Source：IT Pro

It is difficult for enterprises to keep up with the rapid development of data volume daily, which requires a huge number of storage and backup devices. Is there a one-size-fits-all solution? Microware, a renowned IT infrastructure solution provider in Hong Kong, has partnered with Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) to launch a cloud-native Storage-as-a-Service (STaaS) that provides capacity, performance, and resources via a simple subscription model, eliminating the high upfront investment and management costs while maintaining 24/7 high efficiency, stability, and availability.

Three Major Storage Challenges Urgently Require Cloud Transformation

Mark Sze, Associate Director of Microware's Professional Technical Services, stated that today's enterprises face various of new challenges in data storage and backup, including:

Manpower shortage: Due to a lack of experienced IT employees, businesses are finding it increasingly difficult to maintain and manage their data storage systems.

High costs: As data volume continues to grow, businesses must invest more resources in expanding and upgrading their storage infrastructure.

Ransomware threats: In recent years, the frequency and scale of ransomware attacks have steadily increased, posing a serious threat to enterprise data security.

To solve these issues, the new HPE GreenLake Storage-as-a-Service can be implemented, utilizing automated data management and configuration to reduce manpower while offering flexible operating expenses (OPEX) to save costs for enterprises. Furthermore, storage capacity can be expanded as needed without concern about maintenance, hardware delivery, and configuration, as well as technological problems.

HPE Head of Sales Bennalt Kan (left) and Microware Associate Director of Professional Technical Services (right) joined forces to launch the HPE GreenLake Storage-as-a-Service solution for enterprises across various industries.

HPE Upholds its Commitment to Innovation and Reliability

Mark Sze has full confidence in HPE: "We have been working with HPE for over 20 years, and they are a key partner. Over the years, HPE has constantly demonstrated its expertise, reliability, and commitment." What impresses him the most is HPE's commitment to innovation and cooperation, stating, "HPE has always been at the forefront of new technologies and solutions, and actively works closely with us to provide the best solutions to address business challenges across various industries."

Mark Sze, Microware Associate Director of Professional Technical Services, stated that collaborating with HPE to launch the Storage-as-a-Service service is the best choice for both customers and the company's development.

The two companies provide a unified storage experience through the HPE GreenLake-powered Storage-as-a-Service offering, which integrates on-premises deployment and cloud, supports different scales from small to hyperscale, and multi-cloud, as well as various services such as file, block, and object storage. At the same time, by using a single hardware platform that supports multiple protocols, users can enjoy a flexible and scalable cloud storage experience even in an on-premises deployment environment.

Assists Financial Institutions with Cloud Storage and Data Backup

Previously, Microware successfully assisted a financial institution in migrating from an obsolete system to HPE GreenLake Storage-as-a-Service. During the transition period, Microware worked closely with HPE to ensure data security and integrity, successfully achieving up to 100% data availability and giving the client an unbreakable guarantee.

After successfully migrating to Storage-as-a-Service, data storage and backup management have become simpler, resulting in long-term human resource savings. Furthermore, the client is better able to adapt to the ever-changing business environment, improving the company's operational efficiency.

In fact, more and more enterprises are looking for a more flexible and cost-effective storage solution that fits their evolving company demands. Meanwhile, with the widespread adoption of multi-cloud environments, Storage-as-a-Service will become a crucial component in supporting businesses' multi-cloud strategies, with significant growth potential.

The IT Team Was Able to Save Up to 98% of Their Time

Bennalt Kan, HPE Head of Sales,  pointed out that Hong Kong is recovering from the pandemic, and both small-to-medium and large enterprises are facing numerous new challenges, including labor shortages, cost control, and retaining competitiveness. By using the HPE GreenLake Storage-as-a-Service, clients can enjoy a cloud-operating experience without the need for daily storage management, and shift their operations from infrastructure-centric to application-centric. This not only provides the agility of self-service for operations managers and developers, but also enables them to build and deploy new applications, services, and projects more quickly. Simultaneously, using the Storage-as-a-Service can free up to 98% of an IT team's time, allowing them to focus more on other core business matters.

According to HPE Head of Sales Bennalt Kan, the HPE GreenLake platform was designed to be simple and effortless to use.

The HPE GreenLake platform is designed to be easy to execute. The platform features an intuitive self-service control dashboard, making it convenient for users to complete their tasks. Regardless of the IT role, users can gain insights into the entire enterprise. The HPE GreenLake - Data Service Cloud Console platform can be used by various personnel within the company, allowing them to easily perform a range of tasks, such as developing applications, launching AI (Artificial Intelligence)/ML (Machine Learning) projects, or managing compliance, cost, and capacity. The platform can manage the entire infrastructure for clients, improving IT resource efficiency by up to 60%. Furthermore, the HPE GreenLake platform also adopts advanced automation technology with API access, which can integrate with the client's existing processes and toolchains, making the IT operations of the client even smoother.

HPE GreenLake for Block Storage can meet the service level agreement requirements of all applications, from traditional to modern, providing appropriate performance, resiliency, and efficiency. Customers can choose service levels from a portfolio of proven enterprise-grade, on-premises cloud data services offered as a service, and easily select automated best-fit configurations with cost-optimized, balanced, or 100% availability options. HPE GreenLake for Block has consistent high performance and ultra-low latency, providing stable and efficient power for the most demanding, largest-scale data-intensive workloads, handling even massive workloads with ease.

HPE GreenLake for Block Storage can easily meet the service level agreement requirements of all applications, providing appropriate performance, resiliency, and efficiency. Customers can easily select automated best-fit configurations to meet their needs in the most cost-effective manner.

Technical Investments and Strategic Vision

Bennalt Kan summarized, "When we underwent HPE's transformation a few years ago, our goal was to build an integrated platform, provide an exceptional customer experience, and establish the HPE GreenLake brand. Today, we have proven that this strategy is correct. In order to help all industries succeed, we need to work closely with our partner Microware, deeply understand customer needs, and embark on the cloud transformation journey with our customers to achieve their business goals."

Here are the 3 key advantages of HPE GreenLake Storage-as-a-Service:

Support for Multi-Cloud Environments: Seamlessly integrate various public cloud, private cloud, and hybrid cloud environments, allowing enterprises to flexibly leverage multiple cloud services.

Pay-as-you-use Billing: Charge based on actual usage, enabling enterprises to control costs and adapt flexibly to business changes.

Simplified Management: Provide a centralized management interface, allowing enterprises to more easily monitor and manage their data storage and backup.