With Pure Storage, MPI Reduces Data Center Footprint by 95%, Achieves 10x Faster Time to Recovery

Rhea-AI Summary

Pure Storage (PSTG) partners with Motion Picture Industry Pension and Health Plans to modernize IT environment for higher performance and efficiency.

Positive

• MPI modernized its IT environment with Pure Storage to drive higher performance, efficiency, and business growth.
• Pure Storage implementation led to a 95% reduction in storage racks, decreased power and cooling costs, and enhanced data protection.
• MPI replaced legacy systems with Pure Storage for efficient backup, faster recovery time, and enhanced system performance and scalability.
• Executive highlights the strategic benefits of partnering with Pure Storage for long-term IT success.

Negative

• None.

IT Infrastructure Specialist

Modernizing IT infrastructure, as seen with MPI's transition to Pure Storage, is a strategic move that addresses several operational challenges. The shift from tape archives to FlashBlade//S for backups, resulting in a faster time to recovery, is a significant improvement. In the event of a ransomware attack, the ability to restore systems rapidly minimizes downtime and potential financial losses. The 95% reduction in storage racks not only optimizes physical space but also translates into tangible cost savings on power and cooling, demonstrating a direct impact on operational expenditure.

Moreover, the performance enhancements and scalability provided by Pure Storage's FlashArray are essential for handling the complex data requirements of MPI. The support for a large number of virtual machines and virtual desktops ensures that the IT environment can keep pace with the increasing demands of digital workflows within the film industry. This scalability is important for MPI's business continuity and its ability to deliver uninterrupted services to its beneficiaries.

The long-term implications of this IT overhaul could be substantial, potentially influencing MPI's operational efficiency and service quality. While the upfront investment in new technology might be significant, the reduction in long-term operating costs and the resilience against cyber threats could provide a favorable return on investment.

Cybersecurity Analyst

The upgrade to Pure Storage's all-flash solutions represents a proactive stance in cybersecurity for MPI. Ransomware attacks have become increasingly sophisticated, targeting organizations that handle sensitive data. By implementing advanced storage solutions with rapid recovery capabilities, MPI is significantly enhancing its data protection measures. The calculated time-to-restore from a complete ransomware loss showcases a commitment to robust cybersecurity practices that are essential for safeguarding personal data of the film industry's workforce.

Furthermore, the adoption of always-on deduplication and compression technologies not only improves storage efficiency but also contributes to a more secure IT environment. These technologies reduce the attack surface by minimizing the number of data copies and the extent of data exposure during replication processes. For stakeholders, this translates into a heightened level of confidence in MPI's ability to protect their personal information, which is a critical aspect of their relationship with the organization.

Environmental Sustainability Analyst

The environmental impact of IT operations is an increasingly important consideration for organizations. MPI's reduction in data center footprint by moving to Pure Storage's solutions has a positive environmental implication. The significant decrease in the number of storage racks means that less physical space is required, which correlates with lower energy consumption for power and cooling. This is a proactive step towards sustainability, aligning with broader industry trends of reducing carbon footprints.

Energy costs are a substantial part of running data centers and the efficiency gains from Pure Storage's technology could serve as a benchmark for other organizations looking to optimize their IT infrastructure. By showcasing a 95% reduction in storage racks, MPI sets an example of how technological advancements can contribute to sustainability goals without compromising on performance or scalability. This move could influence industry peers to consider similar upgrades, potentially creating a ripple effect towards greener IT practices across the sector.

SANTA CLARA, Calif., March 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Pure Storage^® (NYSE: PSTG), the IT pioneer that delivers the world's most advanced data storage technologies and services, announced that Motion Picture Industry Pension and Health Plans (MPI), a nonprofit organization that administers health and retirement benefits to the film industry, modernized its IT environment with Pure Storage to drive higher performance, greater efficiency, and business growth.

Customer Challenge:

Over 60,000 set designers, animators, and numerous other motion picture production workers across 30 film industry unions and guilds rely on MPI for their health and retirement benefits. Serving as a custodian for trust funds between industry unions and employers, MPI is dedicated to ensuring the welfare of participants, which includes robust measures to safeguard their personal data.

