HP Chomps AppIQ & Peregrine

Hewlett-Packard Co. (NYSE: HPQ) has acquired storage resource management (SRM) startup AppIQ Inc., as it attempts to rapidly rebuild its storage portfolio through technology partnerships (see HP Buys AppIQ).
While the price for AppIQ wasn't disclosed, several sources say the selling price was above $200 million. HP expects the AppIQ deal to close within approximately 45 days. AppIQ will become part of the StorageWorks division of HPs Technology Solutions Group.

Also today, HP revealed plans to buy IT asset management software company Peregrine Systems Inc. (OTC: PRGN.PK) for $425 million.

Although Peregrine does not sell storage software, HP's vice president of ILM, Frank Harbist, says today’s two deals are related because they fit into an overall strategy of integrating the monitoring and management of IT infrastructure. Last month, EMC Corp. (NYSE: EMC) followed the same trend when it announced plans to expand into network resource management (see EMC Casts Wider Net)

The AppIQ acquisition comes seven months after HP agreed to sell AppIQ software through an OEM deal (see HP OEMs AppIQ SRM). The seven-year deal, announced in February, included plans to collaborate on future development. HP has included AppIQ’s auto-provisioning feature in its HP Storage Essential SRM product since March and expects to offer full integration next month.

Back in February, HP identified auto provisioning and AppIQ’s embracing of open standards as its most important features. Harbist reaffirmed that assessment today. He describes AppIQ’s StorageAuthority suite as “best-in-class SRM. It adheres to standards and ups the ante from passive monitoring to active provisioning and management.”