IBM FlashSystem vs NEC D3 series comparison

IBM and NEC are both solutions in the Modular SAN (Storage Area Network) category. IBM is ranked #2 with an average rating of 8.4, while NEC is ranked #19. IBM holds a 18.5% mindshare in MS, compared to NEC’s 0.4% mindshare. Additionally, 91% of IBM users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of NEC users who would recommend it.

IBM FlashSystem

Read 112 IBM FlashSystem reviews

8,010 Views
1,282 Comparison Views

91% willing to recommend

NEC D3 series

Read 1 NEC D3 series review

83 Views
76 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

IBM FlashSystem

NEC D3 series

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between IBM FlashSystem and NEC D3 series based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about NetApp, IBM, Hitachi Vantara and others in Modular SAN (Storage Area Network).

To learn more, read our detailed Modular SAN (Storage Area Network) Report (Updated: August 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Modular SAN (Storage Area Network)

August 2025

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

IBM FlashSystem

Ranking in Modular SAN (Storage Area Network)

2nd

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

112

Ranking in other categories

NAS (5th), All-Flash Storage (13th)

NEC D3 series

Ranking in Modular SAN (Storage Area Network)

19th

Average Rating

9.0

Reviews Sentiment

8.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2025, in the Modular SAN (Storage Area Network) category, the mindshare of IBM FlashSystem is 18.5%, up from 16.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of NEC D3 series is 0.4%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Modular SAN (Storage Area Network)

Featured Reviews

OmarIsmail1

Infrastructure Technical Specialist II at Clicks Group

Offers high performance and dependable support for fast storage needs

The most valuable feature of IBM FlashSystem is its robust back code. When integrated properly into the environment and configured according to the guidelines, it provides a very solid infrastructure that does the job on demand. Additionally, IBM FlashSystem offers competitive pricing and reliable performance. The hardware is dependable, ensuring that it functions effectively when the setup is done correctly.

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Gungor Bingul

Head of IT at Korozo

Stable, performs well, and the technical support is good

We use this storage solution to host our ERP, CRM, file server, databases, and lots of other things The performance is better than with our previous version. We are not satisfied with the cost of licensing and would like to have a better price to performance ratio. We have had contract-related…

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"I like most of the features. Its speed, performance, and availability are valuable. We are implementing the data reduction technology the most."

"The most valuable features are deduplication and compression, which together, enable you to have more space."

"The installation is nice and easy."

"Data deduplication is one of the most valuable features of this solution."

"The valuable features for us are the extra add-ons, such as the FIM provisioning, the compression, the disaster recovery capabilities, and the storage pooling functions."

"Flash disk with Easy Tier option"

"Most of the features for the reduction in data compression are useful. It is also very easy to use and administer. Its performance is also good."

"The valuable features of IBM FlashSystem include flash copy mapping, which is a procedure to collect instant point-in-time data for testing real data."

More IBM FlashSystem pros

"The performance is better than with our previous version."

Cons

"Sometimes the performance is effective but it gets resolved in the process."

"The solution is quite expensive. That's one of the downsides to using it."

"I have looked at a few pages of a report I download and I saw a graph there regarding software-defined vendors. IBM is not in a good position on this graph. I know that they are working very hard on this, to make it much better and to get to a level where it's not only hardware but also software to provide a complete solution."

"The product could be cheaper."

"In IBM FlashSystem, data reduction is an area with shortcomings where improvements can be made in the future."

"The price is very costly."

"The support could improve by allowing you to speak to someone when you call rather than them calling you back. However, once we do have contact with one of their technicians they are excellent."

"The ease of installation should be improved. We had issues with the configuration model."

More IBM FlashSystem cons

"We are not satisfied with the cost of licensing and would like to have a better price to performance ratio."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price is a little bit high so is rated a six out of ten."

"The tool is cost-efficient."

"I would rate the pricing of this solution a four out of five."

"The pricing is competitive in our country."

"The pricing may be a bit higher than other brands. If you compare the IBM FlashSystems in midrange with Dell EMC in midrange, IBM costs a bit more, but I prefer IBM because it has more specs that I can benefit from."

"They've been much more aggressive in the last five, six years than they were before that."

"The solution has good pricing, but it is not cheaper."

"I find the pricing of the solution to be very reasonable."

More IBM FlashSystem pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

13%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

No data available

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about IBM FlashSystem?

It is simple to make an update.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM FlashSystem?

Many factors affect purchasing directly from IBM, often involving a multi-step process. Customers, especially in banking, often use the latest devices as they are upgrading, indicating they do not ...

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What needs improvement with IBM FlashSystem?

The deduplication technology in IBM FlashSystem needs significant improvement. Other vendors like NetApp ( /products/netapp-41749-reviews ) offer better deduplication technology, which is noticeabl...

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Comparisons

Dell PowerStore vs IBM FlashSystem

Compared 22% of the time

HPE Alletra Storage vs IBM FlashSystem

Compared 9% of the time

Pure Storage FlashArray vs IBM FlashSystem

Compared 8% of the time

Huawei OceanStor Dorado vs IBM FlashSystem

Compared 8% of the time

NetApp AFF vs IBM FlashSystem

Compared 7% of the time

More IBM FlashSystem Competitors

No data available

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

IBM FlashSystem

August 2025

Download IBM FlashSystem product report

Buyer's Guide

Modular SAN (Storage Area Network)

August 2025

Download NEC D3 series product report

Also Known As

IBM Storwize

D3 series

Overview

IBM FlashSystem products are enterprise computer data storage systems that store data on flash memory chips. Unlike storage systems that use standard solid-state drives, IBM FlashSystem products incorporate custom hardware based on technology from the 2012 acquisition of Texas Memory Systems. This hardware provides performance, reliability, and efficiency benefits versus competitive offerings.

IBM

D3-10 is Low end disk array device with up to 144 HDD modules.

NEC

Sample Customers

Celero, Friedhelm Loh Group, Clarks, Mingkang Natregro Health Food Group, Sofia, Etisalat Fights Fraud, UF Health Shands Hospital, Generali, Elecon Engineering Company Limited, Ventiv , Technology, CPFL Energia, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., SciQuest, Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated, Paddy Power, Kelsey-Seybold Clinic, Interconnect Services, Severstal IP-Only AB, PVU Group GmbH

Tsukuba Science City, Hokkaido Telecommunication Network Co. Inc, PHP Institute

Buyer's Guide

Modular SAN (Storage Area Network)

August 2025

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