Mark P. Harris, GFS financial manager, EMC Africa explains: OpenScale delivers fully automated billing for a complete storage area network/network attached storage (SAN/NAS) infrastructure. OpenScale is available across all EMC platforms, catering for both the traditional direct attached storage arrays in mainframe and open system environments.
 
Harris notes that businesses are looking for optimal performance from IT environments. Optimal performance goes beyond the physical characteristics of the hardware and software and extends to the financial models which are applied for service delivery. OpenScale provides companies with storage solutions that deliver capacity on-demand. The cost of deploying structured OpenScale solutions makes capacity procured under the programme comparatively more affordable than under the usual traditional cash procurement models.

Explaining how OpenScale works, Harris says additional capacity is pre-defined in consultation with the client. As the capacity is needed, the customer is able to consume this buffer capacity in line with its needs, he adds. Consumption of the allocated buffer capacity is measured by EMC software that sends the usage data on line to a central data warehouse which houses pre-determined, contractually agreed pricing data.

The client is automatically billed without any interventions by the vendor or the customers own IT staff, he adds. EMC also provides Control Centre Storage Scope software which allows the customer to audit the accuracy of the billing in line with contracted pricing he claims.
 
Benefits of the OpenScale solution include improved management of service levels between the IT department and the business units. Instant availability of storage and the simplification of procurement cycles results in delivery of capacity when and where it is required with no administrative overhead, concludes Harris.