Server SAN Explodes

In 2014, Wikibon defined a new category “Server SAN” that sits at the intersection of software-defined storage, hyperscale methodologies and converged infrastructure. This article is the executive summary of primary research that gives the status of the market, examines the vendor ecosystem, lays forth the revenue and 10 year forecast and gives direction for expansion beyond simple “hyperconverged infrastructure”. This information is available for public consumption, the full research is available to Wikibon clients.

Server SAN 2012-2026

In this research paper, Wikibon looks back at the introductory Server SAN research, adjusts the Server SAN definition to include System Drag, and increases the speed of adoption of Server SAN based on very fast adoption from 2012 to 2014. The overall growth of Server SAN is projected to be about a 23% CAGR from 2014 to 2026, with a faster growth from 2014 to 2020 of 38%. The total Server SAN market is projected to grow to over $48 billion by 2026. The traditional enterprise storage market is projected to decline by -16% CAGR, leading to an overall growth in storage spend of 3% CAGR through 2026. Traditional enterprise storage is being squeezed in a vice between a superior, lower cost and more flexible storage model with Enterprise Server SAN, and the migration of IT towards cloud computing and Hyperscale Server SAN deployments. Wikibon strongly recommends that CTOs & CIOs initiate Server SAN pilot projects in 2015, particularly for applications where either low cost or high performance is required.