Companies will soon be able to replace expensive consultants out of the storage audit picture by using software.

The company has said that it could accelerate storage evaluations "to days, not weeks" using its something it calls Storage Simplification Assessments which it said is a "departure from the industry's traditional storage and backup consulting approach."

"Dell is able to cut time from weeks to days using the software element in our assessment tools and software. The software/tool element used to collect data combats the typical on-site approach where consultants gather data for weeks without the use of such tools," a spokesman for the firm told Techworld.

"Dell Assessment services can deliver information to the customer by leveraging nondisruptive tools and processes. The offers provide a technical and operational inventory of customers' environments and help them more rapidly decide which solution will best meet their needs," it said in a statement.

After initial assessment Dell consultants will then help users consolidate, virtualize and back up new storage.