While DataCore has been in the iSCSI arena since 1998 (longer than Open-E), both solutions make a very good impression. SANmelody by DataCore is a full-fledged software solution for Windows Server. It is scalable, feature rich and impressively powerful, but costs a fortune if you need more than the basic package. At the same time it should be underlined that SANmelody was intended for enterprise customers.

Open-E's iSCSI modules come with their own system software, which means they have to compete with SANmelody's Windows-based Storage Services features and the massive worldwide driver support that Microsoft enjoys. However, an Open-E iSCSI can turn virtually any computer into a comprehensive iSCSI storage solution without requiring a Windows license, expensive hardware or complicated administration.

While it is the top version of the product family, Open-E's iSCSI Enterprise is only half the price of the basic SANmelody kit. The latter is clearly more sophisticated, but Open-E provides a better price-per-performance ratio for small- to medium-sized enterprises. Proof can also be found in the benchmark results: Open-E iSCSI dominates all disciplines except in I/O performance.