February 4, 2025
45Drives is a high-capacity data storage company based in Sydney, Nova Scotia. In this Q&A, 45Drives shares details of their new division, 45Professional, MSPs and the data storage industry.
DNS: What Sparked the Creation of 45Professional?
45Drives: 45Professional, a division of 45Drives, was created to better serve Managed Service Providers (MSPs). Many MSPs have approached our enterprise division in the past, but the size of those solutions didn’t quite fit their needs. We identified that MSPs need a streamlined way to procure storage solutions for their customers with tightly integrated hardware, software, and support.
DNS: How Does 45Professional Differentiate Itself in the Highly Competitive Storage Industry?
45Drives: In the MSP world, commodity hardware with proprietary software like Windows is common, but growing demands for high-capacity storage, clustering, and virtualization require more sophisticated solutions. Legacy vendors offer integrated systems with support but come with hidden costs, restrictive licensing, and vendor lock-in.
Open-source on the other hand provides flexibility and cost savings but requires significant expertise, increasing overhead and reducing profitability.
DNS: Why is supporting the community an important aspect to 45Drives company values and are there any other values that help shape 45Drives?
45Drives: Supporting the community is a fundamental part of 45Drives’ values, reflecting our commitment to open-source collaboration, knowledge sharing, and customer empowerment. Beyond community support, our values are shaped by transparency, innovation, and a customer-first approach, ensuring we provide quality solutions to our customers.
DNS: Can You Discuss the Process of Developing a Storage System That Bridges Legacy Enterprise Vendors and Open-Source Solutions?
45Drives: MSPs require scalable, high-performance storage solutions, but legacy enterprise vendors often impose rigid systems, hidden costs, and vendor lock-in, while open-source solutions demand in-house expertise and complex maintenance.
At 45Professional, we eliminate this tradeoff with our “High-Velocity Mass Custom” approach. By leveraging extreme modularity, we deliver enterprise-grade, fully integrated systems powered by open-source flexibility—without high costs, licensing restrictions, or operational burdens.
DNS: How Does 45Professional Cater Specifically to MSPs and SMBs?
45Drives: MSPs and SMBs need storage solutions that are powerful, scalable, and cost-effective. 45Professional eliminates vendor lock-in and steep licensing fees, allowing MSPs to profitably provide tailored solutions to clients while maintaining flexibility and control.
DNS: How Does 45Professional Address the Unique Challenges MSPs Face?
45Drives: 45Professional resolves MSP challenges like high costs, inflexible systems, and resource constraints by offering modular, cost-effective solutions. These combine enterprise-level reliability with open-source freedom, empowering MSPs to deliver value without the burden of maintaining complex systems or enduring restrictive licensing fees.
This is achieved through our “High Velocity Mass Custom” approach, delivering modular, enterprise-grade storage that combines the reliability of integrated systems with the flexibility, scalability, and security of open-source—without vendor lock-in or the complexities of DIY implementations.
DNS: Is 45Drives Taking Steps to Ensure the Long-Term Reliability and Security of the Open-Source Tools Like Ceph and ZFS That Power the 45Professional Storage Solutions?
45Drives: 45Drives is committed to the long-term security and reliability of open-source storage solutions. As a diamond member of the Ceph Foundation, we actively contribute resources and expertise while providing comprehensive education, training, and support to help the community deploy and maintain Ceph and ZFS with confidence.
In partnership with the University of New Brunswick, we are developing Ceph Armor, a security-enhanced version of Ceph with native encryption at rest, adding an extra layer of data protection.
DNS: How Will the New Customer Portal Enhance the MSP Experience, and What Features Are Coming Next?
45Drives: The new customer portal streamlines the MSP experience by providing centralized access to tools, support tickets, and real-time updates, reducing downtime and improving workflows. Future enhancements will include advanced reporting, proactive system health alerts, and expanded integrations, empowering MSPs to manage operations more efficiently and better serve their clients, all while offering customized solutions tailored to customer needs.
DNS: What Trends in Data Storage Are Shaping the Future, and How Is 45Drives Preparing?
45Drives: Key trends include distributed storage, open-source advancements, and scalable solutions for massive data growth. 45Drives is preparing by refining systems with technologies like Ceph and ZFS, investing in modular designs, and offering training and support. This ensures businesses can adapt to evolving storage demands without restrictive systems.
To learn more about 45Professional, click HERE.