Dell is introducing new server and storage products aimed at cost-conscious companies, betting that its emphasis on value can help win market share as competition intensifies.

Dell today announced availability of the Dell EqualLogic PS6000 series of storage arrays that offer increased performance, advanced virtualization capabilities and even greater value than previous generations.

To help enterprises preserve and extend their existing investments, the EqualLogic PS6000 series integrates seamlessly into existing EqualLogic storage area networks (SANs) to form a virtualized pool of storage. The new Dell EqualLogic hardware and software, which are a part of Dell's storage portfolio that includes the Dell PowerVault and Dell|EMC product lines, help enterprises enhance existing installations.

The Dell EqualLogic PS6000 series performs up to 91 percent faster for sequential write workloads and up to 29 percent faster for sequential read workloads when compared with previous generation, according to Dell. It is the first EqualLogic generation to include a Solid State Drive array. PS6000S arrays each have dedicated controllers for the SSD drives and can be combined together to scale performance linearly. Each PS Series group can support over 500 TB of storage.

Dell's suite of EqualLogic storage software offers support for Microsoft Hyper-V Smart Copysnapshots built upon the PS Series? existing integration with Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft SQL, VMware and Citrix XenCenter and enables rapid recovery of Hyper-V virtual machines in as little as seconds.

Dell is also making available SAN Headquarters, a centralized dashboard that monitors performance and events for dozens of PS Series groups. SAN HeadQuarters is available to all Dell EqualLogic customers under a valid warranty or service agreement no additional cost.

In addition, Dell also unveiled new Dell ProConsult infrastructure consulting services to help customers plan and deploy EqualLogic SANs.

List pricing for the PS6000 arrays starts at $17,000 (USD). The starting price for PS6000S, the model with the Solid State Drives, is $25,000 (USD). The PS6000 series and associated services are available worldwide from Dell and its global PartnerDirect channel partners.

Dell's announcement comes as the corporate server market heated up considerably over the past week, with the much-anticipated entry of network equipment maker Cisco Systems Inc, and widely-reported merger talks between market leader IBM and high-end server maker Sun Microsystems Inc.

Seeking to distinguish itself from competitors offering more expensive products developed on proprietary technology, Dell's new products is designed to save companies time and money though improved efficiency, adoption of open standard infrastructure and virtualization technology.