EMC completes ILM jigsaw with new deal
Partnership with ADIC sees vendor step into tape storage
EMC is partnering with ADIC to integrate ADIC's Scalar tape libraries into its enterprise storage platform. ADIC is reselling EMC's Clariion CX disk libraries as part of its Pathlight VX disk-to-tape backup product in return.
Steve Mackey, ADIC's director of product marketing for EMEA, said the deal gives ADIC access to the large enterprise storage market where it has not traditionally been a strong player. EMC then gets the tape products it needs to complete its information lifecycle management (ILM) storage portfolio.
"If you look at the way EMC has been acquiring firms as part of its ILM strategy, tape is really the last piece of the jigsaw. We know EMC looked at other vendors, but we believe it went for us because we have the strongest technology and product portfolio in mid-range tape" Mackey said.
Justin Harling, managing director of EMC reseller CAE, said the ILM portfolio may allow smaller resellers to compete with solutions from giants such as Computer Associates (CA) for the first time.
"EMC proved with Legato that it is good at opening up new markets. This will be a good way for us to approach the mid-tier space that CA predominantly operates in," he said.
The tape storage market is highly competitive, with many manufacturers competing to target firms with reliable products for backups. ADIC's Scalar libraries provide uncompressed storage capacities, ranging from 9.6 to 3,800 terabytes.
"The actual partnership is not as important as the idea itself. EMC must have seen something good in ADIC's technology," Harling said.