IBM FlashSystem vs Panzura CloudFS comparison

IBM and Panzura are both solutions in the NAS category. IBM is ranked #4 with an average rating of 8.5, while Panzura is ranked #11 with an average rating of 8.0. IBM holds a 13.2% mindshare in N, compared to Panzura’s 3.0% mindshare. Additionally, 91% of IBM users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 85% of Panzura users who would recommend it.

IBM FlashSystem

Read 111 IBM FlashSystem reviews

3,561 Views
2,718 Comparison Views

91% willing to recommend

Panzura CloudFS

Read 6 Panzura CloudFS reviews

812 Views
579 Comparison Views

85% willing to recommend

IBM FlashSystem

Panzura CloudFS

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Feb 12, 2025

Panzura CloudFS and IBM FlashSystem compete in the storage solutions market. IBM FlashSystem has the upper hand due to its advanced feature set despite higher costs.

Features: Panzura CloudFS offers cloud-integrated global file systems, seamless scalability, and multi-cloud support to reduce data silos. IBM FlashSystem provides high-performance storage, flexible deployment options, and robust data reduction capabilities, offering customization and efficiency. Panzura focuses on cloud compatibility, while IBM excels in performance.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Panzura CloudFS is known for straightforward deployment and excellent customer support, easing integration into existing infrastructures. IBM FlashSystem requires intricate planning and technical expertise for deployment, yet provides comprehensive customer service for complex configurations. Panzura is simpler to deploy, while IBM supports intricate installations better.

Pricing and ROI: Panzura CloudFS is cost-effective with a lower initial setup cost and faster ROI due to streamlined implementation and cloud focus. IBM FlashSystem, while more expensive, offers long-term savings through data reduction features and enduring performance benefits. Panzura provides immediate cost efficiency, whereas IBM offers ROI with sustained value and advanced technology.

To learn more, read our detailed IBM FlashSystem vs. Panzura CloudFS Report (Updated: April 2025).

Buyer's Guide

IBM FlashSystem vs. Panzura CloudFS

April 2025

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

IBM FlashSystem

Ranking in NAS

4th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

111

Ranking in other categories

Modular SAN (Storage Area Network) (4th), All-Flash Storage (13th)

Panzura CloudFS

Ranking in NAS

11th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

File System Software (4th), Cloud Storage (13th), Cloud Storage Gateways (4th)

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the NAS category, the mindshare of IBM FlashSystem is 13.2%, down from 13.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Panzura CloudFS is 3.0%, up from 2.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

NAS

Featured Reviews

Raanan Sitton

Vice President Sales at BELOCAL LTD

Offers cost-effective storage for small companies with budget constraints

IBM FlashSystem 5300 is offered at a very low cost in Israel, which is advantageous for small companies. However, other features like deduplication and compression do not perform effectively. The price sensitivity makes it a viable option for clients with budgetary constraints, as it allows us to secure deals based on the cost rather than advanced performance.

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Andy Knauf

CIO at Mead and Hunt, Inc.

Reliable file management and disaster recovery with minimal overwrites

For me, it is the stability aspect. It is a lot more stable now than it ever has been, but just keeping that stability is important. Previously, a new update would come out, and there might be something wrong with it, or it may not sync up as well as it should, or it may cause something to lose access to the server. We have had some problems in the past, but in the last couple of years, we have not had any issues like we had early on. There could be a slightly better dashboard or a better pane of glass. When something goes wrong somewhere, there should be a little bit better alerting with issues before they become a big problem.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"They have a virtualization feature and, even if you do not want to buy that feature, you can have it as a trial for two to three months. If you have another brand of storage from another company, you can use this tool to transfer all your data from the old system to the new Storwize system, which really shortens the migration time."

"At the FlashSystem level, customers are especially fond of multi-tier and distributed rate systems, particularly the dynamic rate six arrays."

"The most crucial feature of IBM FlashSystem is compression."

"It's a mature product. It's like a BMW that evolves consistently."

"The maintenance service and support from IBM is very good."

"The most valuable feature of the solution is compression."

"IBM FlashSystem has been stable in our operations."

"The all-flash storage has tier replication capabilities."

More IBM FlashSystem pros

"It is a very solid product. We keep all of our older files on their system. It is easy to restore if a file gets deleted. We have good disaster recovery. It is very reliable and very quick, and we do not have files that get overwritten because it locks the file."

