Dell ECS is used in my company for voice recordings using CAS protocol.
Engineer at a financial services firm with 5,001-10,000 employees
A solution offering good technical support but fails to provide a cloud version to its users
Pros and Cons
- "Dell's technical support team is good."
- "The major weakness in the solution is that there is no cloud version for Dell ECS."
What is our primary use case?
What needs improvement?
The major weakness in the solution is that there is no cloud version for Dell ECS. The product supports Copaco Cloud when you upgrade to Dell ECS Version 3.8. So, Copaco Cloud is only used for AWS and not for Azure.
The additional feature that Dell ECS should have is that it should be made movable to Azure.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Dell ECS for six months. Also, I am working on Dell ECS Version 3.6. I am a customer of the solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The product is not scalable since it is an older version. The newer versions of the solution are scalable. Three people in my company use the solution. Then, it is used by our business for voice recordings. The usage of the solution happens in a large company.
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Dell ECS
November 2024
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How are customer service and support?
Dell's technical support team is good.
How was the initial setup?
Though I wasn't involved in the setup process, I think it was an easy process.
What other advice do I have?
I am satisfied with the overall product, but we aim to move to the cloud soon. The main focus of our investigation is to determine whether our product can be successfully migrated to the cloud. This is currently our primary area of interest. There is an option to move to the cloud, but it's related to AWS. So, we're trying to find out if we can move the data from Dell ECS to Azure to make some space since we are currently running out of space.
My company is planning to migrate to Microsoft Azure from Dell ECS. Also, we are still looking for better options. Apart from choosing Azure right now, all we can do is consider upgrading Dell ECS so that it can be scalable.
I recommend the solution based on what ones want to do and after considering the network coding of the ones interested in the solution. Overall, I rate the product a seven out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
General Director at miromix unitedMiroMIX United
A stable solution that has unlimited scalability and can be used for archiving purposes
Pros and Cons
- "The performance is good."
- "The initial setup is not so easy."
What is our primary use case?
We use the solution for archives and unstructured data.
What is most valuable?
It is a good product. The performance is good.
What needs improvement?
The initial setup is not so easy.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for three to four years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The tool is very stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The tool has unlimited scalability. We have one architect and a few enterprise engineers on our technical team.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is not so easy. However, we have the skills. We can contact Dell’s engineers for remote deployment. They provide a service called ProDeploy. It is an expensive option, so we prefer not to contact them. If something goes wrong, we can involve the engineers.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The product is quite expensive. The vendor provides us with discounts, though.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We compared the solution with HPE and NetApp. Dell ECS is cheaper than HPE but a little bit more expensive than NetApp.
What other advice do I have?
Our company hasn't sold the solution yet. However, we designed several projects and have at least two in progress. We have certified engineers and architects to draw and design everything. Currently, we have a project for archiving photocopies of tax reports. I recommend the product to others. Overall, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
Buyer's Guide
Dell ECS
November 2024
Learn what your peers think about Dell ECS. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: November 2024.
814,649 professionals have used our research since 2012.
A reliable, stable, and easy to use that needs to improve its performance
Pros and Cons
- "The tool is easy to use."
- "Dell ECS needs to improve its performance."
What is most valuable?
The tool is easy to use.
What needs improvement?
Dell ECS needs to improve its performance.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Dell ECS is stable. I rate it a seven out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I rate the solution's scalability a five out of ten. My company has 2000 users.
How are customer service and support?
The tool's support is good.
How was the initial setup?
The tool's deployment is easy.
What other advice do I have?
I rate the overall product a seven out of ten. I recommend it since it is reliable, stable, and easy to use.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Last updated: Apr 25, 2024
Flag as inappropriateSystem Engineer at CSS Versicherung
Reliable with a good compliance mode and a decent interface
Pros and Cons
- "The scalability is good."
- "They need to ensure that the system will work if a site goes down."
What is our primary use case?
We primarily use the solution as an archive storage for our documents.
