HDS bolsters IoT offering with Pentaho buy

Vendor claims deal is largest private big data acquisition to date

Hitachi Data Systems (HDS) has snapped up big data firm Pentaho in what it claims is the biggest private big data acquisition to date.

Orlando-headquartered Pentaho specialises in big data integration and business analytics and has regional offices in London and across Europe. The firm operates through a global channel network and has almost 50 partners in Europe and the Middle East.

Once the acquisition is finalised – which is expected to happen in June – its current business model will continue unchanged under the leadership of its chief executive Quentun Gallivan, who will report to HDS' senior vice president for social innovation and global industries, Kevin Eggleston.

The duo had an existing OEM partnership prior to the acquisition and once it is complete, Pentaho will retain its brand name with the addition of "an HDS company" on its logo from June.

HDS described the deal as "a transformational event for the big data industry" and said it will bolster its strategy to better integrate and analyse machine data.

HDS' Eggleston said: "Data remains an untapped resource for many organisations and businesses. The combination of Hitachi's broad industry expertise, advanced information technologies – and now Pentaho software and the talented team of experts – will enable us to give customers a more complete solution to manage their data, allowing them to leverage the power of big data and Internet of Things in a quicker and simpler way."