Microsoft gains ground in storage
C|Net | at | by Mike
In a sign that Microsoft is making strides in the storage arena, the market share for Windows in Network Attached Storage devices rose 8 percent in the first quarter to 41 percent. Microsoft trumpeted the increase Monday in a press release, citing data from market research firm IDC. IDC analyst Brad Nisbet confirmed the Redmond, Wash.-based company's gain and said it was driven partly by sales of Windows-powered Network Attached Storage (NAS) gear from Dell Computer.
But Nisbet cautioned that Windows-powered NAS devices tend to be lower-end machines. In 2002, he said, Windows-powered equipment accounted for 32 percent of all NAS unit shipments but just 12 percent of overall NAS revenue, which totaled $1.49 billion. NAS refers to storage gear that connects to other devices via a local area network, typically an Ethernet network.