What is most valuable?
The compliance mode and such things are the most valuable aspects.
It has been stable.
The scalability is good.
We're happy with the interface.
It integrates well with APIs.
What needs improvement?
At the moment, I don't feel like we have to improve anything.
When the system goes down, then the compliance mode will not be all over the system. The system will stop working. They need to ensure that the system will work if a site goes down. That said, we have yet to have a site outage.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been dealing with the product for four years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable. there are no bugs or glitches and it doesn't crash or freeze. It is reliable. The performance has been good.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable.
We have about 2,000 people using the solution.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support is good.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We worked with the EMC Centera product previously. Dell EMC announced the end of life of the Centera assistance, so we changed to ECS.
How was the initial setup?
The setup for us was pretty easy and pretty hands-off as we had outside assistance.
We implemented the solution a long time ago. I'm not sure how long the deployment itself took.
Normally, maintenance will be provided by Dell EMC. You call and then Dell EMC will do the upgrade and so on.
What about the implementation team?
The setup was done by an external consultant. We don't have so much to do with this setup.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I can't speak to the exact pricing.
What other advice do I have?
I use the product.
I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.
We're a customer and end-user.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Senior Datacenter Consultant at a computer software company with 501-1,000 employees
Reasonably priced with good stability and good scalability
Pros and Cons
- "It's my understanding that the initial setup is straightforward."
- "You should be able to calculate so that when it's full it's 100% full, not just 90%."
What is our primary use case?
We installed it last year at a customer site.
We use it for archive and for backups, our third copy backups.
What is most valuable?
The storage is cheap.
It's easier than tape. We use it instead of tape now.
We've found the solution to have good stability.
The product can scale.
It's my understanding that the initial setup is straightforward.
Technical support seems to be pretty helpful.
What needs improvement?
The issue we have is the solution is doing a system Read-Only to only 90%. Instead of 100%, you get the read-only at 90%. It's hard to explain to the customer that, "your system is full, you only have it at 90% full, however, yes, that's considered full even though you have 10% left." You should be able to calculate so that when it's full it's 100% full, not just 90%.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've worked with the solution for a little over a year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution feels pretty stable. We have not had any issues with it, aside from discs now and then. We have about six petabytes. It's a lot of discs, that we have, and only a few have failed. it's a small number in comparison to the big picture. We've been running it for a year pretty much without incident.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is more suitable for larger organizations as opposed to smaller companies.
It's a product that is easy to scale.
How are customer service and support?
It's been working fine and therefore we haven't used technical support that much. We use it when we expand the system with more notes, and for the GEODrive. We might have some questions about that, however, overall it's been pretty good and problem-free.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I've been working with storage for 20 or 30 years or something like that. I've been with IBM, NetApp, and other EMC products before Dell. I've had experience with HPE, 3PARs, and Nimble. I've used pretty much every storage product on the market.
The difference depends on basically the customer and what they have from the beginning. Each product has its positive attributes. It depends on what the customers are going to do with it. We have other archive products that are at least as good as the ECS.
How was the initial setup?
While the initial setup looks pretty straightforward, we didn't actually do the implementation.
There are things in the background that are running, of course, however in terms of maintenance requirements, it's not that much.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
In terms of pricing, for the performance it gives, it's quite competitive. It's not the best performance, so you get what you pay for, however, if you want performance for, for example, a file server, or something like that, ECS is not the right product. That said, the pricing also depends on the customer and how much discount they get, et cetera. There are different licensing models.
What other advice do I have?
I'm a consultant. We're a partner and reseller.
We are using the latest version. We just updated it in August or September.
I'd advise new users to buy enough nodes for the performance so that you calculate the performance correctly, as that can be an issue for some.
I'd rate the solution at a nine out of ten. For how we use it, we are quite happy with its capabilities.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
Executive Manager, IT Operations with 11-50 employees
Good technology that performs well
Pros and Cons
- "The technology is very good, it performs well."
