Coraid floats IPO strategy

Ethernet SAN vendor rules out joining its rivals on the storage M&A bandwagon

Ethernet SAN vendor Coraid has ruled itself out of becoming the storage channel's next takeover target, claiming it would rather go public to raise funds and safeguard its independence.

The company marked its launch in EMEA last May by billing itself as an alternative for VARs that had been left "high and dry" by the run of storage vendor acquisitions.

The firm recently announced London-based VAR Coal IT as the newest addition to its burgeoning UK partner programme, and also claims to have accrued $85m (£53.6m) in venture capitalist funding.

Speaking to ChannelWeb, Coraid's chief executive Kevin Brown said the fallout from these mergers is still being keenly felt by many storage VARs.

"3Par, Compellent, Isilon and Data Domain were all bought up in $12bn-worth of acquisitions in just a short number of years," said Brown.

"We have come to fill that vacuum and, while we may not be a tier-one brand like EMC, we are bringing in something new."

Brown was also keen to stress the firm has no plans to sell up any time soon, claiming it would represent nothing more than a "short-term small win" for the company.

"With $85m in funding, we have the staying power to run the company the way we want and, although we have investors [to answer to], our game plan is to build a company that can become publicly traded," he explained.

"You can never predict what the future will hold, but if you look at the people involved with Coraid, there is no one here who is in this for the short term," he added.