Hitachi to Resell DataCore?

DataCore Software Corp. is racking up resellers at a clip these days. Word has it that Hitachi Data Systems (HDS), Hitachis storage division in the U.S., will become the next company to resell the firm's SANsymphony software.

HDS was unable to confirm this, but spokespeople said an announcement from Hitachi headquarters in Japan is imminent.

Meantime, Datacore announced last week that IBM Corp. (NYSE: IBM) would be reselling its software. Hewlett-Packard Co. (NYSE: HWP), Fujitsu Ltd. (KLS: FUJI.KL), and Fujitsu Software Technology Corp. (Softek) are already doing so (see IBM Signs Sneaky DataCore Deal and IBM Resells DataCore).

Why all the interest?

Basically, DataCore’s SANsymphony software converts islands of dissimilar storage into a networked storage pool, making it easier to manage devices from different vendors.This is big news for the likes of IBM, HP, and Fujitsu, because it allows them to compete effectively against EMC Corp. (NYSE: EMC), which lacks multivendor support. Because DataCore software furnishes transport to a range of vendors' storage wares, it can be used to introduce new equipment into EMC shops, while adding valuable storage management.

The software enables more efficient data sharing across the network. Servers can request a file, put it in local memory, then offer the file to a second server. SANsymphony runs on commodity Windows NT boxes, but any kind of server can access the SAN. This is particularly important for administrators with heterogeneous systems.

Analysts say Datacore's offering disruptive technology, since users can pool and share storage on a large scale and rethink their relationships with their current vendors. “Rather than forking out millions for a new EMC box, they can see how to get more out of the storage they already have,” says John Webster, analyst with Illuminata Inc.

The storage virtualization software startup also has announced that Hitachi Ltd. (NYSE: HIT; Paris: PHA) and Intel Capital participated as strategic investors in its recently announced $30 million round of funding (see DataCore Lands $30M).

— Jo Maitland, Senior Editor, Byte and Switch
http://www.byteandswitch.com