"The main thing in Panzura is that there are three key components: PanFS, NAS, and collaboration. These are strong features, and a big benefit is that you can access everything from anywhere."

"What I appreciate most about Panzura CloudFS is that it really solves the problem we had when we moved all our server workloads to Azure, reducing our on-prem data center footprint sizably. We don't have to maintain a huge on-prem storage array, which is nice. It just works, and we haven't had any issues this whole time."

"Panzura has not increased its data storage costs."

"Panzura is a hundred percent better than what we had before."

"Primarily, it is the way Panzura CloudFS handles the file locks and the way these filers, along with the authoritative copy of all our data, which is about 27 terabytes located in an AWS bucket in the cloud, operate."

"The assistance of support has been excellent."

"The core function of Panzura CloudFS, with its synchronizing of files across multiple servers, provides us with a much more efficient workflow for our production staff."

More Panzura CloudFS pros

Cons

"The security features can be improved such that the encryption does not affect performance in any way."

"The solution is not easy to use and could improve."

"The customer's expectations are what they get on the cloud, they're expecting even in the on-premises deployments, going forward."

"Sometimes the performance is effective but it gets resolved in the process."

"I know they have a flashcopy manager, but it is extra software, an additional license, and some customers don't like to add addition costs to their infrastructure. If IBM could create, or include snapshot management within the GUI, that would really be helpful."

"We use some open-source tools for monitoring, such as Grafana and it should be bundled along with IBM FlashSystem."

"The array level RAID does not seem available."

"The product needs to improve their scalability."

More IBM FlashSystem cons

"There could be a slightly better dashboard or a better pane of glass. When something goes wrong somewhere, there should be a little bit better alerting with issues before they become a big problem."

"There are a few file types that do not work well with Panzura CloudFS. Specifically, the GIS data formats, such as a geo database, have been found better kept outside of Panzura CloudFS."

"It would be nice if Panzura offered data in increments instead of 25 terabytes per license."

"It should be easy for people not on the network to connect and access their files."

"One area for improvement regarding Panzura CloudFS is moving away from on-prem or local Active Directory. We're exploring a transition to Azure AD or Entra ID, aiming to keep the product functional without heavy reliance on the local Active Directory."

"Previously, a new update would come out, and there might be something wrong with it, or it may not sync up as well as it should, or it may cause something to lose access to the server."

"It has not reduced the data storage cost."

"Master Snapshot feature is the only exceptional feature, but the rest of the features are similar to other storage solutions."

More Panzura CloudFS cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing is reasonable."

"IBM V7000 has a new license and price structure which provides intuitive licensing based on the functions customers wish to enable and use the most."

"Regarding licensing make sure you add at least three years software maintenance from IBM at the beginning, because you will not be able to download firmware updates or any fixes/patches without this."

"We have no issues with the price as it is very competitive."

"The price of IBM FlashSystem is reasonable."

"This is an expensive product and if the price were reduced it would be better."

"The price depends of the technology that our customers need. The price can come at a lower cost but this may increase as storage is added."

"The pricing has been very competitive for the last few years. IBM got to the point where they changed the pricing model and we feel very comfortable with the pricing. It's very competitive. Over the last two years, IBM has been coming up with all kinds of interesting promos, especially for the SMB systems. That makes it very competitive price-wise and in terms of performance..."

More IBM FlashSystem pricing and cost advice

"It's competitive. I don't know what competitors are charging, but they have been very transparent, which is nice, and we've negotiated to avoid percentage increases."

"The pricing seems high on certain products and features, such as the audit feature of Panzura Data Services. They should consider more attractive pricing for companies of our size. The renewals are yearly, but the pricing is a little high for us."

"It is not bad. It is like everything else. Pricing has gone up quite over the last couple of years, but everybody's pricing has gone up. For what they deliver, it is right in line with what everybody else has."

"The solution's pricing is on the expensive side."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

14%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Computer Software Company

16%

Construction Company

14%

Financial Services Firm

12%

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about IBM FlashSystem?

It is simple to make an update.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM FlashSystem?

Many factors affect purchasing directly from IBM, often involving a multi-step process. Customers, especially in banking, often use the latest devices as they are upgrading, indicating they do not ...

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What needs improvement with IBM FlashSystem?

The GUI needs some improvement. An additional function that could be helpful is reducing the time it takes to delete volumes, especially if they are compressed or deduplicated.

