent of the Fortune 100 and more than 80 percent of the Fortune Global 100. Hitachi Data Systems believes that data drives our world – and information is the new currency. To learn more, visit: http://www.hds.com/anz/.

About Hitachi, Ltd.
Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a leading global electronics company with approximately 320,000 employees worldwide. Fiscal 2011 (ended March 31, 2012) consolidated revenues totaled 9,665 billion yen ($117.8 billion). Hitachi is focusing more than ever on the Social Innovation Business, which includes information and telecommunication systems, power systems, industrial, transportation and urban development systems, as well as the sophisticated materials and key devices that support them. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at http://www.hitachi.com.

© Hitachi Data Systems Corporation 2012. All Rights Reserved. Hitachi is a registered trademark of Hitachi, Ltd., and/or its affiliates in the United States and other countries. Hitachi Data Systems is a registered trademark and service mark of Hitachi, Ltd., in the United States and other countries.

¹HUS VM requires 40% less power to operate and cool. Using publicly available product specifications and the same cost of power and space for equivalent capacities, the monthly operating cost of an EMC VMAX 10K is $9,820; HUS VM is 40% less at $5,890 (9,820-5890=3,930, 3930/9820=.40).