Pure: We've created the Everlasting Gobstopper of Storage – 'Forever Flash'

In recent months, as ever, we've seen a lot of "refreshments" on the storage scene. Violin Memory has refreshed its hardware and software. SolidFire and EMC XtremIO have refreshed their software. NetApp has introduced FlashRay, and Tegile and Skyera have introduced new all-flash arrays. And Pure Storage? It seems it has refreshed a support programme.

Well, not only that, it has also declared it is supporting OpenStack and developing converged systems.

Pure also introduced new FA-400 series arrays back in May, creating a three-box line-up: FA-405, HA-420 and FA-450. It's easy to forget this with the frenetic rate of all-flash array product introductions.

Getting back to Pure's extension of its Flash Forever maintenance contract. This now "extends the usable life of all Pure Storage FlashArrays indefinitely, for both new and existing customers with current maintenance contracts."

It includes:

• consistently flat or better maintenance and service (M&S) pricing with no out-year increases—ever,
• free controller upgrades with every three year M&S contract renewal and
• no-cost proactive replacement of equivalent or better hardware components when needed, including flash in the event of wear.

Pure CEO Scott Dietzen evangelised in a canned quote: "Today, we are liberating [customers] from legacy disk-era business practices with the introduction of ‘perpetual storage’."

The company claims its total cost of ownership (TCO) is now further reduced, and maintenance has been permanently flattened and simplified in all array usage scenarios.

Read a company blog about it here. The writer says: "The changes we are introducing in the new Forever Flash really do create a perpetual storage lifecycle – the first ever in the industry ... it really does go on forever!"

Well, few things last literally forever, but even if it lasts 20 years, it's still looks like a good deal behind the flash hyperbole. ®