SteelFusion vs Vblock [EOL] comparison

Why PeerSpot?

The compared Riverbed and Dell Technologies solutions aren't in the same category. Riverbed is ranked #30 in HCI , and holds a 1.4% mindshare in the category. Additionally, 100% of Riverbed users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 84% of Dell Technologies users who would recommend it.

SteelFusion

Read 2 SteelFusion reviews

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1,244 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Vblock [EOL]

Read 24 Vblock [EOL] reviews

84% willing to recommend

SteelFusion

Vblock [EOL]

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between SteelFusion and Vblock [EOL] based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Dell Technologies, Broadcom, StarWind and others in HCI.

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Buyer's Guide

HCI

October 2026

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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

SteelFusion

Average Rating

9.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

HCI (30th)

Vblock [EOL]

Average Rating

8.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Featured Reviews

it_user866178

Chief Technology Officer at MAZZETTI+GBA

Sync to Central and edge protection mitigate my risk in our branch offices

The level of tech support depends on who you get. There are some techs that just read the script and ask you if you’ve rebooted, but once you get past that - or if you have a very technical issue - the support is great. They really know the product and get you up and running again ASAP.

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Tahir Shahid

Chief Consultant and Architect at Tahir Professional Services

Centrally-managed and stable, but the initial setup could be made simpler and technical support can be improved

There is a different platform and there are different interfaces for different parts of the product. Although there are some centralized components, you still manage each component using its own set of tools. There is definitely room for improvement in this regard. I would like to have a catalogue like menu where you simply define your end computing needs and the rest would be taken care of internally. The initial setup could be unified to make it simpler.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Sync to Central and edge protection mitigate my risk in our branch offices. All services that need to be local to the user exist on local servers. Users run applications and access data locally while the data is constantly being synced to Central, and protected. If an edge device fails, we can recover quickly."

"That is why Riverbed SteelFusion has delivered a masterclass technology that not only abstracted and virtualized the storage vendors’ unique logical storage structures, it has made it logically closer and seamless to the branch applications from a performance and experience perspective."

"The Vblock is designed to make IT life simpler (infrastructure framework) and more cost effective (an appliance) for an organization."

"Many times I personally felt that while this is a good product to implement in any environment, the one key factor is knowing the environment that this is going to go, know the purpose it is going to serve, and plan ahead a minimum of two years ahead what you might see are areas that might need extra upgrading."

"Not having to worry about the firmware integrations with the software infrastructure components has been grand."

"The solution was implemented by the VCE team, and they did a great job."

"We used to have different departments, each with their own IT section, everybody was making their own IT investments and running different applications and tools in a multi-vendor environment, and now it is all coordinated and synchronized in one solution, reducing the risk of equipment and costs as well."

"The XtremIO All-Flash array delivers performance, reliability, and deduplication."

"The most valuable feature is that it is centrally managed, as it is quite easy for our customers to manage everything, end-to-end."

"UCS Manager worked well for net/blade management and has allowed fairly easy use of dedicated bare-metal blades."

More Vblock [EOL] pros

Cons

"Setting up disks for use is a multi-step process that could use some refinement. Setting up a core-to-core replication or DR strategy is also cumbersome."

"RCM upgrades were not scripted, and you needed to roll on your own. We were led to believe this would be otherwise."

"It is still on the expensive side, near the top-end of cost compared to what's available now."

"I'm not so excited with Vblock solution."

"The user control could be more advanced. They should work to improve this in future releases."

"Tighter alignment could simplify and speed up the configuration and delivery process."

"The integration with other vendors' products needs to be looked at. It's not as flexible as we would like it to be."

"I think there needs to be more tools to monitor and manage the Vblock™ as a whole, instead of pieces."

"While most public clouds are deployed on Linux, there is current no certified Vblock working on KVM hypervisors."

More Vblock [EOL] cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Price is an issue – this is expensive stuff. My advice is to beat up Riverbed as much as possible on price. These things are expensive and there is room for negotiation."

