Pure Storage FlashArray //C20: Meeting the Needs of SMB and ROBO Markets

Analyst(s): Camberley Bates
Publication Date: November 12, 2024

On November 11, 2024, Pure Storage rolled out their latest FlashArray offering for the SMB and ROBO markets.

What is Covered in this Article:

• What was announced
• //C20 key features and competitive positioning
• Addressing the SMB and ROBO markets

The News: Pure Storage announced their latest FlashArray offering, the //C20, which will compete with others in the entry level market, typically in the $25,000 to $50,000 price range.

Pure Storage FlashArray //C20: Meeting the Needs of SMB and ROBO Markets

Analyst Take: On November 11, 2024, Pure Storage announced the launch of FlashArray //C20, targeting the SMB (Small and Medium Businesses) and ROBO (Remote Office/Branch Office) markets. This addition to Pure’s FlashArray line represents an entry-level solution that combines capacity and simplicity in a unified block and file storage format. With capacity options from 148 TB to 260 TB, FlashArray //C20 offers a scalable and cost-effective solution designed to address the unique storage needs of these markets without sacrificing the features Pure customers rely on.

Key Features and Competitive Edge

The FlashArray //C20 is crafted to deliver the same enterprise-grade features as other Pure FlashArray products, including encryption, immutable snapshots, and robust cybersecurity protections. This makes it a valuable option for businesses prioritizing data protection. The //C20 utilizes QLC (Quad-Level Cell) flash storage with 18 TB DirectFlash modules, ensuring high capacity with improved economics over traditional flash solutions.

Pure Storage’s Evergreen program is included, allowing for in-place upgrades and ensuring the investment remains future-proof. By making performance sizing tools available via PURE1, customers can analyze their capacity and performance needs, streamlining deployment and scaling decisions.

Unified Storage for the SMB and ROBO Markets

The addition of file services, first introduced by Pure in 2019, allows the //C20 to serve as both a block and file storage system. This unified approach provides flexibility, enabling SMBs and ROBOs to simplify their IT infrastructures and reduce the need for separate systems to handle different data types. FlashArray //C20’s architecture consolidates data into a single storage pool, which benefits from Pure’s global deduplication, encryption, and other efficiencies.

Pure Fusion, Pure Storage’s fleet management solution, is essential for ROBO use cases, allowing remote offices to manage storage assets effectively across multiple locations. Pure Fusion automates workload placement and continuously optimizes storage, making FlashArray //C20 an attractive option for organizations with distributed infrastructures.

Competing in the Entry-Level Storage Market

Pure Storage’s FlashArray //C20 directly competes with entry-level offerings such as NetApp’s C250. Pure differentiates itself with an easy-to-use interface, Pure1 analytics, and the Evergreen program. With ROBO and SMB markets facing constant demands for data, cybersecurity, and cost-efficiency, FlashArray //C20 is positioned to provide a solid solution for these markets.

In reviewing the announcement, Pure rolled out comparisons on performance. However, these have not been validated by The Futurum Group. Also they did not specify pricing other than the markets they were competing in. Clients will need to verify performance and pricing with their trusted reseller representatives.

Looking Ahead

The FlashArray //C20 demonstrates Pure Storage’s commitment to expanding their market presence up and down the storage market with a rich set of features including scalability, ease of management, and cybersecurity—qualities that make it a competitive offering.

What to Watch:

• Continued rollout of QLC offerings to address consolidation and entry level markets.
• Highly competitive SMB market and engagement with server vendors to meet the needs of both SMB and ROBO.
• Security, governance, and privacy will remain core to the requirement of these markets along with ease of use and fleet management.

Disclosure: The Futurum Group is a research and advisory firm that engages or has engaged in research, analysis, and advisory services with many technology companies, including those mentioned in this article. The author does not hold any equity positions with any company mentioned in this article.

Analysis and opinions expressed herein are specific to the analyst individually and data and other information that might have been provided for validation, not those of The Futurum Group as a whole.

Other insights from The Futurum Group:

Pure Storage Q2 FY2025: Noteworthy Growth in a Competitive Market

How Pure Storage Leverages Data and AI to Transform the Customer Experience – Episode 13

Pure Storage FlashArray – Product Review