Abstract
This IDC study examines the impact of File Area Networks (FANs) on the storage
market and vendors. It discusses the current market situation, the reasons for
its popularity, and the drive among users to embrace it. This study also
provides an overview of the possible early adopters of this technology, as well
as the outlook for its future.
"The continued economic growth of Asia/Pacific (excluding Japan) or APEJ
country markets has dictated the relentless growth of unstructured data. At the
same time, the rapid expansion and decentralization of business operations have
gained momentum. These factors have created issues concerning the management of
files, especially from remote locations. FANs are seen as the answer to
addressing this issue. IDC notes the immense interest among vendors in tapping
this new market. FAN promises to be the next hot area of the storage industry,"
says Jack Yu, senior market analyst, Storage Research, IDC Asia/Pacific.