Dell EqualLogic PS series vs IBM FlashSystem comparison

Dell Technologies and IBM are both solutions in the Modular SAN (Storage Area Network) category. Dell Technologies is ranked #7 with an average rating of 9.0, while IBM is ranked #4 with an average rating of 8.5. Dell Technologies holds a 1.9% mindshare in MS, compared to IBM’s 19.8% mindshare. Additionally, 77% of Dell Technologies users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 91% of IBM users who would recommend it.

Dell EqualLogic PS series

Read 18 Dell EqualLogic PS series reviews

336 Views
139 Comparison Views

77% willing to recommend

IBM FlashSystem

Read 110 IBM FlashSystem reviews

1,461 Views
1,109 Comparison Views

91% willing to recommend

Dell EqualLogic PS series

IBM FlashSystem

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Feb 2, 2025

Dell EqualLogic PS series and IBM FlashSystem are competing products in data storage solutions. IBM FlashSystem has the upper hand in terms of advanced features and performance, while Dell EqualLogic PS series appeals with pricing and support.

Features: Dell EqualLogic PS series offers seamless scalability, automated load balancing, and excellent reliability. IBM FlashSystem provides low latency, advanced data reduction capabilities, and superior virtualization features.

Room for Improvement: Dell EqualLogic PS series could improve with more advanced data reduction and virtualization features, higher processing speed, and enhanced interface complexity handling. IBM FlashSystem may face challenges with better integration support, simpler deployment steps, and more budget-friendly options.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Dell EqualLogic PS series is known for its easy deployment process and reliable customer support, attracting organizations that prioritize user-friendly solutions. IBM FlashSystem requires a steeper learning curve but offers comprehensive resources and support for complex environments.

Pricing and ROI: Dell EqualLogic PS series is cost-effective and delivers a satisfactory ROI, making it an appealing choice for budget-conscious users. IBM FlashSystem, although more expensive initially, offers significant ROI through its advanced features and improved performance, making it valuable for long-term investments.

To learn more, read our detailed Dell EqualLogic PS series vs. IBM FlashSystem Report (Updated: March 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Dell EqualLogic PS series vs. IBM FlashSystem

March 2025

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Dell EqualLogic PS series

Ranking in Modular SAN (Storage Area Network)

7th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

IBM FlashSystem

Ranking in Modular SAN (Storage Area Network)

4th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

110

Ranking in other categories

NAS (4th), All-Flash Storage (13th)

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Modular SAN (Storage Area Network) category, the mindshare of Dell EqualLogic PS series is 1.9%, down from 2.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM FlashSystem is 19.8%, up from 16.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Modular SAN (Storage Area Network)

Featured Reviews

Abdul Rehman Abid

Manager Enterprise Solutions at Megaplus

Useful auto tiering, excellent support, and highly reliable

The initial setup of the Dell EqualLogic PS series is simple. The physical connectivity and rack mounting time depend on the size of the deployment. For example, if we have five of the Dell EqualLogic PS series we can mount and do the cabling within two hours. The initial configuration can be done within an hour. The estimated time to deploy from start to finish in this scenario is four to five hours maximum. One person can do most of the deployment, such as configuration, but a helper is needed to do the mounting of the cables.

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Raanan Sitton

Vice President Sales at BELOCAL LTD

Offers cost-effective storage for small companies with budget constraints

IBM FlashSystem 5300 is offered at a very low cost in Israel, which is advantageous for small companies. However, other features like deduplication and compression do not perform effectively. The price sensitivity makes it a viable option for clients with budgetary constraints, as it allows us to secure deals based on the cost rather than advanced performance.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"It is extremely reliable."

"The technical support is very good."

"The technical support for EqualLogic has been universally outstanding."

"It has contributed to the implementation of virtualization and all its benefits."

"Technical support, when we had access to it, was very good."

"It is a stable solution. Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten."

"You can always trust it. It is stable."

"The most valuable feature of Dell EqualLogic PS series auto tiering by using this feature, the customer can get higher performance on a valuable budget."

More Dell EqualLogic PS series pros

"The installation is nice and easy."

"The FlashSystem 900 consistently delivers performance below 1ms for read/write. This performance is essential for an effective SVC stretch-cluster configuration across two datacenters, and presenting active-active storage to the customer."

"The most valuable features are deduplication and compression."

"The most valuable feature in demand is virtualization and its support storage of virtualization features."

"Ability to manage third-party arrays and virtualise them: One screen to control multiple arrays. Simplified administration."

"The speed and the ease of installation are the most valuable features."

"The most valuable features in IBM FlashSystem are IOPS, performance, duplication, and compression."

"It's very easy to manage."

More IBM FlashSystem pros

Cons

"Why is it not possible for both controllers to be simultaneously active (load balancing)?"

"There is no option for mixing RAID types in one device."

"The product is reaching the end-of-lifecycle."

"There is no inline deduplication capability."

"Individual file recovery would be a nice additional feature."

"I can't buy any more solutions provided by EqualLogic...Since I can't buy it anymore, I don't receive any updates on the solution. Also, this is the last year in which one can buy support for the solution."

"We need more space and we can't get any."