- "It is a good solution, except for the cost."
What is our primary use case?
Dell EMC ECS is the leading storage area network, you can do anything with it. Some companies have 10,000 users, it depends on the structure.
What is most valuable?
The technology is very good, it performs well.
What needs improvement?
It is a good solution, except for the cost.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Dell EMC ECS for 15 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability is perfect.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Dell EMC ECS is an enterprise solution. It works for small, medium and large enterprise organizations.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support of Dell EMC ECS is fine as long as you are paying your licensing for both software and hardware. If you are paying for higher level support you will receive higher level support.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have worked on all enterprise storage solutions.
How was the initial setup?
All storage is different. You need qualified people who understand storage to install it.
What about the implementation team?
The solution requires a qualified competent technical team to install it.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Dell EMC ECS solution is expensive. It requires an annual subscription, monthly will not work for the user or for Dell.
What other advice do I have?
This solution can be for everybody. You need to assess your own needs. Dell EMC ECS covers solutions across the board. You can't go wrong with a universal leadership product.
I rate the solution an 8 out of 10.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Systems Architect at Cisco
Useful conversion guides, reliable, and helpful support
Pros and Cons
- "I have found Dell ECS to be scalable."
- "Dell ECS could improve the price of the solution. It is expensive."
What is our primary use case?
I have a few customers using Dell ECS.
Dell ECS is a Security Information and Event Management(SIEM) solution.
What needs improvement?
Dell ECS could improve the price of the solution. It is expensive.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have used Dell ECS within the last 12 months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Dell ECS is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I have found Dell ECS to be scalable.
How are customer service and support?
The support from Dell ECS is better than NetApp.
I rate the support from Dell ECS a nine out of ten.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have used NetApp previously, and Dell ECS is a better solution.
How was the initial setup?
Dell ECS provides useful conversion guides for the implementation.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price of Dell ECS should be reduced.
What other advice do I have?
I recommend the solution to others.
I rate Dell ECS an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
Competitive and stable, but they need better support and pricing
Pros and Cons
- "This product is very competitive."
- "In Taiwan, they don't have professional technical support."
What is our primary use case?
We create a service for our customers to access EMC Storage.
We use this product for an on-premises server to access the EMC storage. We locate our EMC in our IDC center, and we provide our enterprise customers access to it.
We sell this service, space, and AWS SAN storage.
What is most valuable?
This product is very competitive. It's a good product.
What needs improvement?
In Taiwan, they don't have professional technical support. They don't have many channels or distributions to provide professional services.
They only provide preventative services for themselves. It is very difficult for us to resell this service to our enterprise customers because EMC doesn't have many resources. This is an area that needs to be improved.
Our customers need EMC for their Big Data services.
This product is very competitive but the professional services need to be improved.
Also, the price could be reduced. We need more marketing activity in Taiwan, as it would be very helpful in trying to resell this product.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been selling the latest version of this solution for six months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It's a very stable storage solution.
Because we wanted to provide our enterprise customers with a multi-tenancy service, but they don't have the multi-tenancy architecture, they can only use it on-premises at one company. We contacted Dell EMC ECS and we created a scenario for the mechanics to build out a multi-tenancy service.
This is something that was not originally provided with Dell EMC ECS.
How are customer service and technical support?
Dell has a very poor support channel in Taiwan. They sell the models directly to our enterprise customers. They don't have a very good vendor support system.
We need to start it ourselves, then we can provide it to our enterprise customers.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Dell EMC ECS is too expensive.
What other advice do I have?
We plan to continue selling this solution, but we need them to support it on more than just a case by case basis because it takes too long.
It depends on the Dell EMC resources but we cannot rely on their distributors for help. It's not a good enough business model.
I would recommend this solution to others who are interested in using it. That said, there are a few improvements needed, including that it could be cheaper.
I would rate this product a seven out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Reseller
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Updated: November 2024
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