HP is buying storage software vendor PolyServe to improve its network attached storage (NAS) line and increase its virtualisation and consolidation capabilities.
The acquisition is expected help HP compete better against the likes of EMC and Network Appliance, both of which have strong NAS offerings.
PolyServe’s software consolidates and virtualises NAS in Linux or Windows environments into a storage cluster, which HP has been reselling for a number of years as the HP EFS Clustered Gateway with its Enterprise Virtual Array (EVA) and other storage solutions.
“Our two-year relationship with PolyServe has convinced us that its technology will help accelerate HP’s growth and complement our HP StorageWorks, ProLiant and BladeSystem businesses,” commented Bob Schultz, general manager of HP’s StorageWorks division.
“The combination of PolyServe software and industry-standard HP hardware can help customers consolidate individual silos of storage, reduce complexity in their IT infrastructures, increase agility and lower IT costs,” Schultz said.
The transaction is expected to close in approximately 60 days, when PolyServe will be absorbed by the StorageWorks division of HP’s Technology Solutions Group.
Analyst firm Gartner said the deal would bring “much needed competition to the enterprise NAS space”.
“If HP executes well after the acquisition and overcomes product limitations in a timely fashion, it will create a more interesting competitive landscape for the enterprise NAS market,” the firm said in an online advisory.
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