Storage Networking World

Storage Networking World
Name	Storage Networking World
Industry	Information technology
Founded	1999
Founder	Computerworld Communications (IDG)
Defunct	2013
Headquarters	Boston
Parent	IDG

Storage Networking World

Storage Networking World was an industry conference and trade show series focused on storage area networks, data management, and enterprise storage technologies. It served as a focal point for practitioners from IBM, EMC Corporation, NetApp, HP, Dell EMC, and other vendors to discuss standards, interoperability, and deployment strategies. The event combined technical sessions, vendor exhibits, and standards forums, attracting attendees from Microsoft, Oracle Corporation, Intel Corporation, and major service providers.

Overview

Storage Networking World functioned as a vendor-neutral gathering for professionals working with storage hardware and software from firms such as Hitachi, Fujitsu, Cisco Systems, and Brocade Communications Systems. The program routinely included keynote addresses by executives from EMC Corporation, IBM, and NetApp alongside panels featuring representatives from The Open Group, SNIA (Storage Networking Industry Association), and standards bodies like IETF and IEEE. Exhibitors showcased products from Seagate Technology, Western Digital, SanDisk, and niche vendors, while analysts from Gartner, Forrester Research, and IDC presented market outlooks. Sessions often referenced deployments at enterprise organizations such as Walmart, Bank of America, and NASA.

History and Development

Launched in 1999 by a division of IDG and organized under brands associated with Computerworld, the conference emerged during the expansion of fibre channel and SAN architectures driven by companies like Brocade Communications Systems and QLogic. Early editions featured deep dives into technologies promoted by EMC Corporation and research collaborations with Carnegie Mellon University and MIT. Over time, themes shifted to include iSCSI adoption championed by Microsoft and Intel Corporation, and later trends like virtualization from VMware and cloud storage concepts influenced by Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud Platform. Partnerships with standards organizations such as SNIA and The Open Group shaped interoperability tracks, while legal and compliance topics referenced regulators and frameworks involving HIPAA and industry players such as Deloitte and KPMG. Corporate restructurings—mergers involving EMC Corporation and VMware, acquisitions by Dell Technologies, and changing sponsor mixes—affected programming through the 2000s and early 2010s.

Conferences and Events

Recurring events were held in technology hubs including San Francisco, Boston, Las Vegas, and Austin with satellite shows in London and Singapore. Keynote speakers represented firms like Cisco Systems, HP, Oracle Corporation, and analyst houses including Gartner and Forrester Research. Tracks encompassed vendor product roadmaps from NetApp, interoperability labs run with SNIA, and hands-on workshops featuring arrays from IBM and storage virtualization sessions with VMware. Panelists occasionally included CISOs from Citigroup, CTOs from Netflix, and storage architects from Facebook and Twitter to discuss large-scale implementations. Co-located events and tutorials were sometimes run in partnership with standards groups such as IETF working groups and SNIA technical committees.

Key Technologies and Topics Covered

Sessions addressed fibre channel SANs promoted by Brocade Communications Systems and QLogic, iSCSI initiatives involving Microsoft and Intel Corporation, and NAS solutions from NetApp and EMC Corporation. Topics expanded into deduplication technologies from vendors like Data Domain and Commvault, snapshot and replication strategies used by Symantec and Veeam Software, and storage virtualization driven by VMware and HP. Later editions emphasized cloud storage patterns associated with Amazon Web Services and hybrid architectures involving Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud Platform. Emerging topics included software-defined storage advocated by Red Hat and Canonical, object storage technologies from Scality and Dell EMC, and flash storage developments involving Samsung Electronics and Toshiba. Security and compliance panels referenced standards and auditing firms including ISACA and Deloitte.

Industry Impact and Notable Participants

The event influenced purchasing decisions at enterprises such as Bank of America, Walmart, and AT&T by fostering dialogue between vendors including EMC Corporation, NetApp, IBM, HP, and Dell Technologies. Notable participants included executives from EMC Corporation, technologists from VMware, and standards advocates from SNIA and The Open Group. Analysts from Gartner, Forrester Research, and IDC used the platform to disseminate reports impacting vendor strategies. Interoperability demonstrations and plugfests at the conference helped accelerate adoption of standards championed by IETF and IEEE, while vendor announcements occasionally foreshadowed mergers and product consolidations involving EMC Corporation and Dell Technologies.

Reception and Criticism

Industry press outlets such as Computerworld, InfoWorld, and Network World covered the conference extensively, praising its comprehensive technical content and vendor participation. Critics noted that vendor marketing could overshadow independent analysis, citing coverage by The Register and debates in forums moderated by SNIA. Attendance trends reflected consolidation in the storage market and competition from cloud-focused conferences organized by Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, and Google Cloud Platform, leading commentators in Forbes and Wall Street Journal to question the long-term relevance of vendor-centric trade shows. Proponents argued that hands-on interoperability work and standards collaboration provided unique value not easily replicated online.

Category:Information technology conferences