Why did I pair up EMC and Dell, and LSI Logic and IBM? Because each name on the right side of the dash sign is a major OEM of the one on the left, so although the name may be different the pair is essentially announcing the same new product. And IBM will probably resell NetApp's new products, too. Confused yet?

Let's dig in, starting in alphabetical order. The EMC-Dell duo is announcing a new Clariion line (http://www.infoworld.com/article/06/05/08/78115_HNrefreshesclariion_1.html), dubbed CX3 UltraScale Series, that extends beyond the capacity and performance of older versions. (The "3" stands for "third generation," in case you missed that).

CX3 includes three models -- the CX3-20, CX3-40, and CX3-80 -- with capacity ranging from 365GB to 239TB. EMC suggests that a CX3-80 about doubles the performance of the older CX700.

All of the CX3 boxes replace PCI-X with better-performing PCI-Express connectivity. In addition, the arrays support both 4Gbps and 2Gbps FC (Fibre Channel) drives and can move data between virtual LUNs (logical unit numbers) without disrupting applications.

Another interesting new feature of the CX3 line is that customers will be able to replace faulty components without the help of an engineer, which should shorten repair time when something goes wrong. Moreover, starting in Q3, customers will be able to manage new installs and updates independently. The new models, which you can also buy from Dell, start at US$27,000 for an entry-level CX3-20.