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 8.2, while NEC is ranked #19. IBM holds a 15.1% mindshare in MS, compared to NEC’s 1.2% 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

7,637 Views
1,222 Comparison Views

91% willing to recommend

NEC D3 series

Read 1 NEC D3 series review

112 Views
108 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: September 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Modular SAN (Storage Area Network)

September 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 (6th), 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 October 2025, in the Modular SAN (Storage Area Network) category, the mindshare of IBM FlashSystem is 15.1%, down from 17.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of NEC D3 series is 1.2%, up from 0.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Modular SAN (Storage Area Network) Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
IBM FlashSystem	15.1%
NEC D3 series	1.2%
Other	83.7%

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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reviewer1369971

Head of IT at a manufacturing company with 501-1,000 employees

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

"The most valuable feature in demand is virtualization and its support storage of virtualization features."

"The solution is very easy to configure and use."

"The price-performance ratio is most valuable."

"One of the valuable features is the performance, it is one of the best in the market."

"The most valuable feature is that is supports a high IOPS rate."

"The power systems are very reliable if you are running 24/7 operations. For ongoing mission-critical applications, it's the best solution."

"The performance is very good and we use this product to enhance our core system."

"The storage system is one of the best in the world."

More IBM FlashSystem pros

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

Cons

"The GUI needs some improvement. An additional function that could be helpful is reducing the time it takes to delete volumes, especially if they are compressed or deduplicated."

"There could be some extra features added."

"The installation is not easy. You need to have extensive knowledge to handle it."

"In the next release having the next level of high-speed performance would be great."

"The solution's infrastructure technology level could be PCI Express 5 instead of PCI Express 4 for the next version."

"Our customers have raised concerns about the limitations of the FlashSystem 5200 and 7300, which only offer a 32-gigabyte connection."

"There is room for improvement in the troubleshooting part, specifically related to IBM Spectrum for Insight. Customers are uncomfortable with remote access, which affects automated remote support."

"There is room for improvement in the troubleshooting part, specifically related to IBM Spectrum for Insight."

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

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

"If five is a good price and one is a high price, I would rate the price a two or three out of five."

"The total storage capacity vs price is still quite high for the IBM Flash Array."

"We have no issues with the price as it is very competitive."

"The price of IBM FlashSystem is a little high because you pay a premium because the solution is from IBM. We had paid for the SLA prior to using the solution."

"This is an expensive product and if the price were reduced it would be better."

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

"The cost is pretty high in terms of licensing. We pay at least $100,000 USD in licensing fees for the storage."

More IBM FlashSystem pricing and cost advice

Information not available

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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

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	47
Midsize Enterprise	22
Large Enterprise	57

No data available

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about IBM FlashSystem?

It is simple to make an update.

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

The pricing is reasonable for IBM FlashSystem.

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What needs improvement with IBM FlashSystem?

Some improvements are required in IBM regarding response time and resolution time, though not about competence. Product-wise, it performs well. We have not used AI features yet, and I believe havin...

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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

Huawei OceanStor Dorado vs IBM FlashSystem

Compared 9% of the time

Pure Storage FlashArray vs IBM FlashSystem

Compared 9% of the time

NetApp AFF vs IBM FlashSystem

Compared 8% of the time

More IBM FlashSystem Competitors

No data available

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

IBM FlashSystem

September 2025

Download IBM FlashSystem product report

Buyer's Guide

Modular SAN (Storage Area Network)

September 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)

September 2025

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