3PAR announced today that two 3PAR InServ Storage Server models ranked #1 in the "Most Exciting Product in Use" by both Fortune-1000 and midsize enterprise storage end users. TheInfoPro's (TIP) Most Exciting Vendor Products List is part of its Wave 11 Storage Study, which details technology adoption trends and timeframes, management techniques, and vendor performance data for the Storage industry. The Most Exciting Vendor Products List is compiled based on feedback from storage professionals in response to the question, "What emerging or exciting vendor products do you have in use?" "The vendors that top the list in our Storage Study have remained relatively stable over the past five waves of the study," said Robert Stevenson, Managing Director of Storage Research for TIP. "3PAR has nudged their way to the top in recent waves of the study and, with 3PAR's product innovation combined with the end users interviewed citing their plans to remain loyal, it's not a surprise to see them holding their position there." Among the most exciting vendor products in use by midsize enterprises (defined by TIP as those organizations with revenues between $150 million and $1 billion) the 3PAR InServ E200 Storage Server was ranked #1 by study participants. Among Fortune 1000 organizations, the 3PAR InServ S800 Storage Server tied for the #1 position. 3PAR recently announced its third-generation utility storage arrays, the InServ T-Class Storage Servers, which include the new T800, the next generation of the S800. Although not eligible for inclusion in Wave 11 of the Storage Study, the T800 features a new hardware design that includes Thin Built In technology. This innovation incorporates an efficient "fat-to-thin" volume conversion mechanism right into silicon to enable high rates of capacity utilization while maintaining industry-leading performance levels. In addition 3PAR was named as the #2 "Most Exciting Vendor" and was also the second-most cited vendor in the category of block virtualization products in use by midsize enterprises. In times of economic uncertainty, IT organizations are turning to virtualization technology to stretch tight budgets. Just as server virtualization is seen as one means of achieving more with less, so too is block storage virtualization and specifically technologies like 3PAR Thin Provisioning. "From the Wave 11 findings, it's clear that our track record of lowering storage costs and easing management are not just attractive to large enterprises, but also to midsize enterprises striving to do more with less," said David Scott, 3PAR President and CEO. "And with our continued product innovation such as the new T-Class arrays, we have set a solid foundation for remaining at the top of the heap of exciting storage products and vendors." To preview findings of TheInfoPro Wave 11 Storage Study findings, visit its website.