Onaro Eyes Data Centers

Having achieved early traction with its SAN change management software, Onaro Inc. is looking to conquer the data center next.

Onaro CEO Shai Scharf says in the second quarter of 2005, the startup will roll out a product similar to its original SANscreen software, but aimed at the data center environment.

Our next product will go beyond the SAN,” Scharf says. “Not much beyond. It will be the same technology, but we’ll broaden it beyond the SAN to the data center.”

Onaro’s goal is to address a major headache that other SAN software vendors can’t solve -- how to prevent unseen problems when adding or changing equipment. SANscreen discovers devices and all their connections on a SAN, simulates planned changes to predict their impact, and logs and monitors changes after they’re made. It’s the first product of its kind, and won Onaro close to 20 customers and development partnerships with major storage vendors in its first six months of shipping product. (NOTE: Onaro is also listed in the Byte and Switch Top Ten Private Companies: Winter 2004, page 3.)

Scharf says Onaro’s next product will apply the SANscreen change management functions to data center gear, such as servers, switches, and cabling. He says that was the plan even before Onaro launched SANscreen last April (see Onaro Lifts Its Cover and Onaro Ships Change Manager).“We focused on storage area networks first because that is where the biggest pain point is in every company,” he says. “If you look at the infrastructure in data centers, it’s always changing, and it’s the same process as with storage. Customers need to understand not just who's connected to whom, but what are the ramifications and the impact.”

By broadening its product’s reach, Onaro will make the sales process more challenging. Scharf says potential customers at first appear wary of turning over control of their SANs to software from a startup.

Also, while Onaro has no direct competition on the SAN front, it will face the likes of BMC Software Inc. (NYSE: BMC), Computer Associates International Inc. (CA) (NYSE: CA), and Compuware, to name just a few. Still, Onaro's ability to handle both SAN and data center configuration management may resonate well with managers looking to reduce the number of software vendors they must deal with.

Scharf says Onaro needs to expand its offering for its own sake, as well as that of its customers.

“Do you want to come up with new products, or are you just a one-timer?” Scharf says of Onaro’s business plan. “Our sight and vision is beyond the SAN. Our next product is still in storage, but it’s an enterprise solution that follows the same trend.”— Dave Raffo, Senior Editor, Byte and Switch