TL;DR
- Dell Technologies expanded APEX Data Storage Services availability in the UK in 2025, broadening European access.
- APEX delivers scalable, subscription-based storage resources to support hybrid and cloud-native workloads.
- Gartner forecasts that over 50% of enterprise storage capacity will be consumed as-a-service by 2024 and continuing upward in 2025.
- APEX simplifies IT operations with metered consumption, predictable billing, and Dell-managed infrastructure.
- Ideal for enterprises seeking flexible capacity without managing physical arrays.
What’s New or Important Now
In early 2025, Dell Technologies officially expanded its APEX Data Storage Services in the United Kingdom, giving organizations access to a fully managed storage-as-a-service (STaaS) platform designed for dynamic cloud adoption. The move follows the company’s global APEX rollout, offering flexible, tiered storage with enterprise-grade performance and compliance support.
According to Gartner research, more than half of enterprise storage will operate under as-a-service models by 2024. Dell’s expansion into the UK demonstrates increasing demand for scalable, pay-as-you-go storage in regulated environments where predictability and control remain essential.
Understanding Dell APEX Data Storage Services
APEX Data Storage Services is a managed service that allows customers to consume storage capacity like public cloud resources but with the control, security, and local data residency of dedicated Dell infrastructure. It supports file, block, and object storage models integrated with Dell PowerStore, PowerScale, and PowerProtect technologies.
Key Attributes
- Elastic scaling: Increase or decrease capacity without re-provisioning hardware.
- Unified management portal with usage analytics and automated provisioning.
- 24×7 Dell-managed operations, maintenance, and firmware lifecycle support.
- Available in on-premises or Dell colocation datacenters.
- Flexible contracts: monthly or multi-year subscriptions.
Buyer and Architect Guidance
Use Cases:
- Hybrid cloud integration: ideal for workloads requiring local latency but cloud flexibility.
- Backup and disaster recovery capacity bursting.
- Compliance-driven industries seeking data sovereignty in UK regions.
- Media and AI data lakes requiring scalable object storage.
Sizing Considerations:
- Understand data growth rate and deduplication impact before selecting performance tiers.
- Use historical utilization data to project 12–24 month capacity needs.
- Align service tier—Performance, Balanced, Capacity—to workload IOPS and throughput.
- Consider latency targets if integrating with existing public cloud apps through Dell Cloud Console.
Trade-Offs
While APEX reduces operational overhead, architects should balance cost per GB against internal capex investment for long-term stability. STaaS provides agility but may present higher costs in sustained, non-variable workloads compared to purchased hardware. Data migration complexity and vendor-lock perception remain considerations for some IT decision-makers.
Comparison Table: Dell APEX vs Alternatives
| Feature | Dell APEX Data Storage Services | Pure Storage Evergreen//One | HPE GreenLake Storage | Public Cloud Storage (AWS S3) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consumption Model | Pay-per-use, on-prem & colocation | Subscription, on-prem | Capacity-based utility billing | Pay-as-you-go |
| Data Sovereignty | Fully controlled customer location | Customer controlled | Regional compliance | Dependent on cloud region |
| Performance Options | Performance, Balanced, Capacity tiers | Flexible tiers | Performance and capacity pools | Varies by storage class |
| Management | Dell-managed full lifecycle | Joint responsibility | HPE-managed or customer-operated | Cloud provider managed |
| Integration | Dell Cloud Console, PowerStore, PowerProtect | Pure1 cloud console | GreenLake Central portal | AWS Management Console |
Mini Implementation Guide
Prerequisites
- Valid Dell APEX subscription contract.
- Connectivity and power requirements for on-prem or colo deployment.
- Network path validation to existing applications or backups.
- Design approval for data classification and compliant storage tiers.
Steps
- Log in to Dell Cloud Console and define desired capacity and performance tier.
- Review and approve service request; Dell provisions hardware and deploys systems.
- Connect your environment via secure LAN or VPN endpoint.
- Configure data services (replication, snapshots, backup policies).
- Monitor usage metrics through portal dashboards.
Common Pitfalls
- Inadequate sizing leading to unexpected capacity boosts and cost increases.
- Overlooking network latency for hybrid use cases.
- Failure to integrate data protection workflow causing unintentional duplicates.
- Ignoring long-term data residency requirements and compliance reporting.
Cost and ROI Considerations
APEX’s subscription pricing typically includes infrastructure, licensing, and management under a single monthly bill. Unlike hardware purchases, the cost scales with actual usage—ideal for organizations managing fluctuating data volumes. ROI improves by redirecting IT staff from administration to innovation. However, stable workloads may achieve better TCO through hybrid purchasing, combining fixed capacity systems with APEX for bursts.
Typical enterprise savings derive from reduced downtime and proactive Dell lifecycle management, which lowers maintenance overhead by up to 20%, according to internal field data. Transparent billing also supports predictable budgeting—valuable for multi-year cost modeling.
FAQs
1. What types of storage are supported by Dell APEX?
Block, file, and object storage options are available, leveraging Dell PowerStore, PowerScale, and PowerProtect platforms.
2. Can APEX integrate with public cloud environments?
Yes, APEX connects with major cloud providers through Dell Cloud Console APIs for hybrid management.
3. Is APEX Data Storage Services suitable for small businesses?
While designed for enterprises, Dell offers flexible contracts and smaller capacity entry points suitable for mid-sized organizations.
4. How does Dell ensure data security?
All systems employ encryption at rest and in transit, with Dell-managed patching and compliance verification.
5. What’s the deployment lead time?
Typical activation ranges from two to six weeks, depending on location and capacity.
6. How does APEX differ from traditional storage leasing?
Unlike leasing, APEX includes full management, monitoring, and performance guarantees under service-level agreements.
Conclusion
Dell Technologies APEX Data Storage Services continues advancing managed storage-as-a-service in 2025, giving enterprises a sustainable path toward hybrid modernization. By combining predictable operations with flexible scalability, APEX lets IT leaders focus on innovation, not infrastructure management. Learn more about implementation practices and architecture templates at learndell.online.