Were you surprised?     Probably not.    

Tracking Time with UCS -Last 3 Years of Market Share Growth:  

• 5 years 3 months ago Cisco announced UCS
• 5 years ago, Cisco started shipping UCS.
• Today UCS is#1 in the US and in the Americas.

What made UCS so successful?

What is the real story behind the success of UCS?

• A new and innovative architecture?  Perhaps, but that is only part of the story.
• A unique, compelling management paradigm that sped and simplified tasks, while promoting collaboration?  Potentially, and definitely part of the formula as well.

The real story is People.  People buy technology to do work that needs done.  People have to think ahead, they must understand what will be needed and then decide on a path, on a partner (still more people) to develop and deliver the technology they need. [I had a bunch more "people" in here but it was getting really ridiculous, instead of only slightly ridiculous.]

Real people, not real stories, making real decisions every day chose the technology that meets their needs, now and in the future.  They decide what works and what does not.

So why UCS?  There have been a lot comments about UCS over the years that have resonated with me on this very question. I wanted to share two that seemed most on point right now.  It is a little bit of "then and now" since they are two years apart, but it felt right and the sentiments are remarkably similar.

•  "...Unlike other server vendors, Cisco's UCS launch was from a fresh-fields approach that recognized the industry's shift towards server virtualization and consolidation. Not tied down by legacy architectures..." -Cisco UCS -Undisputed Computing Success, March 2012, ZD Net, Archie Hendryx
•  "Five years ago...Cisco Systems launched...UCS...into the gaping maw of the Great Recession...Recessions have always accelerated transitions in IT architecture...in the favor of upstarts with new ideas and against incumbents who are set in their ways..." -Five Years On, UCS Makes Cisco A Systems Player, April 2014, EnterpriseTech, Timothy Prickett Morgan

"...upstarts with new ideas..." -sounds like a pretty fair summary.

So where do UCS Customers see real benefit?  I'd rather they tell you their real story:

How can Cisco UCS help you achieve your goals?  See how UCS has helped others in your industry.