"I would not say the pricing is not good value. It is still on the expensive side, near the top-end of cost compared to what's available now. Also, the licensing has to be improved. There has to be a clear definition of the licensing from the initial set-up so the customer knows what they are paying for, without being hit later on with extra licensing. The licensing definitions should be clearer and, perhaps, have one set of licenses rather than multiple licenses."

"Strive for a consolidated ELA."

"Related to tech support: I believe it is too expensive."

"I think the pricing is on the higher end of the spectrum. There could be some adjustments that could be made there. Regarding licensing, watch compatibility with external products that you run on Vblock. It has got to be properly architected, otherwise, you will run into licensing issues."

"It is not cheap."

"The paid support for Vblock is expensive."

"Vblock is priced at a premium because people don't want the headache of managing and deploying different products."

"Vblock appears from the first while to be very expensive. There are more items you cannot see in the BOQ: customer service, support, delivery short time, and highly experienced VCE engineers."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

No data available

Manufacturing Company

12%

Outsourcing Company

12%

Performing Arts

11%

Financial Services Firm

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	9
Midsize Enterprise	5
Large Enterprise	16

Comparisons

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Compared 16% of the time

HPE SimpliVity vs SteelFusion

Compared 11% of the time

Sangfor HCI - Hyper Converged Infrastructure vs SteelFusion

Compared 9% of the time

Pivot3 vs SteelFusion

Compared 6% of the time

IBM PurePower System vs SteelFusion

Compared 5% of the time

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FlexPod XCS vs Vblock [EOL]

Compared 15% of the time

IBM PurePower System vs Vblock [EOL]

Compared 12% of the time

Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure (NCI) vs Vblock [EOL]

Compared 9% of the time

Dell Vscale Architecture vs Vblock [EOL]

Compared 9% of the time

VMware vSAN vs Vblock [EOL]

Compared 4% of the time

More Vblock [EOL] Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

HCI

October 2026

Download SteelFusion product report

Buyer's Guide

Vblock [EOL]

October 2026

Download Vblock [EOL] product report

Also Known As

No data available

VCE Vblock

Overview

SteelFusion is a high-performance converged infrastructure solution designed to streamline and secure data management in branch office environments, combining server, storage, and network functionalities in a single platform.

SteelFusion enhances efficiency in remote IT operations by integrating with existing IT systems to deliver seamless data centralization and protection. Its architecture supports diverse applications without compromising on performance, making it essential for enterprises looking to optimize their remote branch office operations. Organizations can reduce data footprint, improve resiliency, and ensure data compliance across dispersed locations.

What are the key features of SteelFusion?

Edge Servers: Deliver high-speed performance with robust compute capabilities.
FusionSync: Offers real-time data replication to maintain data consistency.
Virtual Services Platform: Simplifies branch IT with centralized management.
Branch Recovery: Minimizes downtime with rapid recovery options.
Hybrid Cloud Support: Integrates seamlessly with cloud services for extended scalability.

What benefits can users expect in reviews?

Cost Efficiency: Reduces overall IT costs by consolidating infrastructure.
Data Security: Enhances data protection through centralized monitoring.
Operational Simplicity: Lowers complexity in management and deployment.
Performance Optimization: Ensures consistent application delivery across branches.
Risk Mitigation: Decreases risk with improved disaster recovery processes.

SteelFusion is prominently implemented in industries such as finance, healthcare, and retail, where secure data access and rapid recovery are critical. These environments benefit from its robust data management capabilities, enabling them to maintain continuous operations while reducing operational burdens. Its deployment allows businesses to adapt quickly and remain competitive in fast-paced markets.

Riverbed

VCE Vblock Systems is an all-in-one virtualization platform that integrates the leading storage, network, and compute technologies from the likes of EMC, VMware and Cisco. VCE Vblock allows organizations to easily and securely deploy cloud computing and virtualization in their environments, supporting these multiple technologies and providing flexibility and agility for changing business needs.

Dell Technologies

Sample Customers

Roxtec, Engen, Bobst, CBP, IUCN, Mahoning County, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet

Xerox, ACS, and Columbia Sportswear.

Find out what your peers are saying about Dell Technologies, Broadcom, StarWind and others in HCI. Updated: October 2026.

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We monitor all HCI reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.