"6510 and 6610 have two iSCSI connections in each controller. Why do 6110xxx members have only one, and why do the same members have the possibility of having an active iSCSI interface in the passive controller? It could make a lot of noise with a failover."

More Dell EqualLogic PS series cons

"The price is very costly."

"The security features can be improved such that the encryption does not affect performance in any way."

"The data reduction pool feature sucks and is not recommended for use with heavy workloads."

"Events/log analysis tools."

"Additional licenses might be added for the fundamental licenses, such as those for copying and flash copies."

"The product needs to improve their scalability."

"One area for improvement is in the GUI, where host clusters are not properly dealt with. With Hypervisor host clusters, all hosts must see the same volumes in the same order. Using the concept of a “host-group” has been around (even with IBM) for many years, so why not with the V7000?"

"I have looked at a few pages of a report I download and I saw a graph there regarding software-defined vendors. IBM is not in a good position on this graph. I know that they are working very hard on this, to make it much better and to get to a level where it's not only hardware but also software to provide a complete solution."

More IBM FlashSystem cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Licensing is pretty straightforward."

"It seemed expensive at first, but the durability lowered the cost of ownership dramatically over time."

"All features are out of the box. The license will be in the virtual, OS, or application layer."

"Dell EqualLogic PS series can improve its scale-out feature. Sometimes the customer has a limited budget for storage expansion. When they want to expand their capacity, they need to buy a complete controller plus storage capacity, which sometimes is out of their budget. If Dell EqualLogic PS series support could scale up the environment in which only hard drive extension controllers should be supported, then customers can expand within a lower budget."

"Initial packages include all upgrades and services."

"Price-wise, the solution is cheap. I rate it a three on a scale of one to ten, where one is very cheap, and ten is very expensive."

"I don't think I would say that the product is less expensive...The product's price is not an issue for our company, considering the relationship we have with Dell and the customer support we receive."

"It is a fair price."

More Dell EqualLogic PS series pricing and cost advice

"IBM V7000 has a new license and price structure which provides intuitive licensing based on the functions customers wish to enable and use the most."

"The tool is cost-efficient."

"The pricing is competitive in our country."

"The pricing may be a bit higher than other brands. If you compare the IBM FlashSystems in midrange with Dell EMC in midrange, IBM costs a bit more, but I prefer IBM because it has more specs that I can benefit from."

"The price depends of the technology that our customers need. The price can come at a lower cost but this may increase as storage is added."

"I'd rate the basic licensing and the Virtualize software a ten out of ten, and the extra Spectrum and other an eight out of ten."

"My customers got the IBM FlashSystem bundle offer. It was a one-time purchase for three years of service. The price would depend on the storage size and could reach between $25,000 to $55,000."

"The price is a little bit high so is rated a six out of ten."

More IBM FlashSystem pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

No data available

Computer Software Company

14%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Dell EqualLogic PS series?

The technical support for the solution was really good.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Dell EqualLogic PS series?

The main issue was that when there were new storage solutions technologies available on the market, Dell EqualLogic PS Series was not compatible with the latest products. Right now, we have a stora...

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What is your primary use case for Dell EqualLogic PS series?

I used the solution in my company since we had a virtual infrastructure, which served as our storage array with ESXi connections, which are also integrated with VMware solutions.

See all answers

What do you like most about IBM FlashSystem?

It is simple to make an update.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM FlashSystem?

Many factors affect purchasing directly from IBM, often involving a multi-step process. Customers, especially in banking, often use the latest devices as they are upgrading, indicating they do not ...

See all answers

What needs improvement with IBM FlashSystem?

The GUI needs some improvement. An additional function that could be helpful is reducing the time it takes to delete volumes, especially if they are compressed or deduplicated.

See all answers

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Dell EqualLogic PS series

March 2025

Download Dell EqualLogic PS series product report

Buyer's Guide

IBM FlashSystem

March 2025

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Also Known As

EqualLogic PS series

IBM Storwize

Overview

EqualLogic PS Series arrays bring a new level of performance to service more of your most demanding applications and virtualization requirements, while delivering the simplicity of the EqualLogic management experience. Featuring six array configurations, including 2U/2.5" drive options with All Flash and Hybrid Arrays, it is ideal for companies and organizations with growing data and performance needs.

Dell Technologies

IBM FlashSystem products are enterprise computer data storage systems that store data on flash memory chips. Unlike storage systems that use standard solid-state drives, IBM FlashSystem products incorporate custom hardware based on technology from the 2012 acquisition of Texas Memory Systems. This hardware provides performance, reliability, and efficiency benefits versus competitive offerings.

IBM

Sample Customers

FAW Foundry, AW Engineering, Unimat, eLongNet Information Technology, BDO Brasil, Odyssey Space Research

Celero, Friedhelm Loh Group, Clarks, Mingkang Natregro Health Food Group, Sofia, Etisalat Fights Fraud, UF Health Shands Hospital, Generali, Elecon Engineering Company Limited, Ventiv , Technology, CPFL Energia, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., SciQuest, Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated, Paddy Power, Kelsey-Seybold Clinic, Interconnect Services, Severstal IP-Only AB, PVU Group GmbH

Buyer's Guide

Dell EqualLogic PS series vs. IBM FlashSystem

March 2025

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