The worldwide external controller-based disk storage market grew by four per cent in the second quarter of 2006, according to analyst firm Gartner.
The figures accounted for network-attached storage and back-up drives, but excluded storage area networks.
Global external controller-based disk storage revenue totalled $3.6bn in the second quarter of 2006, a 4.3 per cent increase over the same period a year ago, according to Gartner.
Sales in EMEA were less buoyant, reaching $1.05bn in the second quarter of 2006, a 2.4 per cent decrease over the same period last year.
EMC maintained the number one spot in EMEA, 3.5 market share percentage points ahead of HP.
IBM, Network Appliance and Hitachi/HDS were the only vendors in the region to show double-digit growth year on year.
Dell posted its second consecutive quarter of decline this year after achieving more than 50 per cent growth quarter on quarter in 2005.
EMC held onto the top spot worldwide finishing the quarter with 23.8 per cent of the market, while IBM and HP were locked in a tight race for second and third place.
IBM maintained its worldwide external controller-based market share at 14.6 per cent, while increasing revenue by four per cent year over year. HP's market share, also at 14.6 per cent, fell by 1.5 per cent year over year.
Network Appliance experienced the strongest growth year over year among the top-tier vendors, at 22.2 per cent, while Sun Microsystems posted growth of 13.8 per cent.
"Sun's revenue growth continues to be primarily the result of its acquisition of StorageTek in the third quarter of last year," said Donna Taylor, principal analyst for Gartner's global Storage Quarterly Statistics programme.
