Big Blue and NetApp team up against EMC

IBM and Network Appliance (NetApp) have increased their rivalry against EMC

IBM and Network Appliance (NetApp) have increased their rivalry against EMC through the extension of an OEM agreement into virtualisation technology.

As a result, Big Blue will combine its virtualisation technologies with NetApp’s V-Series and Fabric Attached Storage systems to develop a range of integrated products and services, available through IBM’s VAR network.

This will include interoperability between IBM’s TotalStorage SAN volume controller and NetApp’s V-Series virtualisation systems, which will also allow customers to use NetApp’s RAID storage products.

Tim Pitcher, vice-president of strategy and business development at NetApp, said the OEM agreement will help to threaten EMC’s market.

“We are continuing our sustained EMC attack. This will allow channel partners to be successful against it. It will also enable resellers to reduce end-users’ storage costs,” he claimed.

Separately, NetApp has also become the ninth storage vendor to join IBM’s blade technology industry community, blade.org, which focuses on product development and promotes industry-wide standardisation.

Brocade, Cisco, Citrix Systems, IBM, Intel, Nortel, Novell and VMware are already members of the organisation.

“An open systems industry body resonates with NetApp and it will enable us to develop the best systems,” added Pitcher.

Kevin Drew, managing director of ISV Triangle, said: “Vendor alliances that help to create more interoperable products are a good thing and lead to tighter integration, which makes it easier for resellers to sell, as well as to add value to.

“Virtualisation is a hot topic now and while there are only a handful of resellers that do more than talk about it, it’s an emerging market,” he said.