The emerging class of mixed SAS and SATA storage systems could be the next big disruptive technology. Mixing high- and low-cost SAS and SATA disk drives within the same system, at interconnect speeds comparable to Fibre Channel (FC), is a recipe for significant change and opens the door to data lifecycle management (DLM).

Most major storage vendors will release mixed SAS and SATA disk drive storage systems by early to mid-2008. The price of these systems is expected to drop below that of mixed FC/SATA arrays, and storage vendors will be jockeying for position. A spokesperson for Network Appliance (NetApp) Inc. says combining SAS and SATA drives in the same system is critical to the company's future product lines.