SanDisk hints at software investments

After acquiring Fusion-io to assemble 'complete hardware portfolio', vendor eyes boosting software credentials

SanDisk has hinted it may invest further in the software field as it launches a European channel assault.

Following its acquisition of enterprise-focused flash storage vendor Fusion-io in the summer, SanDisk's senior vice president of worldwide OEM and enterprise sales, Henri Richard, said if the firm was to make another acquisition it may come in the software market.

"From a hardware perspective we now have the most complete portfolio in the industry, but in order to implement flash in the most effective way, software is a very important aspect of the entire equation," Richard said.

"We have made some acquisitions in the software space and I believe there will continue to be some interesting opportunities in the software market to complement the solutions and provide the entire value of flash."

When pressed on which industry it could make a further acquisition in, Richard commented: "There are some interesting developments in the US but also everyone knows in Israel there is a tremendous amount of talent that's creating solutions around solid state storage."

But Richard did comment this software focus may not come in the form of an acquisition, and mentioned SanDisk Ventures which makes investments in start-ups.

The US flash memory storage specialist has around 100 partners in Europe, but is expecting to reach the 200 mark by the end of 2015.

Ken Oberman, vice president for EMEA commercial sales at SanDisk said: "With the renewed focus that we are putting in and the [Fusion-io] acquisition complete, I would expect [reseller partners] to double over the next year."

Oberman also commented that in February SanDisk is going to relaunch its UK and European partner programme and will focus much more on enterprise sales.

"We have done very well in the past year at gaining and attracting VARs but one of our key focus over the next year is continuing this acceleration and bringing on the top VARs and system integrators," he said. "Because of the [Fusion-io] acquisition, this brings in a whole other class of system integrators and resellers that we haven't worked with in the past."

Marcos Burnett, head of sales for northern Europe said that resellers with expertise in software-defined storage would be the key target in this renewed channel push.