Tandberg Data doubles in size after Exabyte purchase
Combined company claims it will continue to support the channels of both firms
Storage vendor Tandberg Data has doubled in size following the completion of its acquisition of US data storage vendor Exabyte for $28m last month.
The combined company will trade under the Tandberg name in EMEA and Asia Pacific. In the US, Tandberg will keep the Exabyte brand for some products and will continue to sell the full range of Exabyte and Tandberg products.
Gary Preston, director of sales for northern and southern Europe at Tandberg Data, told CRN: “With the acquisition of Exabyte, Tandberg has doubled its size. The sales channels for Exabyte and Tandberg have some great similarities. Tandberg will continue to support both the Exabyte and the Tandberg channels.
“In Europe, there is some overlap of distributors and VARs. We will work with both Exabyte and Tandberg distribution partners on providing the full range of products and solutions.”
In the UK, Exabyte’s distributors are Northamber, Ingram and CMS Peripherals; while Tandberg’s are Northamber and CMS Peripherals. Ingram will also become a Tandberg distributor.
Astley Gayle, product marketing manager for UK and Ireland at CMS Peripherals, said: “The storage tape sector is struggling, hence the need for consolidation. The tape market has shrunk over the past five years with the emergence of lower cost data backup products.
“Tape still has a role to play, but there needs to be some new innovation of the products. Exabyte has got good technology. What we’re looking for now is a clear market development strategy and a clear product roadmap from Tandberg.”
Hamish MacArthur, chief executive of analyst MacArthur Stroud International, said: “It’s good to see Tandberg taking a lead in consolidation. This will help it expand its base and become a stronger brand.”