See all answers

What are the products that Panzura provides?

Panzura offers four main products: CloudFS, data services, smart apps, and global services. They call this "all-in-one solution" and it's for end-to-end cloud data management. Why is it called that...

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What kind of industries does Panzura serve?

Hello, I think businesses from all industries that have their data on a cloud can benefit from Panzura. Especially if you have offices in various locations or your employees are working from home a...

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Why was Panzura acquired? Is the acquisition going to cause a change?

I think Panzura may change in a positive direction now that it's been bought by Profile Capital. That's a very big investment company for technology businesses and I think it's an opportunity for ...

See all answers

Comparisons

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Compared 23% of the time

Huawei OceanStor Dorado vs IBM FlashSystem

Compared 8% of the time

Pure Storage FlashArray vs IBM FlashSystem

Compared 8% of the time

HPE Alletra Storage vs IBM FlashSystem

Compared 8% of the time

NetApp AFF vs IBM FlashSystem

Compared 6% of the time

More IBM FlashSystem Competitors

Nasuni vs Panzura CloudFS

Compared 78% of the time

Dell PowerScale (Isilon) vs Panzura CloudFS

Compared 11% of the time

CTERA Enterprise File Services Platform vs Panzura CloudFS

Compared 11% of the time

More Panzura CloudFS Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

IBM FlashSystem

April 2025

Download IBM FlashSystem product report

Buyer's Guide

Panzura CloudFS

April 2025

Download Panzura CloudFS product report

Also Known As

IBM Storwize

Panzura Freedom

Overview

IBM FlashSystem products are enterprise computer data storage systems that store data on flash memory chips. Unlike storage systems that use standard solid-state drives, IBM FlashSystem products incorporate custom hardware based on technology from the 2012 acquisition of Texas Memory Systems. This hardware provides performance, reliability, and efficiency benefits versus competitive offerings.

IBM

Panzura CloudFS connects data across a distributed network, offering an efficient solution for file storage and management in a cloud environment.

Designed for businesses needing robust data management, Panzura CloudFS enables seamless access and high availability by providing advanced capabilities for distributed file systems. This technology ensures collaboration and data consistency across multiple locations, optimizing enterprise storage strategies and enhancing data governance and compliance. Effective in reducing latency and operational complexity, it addresses the demands of global enterprises seeking scalable and reliable cloud file services.

What are the key features of Panzura CloudFS?

Global File System: Offers a unified view of file storage across multiple sites.
Data Consolidation: Merges various data silos into a single, cohesive storage network.
Security and Compliance: Ensures data protection with built-in encryption and compliance features.
High Availability: Provides continuous access to data with fault-tolerant architecture.
Quick Deployment: Enables rapid integration into existing infrastructure with minimal downtime.

What benefits and ROI should users consider?

Cost Reduction: Minimizes data storage costs through efficient use of cloud storage.
Improved Collaboration: Facilitates real-time file access and sharing across geographies.
Scalability: Supports growing data needs without significant infrastructure investment.
Enhanced Productivity: Reduces operational inefficiencies with streamlined data management.
Security Enhancements: Protects critical data assets with advanced security measures.

Panzura CloudFS finds applications in sectors such as finance, healthcare, and media, where data integrity and accessibility are critical. Financial institutions benefit from secure and synchronized data access, while healthcare providers utilize it for managing patient data across locations. The media industry leverages its capabilities for collaboration and efficient media file handling worldwide.

Panzura

Sample Customers

Celero, Friedhelm Loh Group, Clarks, Mingkang Natregro Health Food Group, Sofia, Etisalat Fights Fraud, UF Health Shands Hospital, Generali, Elecon Engineering Company Limited, Ventiv , Technology, CPFL Energia, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., SciQuest, Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated, Paddy Power, Kelsey-Seybold Clinic, Interconnect Services, Severstal IP-Only AB, PVU Group GmbH

Petrofac, Komatsu, HCA Healthcare, Vanguard, Disney, Pokemon, US Department of Justice, Gensler, Fluor, AFRY, Milwaukee Tool, Navy Federal Credit Union, TechTarget

Buyer's Guide

IBM FlashSystem vs. Panzura CloudFS

April 2025

Free Report: IBM FlashSystem vs. Panzura CloudFS

Find out what your peers are saying about IBM FlashSystem vs. Panzura CloudFS and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.

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