This IDC study examines the purchasing criteria and timing for storage solutions -hardware, software, and services - in the Canadian market. This study addresses the following questions: Whether Canadian purchasers are seeking integrated solutions for their storage needs, during which phases of the purchasing cycle for storage hardware are services and software purchases considered, and how are buyers selecting a storage solution provider. The insights resulting from the analysis in this IDC study can help vendors refine their sales and marketing strategies to take advantage of the increasing investments in storage hardware.

"The growing scale and complexity of managing storage infrastructures is leading Canadian organizations to purchase integrated solutions for their storage needs. Vendor success will come to those vendors that introduce complete storage solutions early in the sales cycle and differentiate themselves by utilizing planning services and highlighting management software capabilities." - Philip Barnes, IDC senior research analyst, Storage Market