Faced with aging legacy systems and an escalating ransomware threat, MPI underwent a comprehensive overhaul of its IT operations to prioritize speed, scalability, and data protection.

Customer Impact:

MPI replaced its legacy systems with Pure Storage to achieve these goals, while also enhancing overall performance, efficiency, and recovery time. This transformation enables seamless support for a wide spectrum of tasks, ranging from pension payments to health eligibility and claims, reinforcing MPI's commitment to providing reliable and secure services for its participants. Benefits include:

• Reduction in Data Center Footprint and Energy Costs: Always-on deduplication and compression make the most of MPI's storage capacity despite continuous replication and multiple copies of MPI's environment. A 13:1 compression rate and a resulting 95% reduction in storage racks - from 44 rack units to two - significantly reduced power and cooling costs and MPI's overall data center footprint.
• Efficient Backup and Faster Time to Recovery: MPI replaced all its tape archives with FlashBlade//S for rapid backups and near-instant data recovery. MPI calculated time-to-restore from a complete ransomware loss to be less than two days with FlashBlade, compared to more than 18 days trying to recover from tape. Ultimately, FlashBlade has proven to be 10 times faster than MPI's previous system.
• Enhanced System Performance and Scalability: MPI's IT team supports its employees with their daily technology needs, ranging from a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) to databases to application development. Performance and scalability to meet growing data volumes was a key factor in MPI's purchasing decision of Pure Storage. Approximately 1,200 virtual machines, more than 200 VMware Horizon virtual desktops, and Microsoft SQL database workloads run on Pure Storage FlashArray.

Executive Insight:

"Embracing Pure Storage's all-flash portfolio over legacy tape was a strategic slam dunk for our organization. It goes beyond a mere transaction; it's a genuine partnership that has not only elevated our performance but also ensured the longevity of our critical IT systems. Pure Storage has become an integral part of our success story, providing a robust foundation that aligns with our goals for the long haul" – Andy Marosi, Sr. Manager, Infrastructure & Operations, MPI

Learn More:

• Case Study: Setting the Stage for Modern Business Operations

About Pure Storage
Pure Storage (NYSE: PSTG) delivers the industry's best platform to store, manage, and protect the world's data. With a cloud experience across a unified storage operating environment, Pure Storage empowers every organization with the agility to meet evolving data requirements at speed and scale, while reducing total cost of ownership. Pure believes it can make a meaningful impact in reducing data center emissions worldwide by providing a storage platform that enables customers to significantly reduce their carbon and energy footprint. Pure is proud to be a customer-first organization, as evidenced by the highest Net Promoter Score in the industry. For more information, visit www.purestorage.com.

Pure Storage, the Pure Storage P Logo, FlashBlade, and the marks on the Pure Storage Trademark List  are trademarks or registered trademarks of Pure Storage Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. The Pure Storage Inc. Trademark List can be found at www.purestorage.com/legal/productenduserinfo.html.

 

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SOURCE Pure Storage

How did Pure Storage (PSTG) partner with Motion Picture Industry Pension and Health Plans?

Pure Storage partnered with MPI to modernize its IT environment for higher performance, efficiency, and business growth.

What benefits did MPI achieve by replacing its legacy systems with Pure Storage?

MPI achieved a 95% reduction in storage racks, decreased power and cooling costs, efficient backup, faster recovery time, and enhanced system performance and scalability.

What did MPI replace its tape archives with for rapid backups and near-instant data recovery?

MPI replaced all its tape archives with FlashBlade//S for rapid backups and near-instant data recovery.

How did Pure Storage help MPI in reducing data center footprint and energy costs?

Pure Storage's deduplication and compression technologies reduced MPI's storage racks by 95%, leading to significant power and cooling cost reductions.

Who highlighted the strategic benefits of partnering with Pure Storage for MPI?

Andy Marosi, Sr. Manager, Infrastructure & Operations at MPI, highlighted the strategic benefits of partnering with Pure Storage for long-term IT success.