Dell PowerFlex Reviews

Dell PowerFlex has demonstrated a return on investment by reducing the number of required Microsoft SQL licenses from 40 to 8. It integrates support with infrastructure, cutting maintenance costs over its lifespan of around four years, leading to decreased ownership costs. Users have noted substantial human support as a significant value addition, with one user achieving ROI in six months or more. The financial team does not calculate ROI specifically for PowerFlex services provided to internal teams and subsidiaries.

Dell PowerFlex pricing is perceived variably among users, with some considering it fair and in the average range, while others find it expensive. Users acknowledge the initial investment may be higher compared to traditional solutions, yet the long-term TCO remains competitive. Licensing flexibility is desired, especially for VMware components. Deployment is often managed in-house to control costs, focusing on standard licensing. Generally, its pricing aligns with enterprise market segments, catering to mission-critical needs.

• "From my perspective, pricing is expensive. If they can reduce the pricing or offer more customer incentives, it would attract more users."
• "The solution's pricing could be much cheaper and affordable."
• "If one is cheap and ten is expensive, I rate the price as eight and a half. The tool is expensive."

Dell PowerFlex is primarily used for hyper-converged infrastructure in private cloud deployments. Users leverage it for managing software-defined infrastructure, rapid provisioning, and mission-critical applications. It's popular in sectors like banking, government, and utilities for high availability and scalable storage. Dell PowerFlex supports virtualized infrastructures, high-performance databases, and modern application platforms. It simplifies management, reduces footprint, and integrates compute and storage efficiently. Users also utilize Dell PowerFlex for disaster recovery and AI workloads.

Dell PowerFlex customer service receives mixed sentiments. Technical support is often regarded as good and responsive, with SLAs often met. However, some note delays and knowledge gaps at initial support levels. Cases need escalation for swift solutions. Certain users have not engaged support, while some rely on local assistance due to dissatisfaction. Critical issues see prompt action under enhanced SLAs, though assistance scheduling conflicts with organizational hours, affecting banking operations negatively.

Dell PowerFlex's initial setup varies in complexity depending on the environment. Many find it straightforward, with some deployments taking as little as one day and requiring minimal manpower. However, integration with existing infrastructure can complicate the process, necessitating thorough planning and expertise in networking, data configuration, and maintenance. Some users rely on external integrators or sellers for support, highlighting mixed experiences across different contexts.

Dell PowerFlex impresses with its high scalability, allowing easy expansion by adding nodes. Users highlight effortless upgrades for extensive environments. Many appreciate its plug-and-play nature, simplifying resource additions. Scalable for enterprises with differing user bases and flexible for expanding workloads, it supports numerous applications smoothly. Its adaptability is praised, though some suggest further improvements in capacity handling. Widely regarded as a scalable choice, PowerFlex garners high ratings for its capability to meet evolving demands.

Dell PowerFlex exhibits high stability, with many noting its reliability and lack of issues. It consistently performs well without crashing or freezing, ensuring security and efficiency. Users appreciate its redundancy and full backup features, contributing to its robustness. Ratings consistently range between eight to ten out of ten for stability, indicating strong satisfaction. Medium-sized environments with around 16 nodes have not experienced significant failures, highlighting its effective hyper-converged design.