IBM reveals $400m SAN plan

IBM is investing $400m in products, services and regional testing facilities for storage area networks (SANs) in an attempt to capture the lion's share of the market.

Daniel Sazbon, SAN sales director EMEA at IBM, said that until recently storage was primarily for data, but now storage is necessary also for video and voice. He said: "Companies need new technologies and new architectures to deal with vital data in all platforms."

IBM expects to recoup its investment and gain a major piece of the market.

Sazbon added: "SANs will just grow and grow and within the next 18 to 20 months we expect to have a broad leadership in Europe."

IBM will set up 50 regional demonstration centers - 20 located in Europe - creating 1,000 jobs worldwide.

Almost three-quarters of medium-to-large organisations are expected to use SANs by 2002, according to research house IDC.