IBM, Seagate announce plans to re-create hard
drives
Both IBM and Seagate Technologies announced new research
initiatives with other storage vendors to rethink the hard drive
and memory. IBM, Infineon and Macronix announced a joint research
initiative to explore the potential of a new form of computer
memory technology called phase-change memory (PCM) that some
experts say could replace both flash memory and the hard drive as
they are currently known.
In a separate announcement, Seagate, along with Hitachi, Samsung
and Toshiba, announced the Hybrid Storage Alliance, a new
international group dedicated to providing the growing number of
notebook PC users faster, more durable systems that run longer on a
battery charge. Hybrid technology, which can be deployed in other
mobile devices and computing systems, combines the hard drive with
flash memory.
Morgan Stanley in hot water again over email
Just months after Morgan Stanley
agreed to pay a record $15 million fine to
settle a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) probe into its
failure to preserve emails, the NASD has charged that Morgan
Stanley DW Inc. inappropriately deleted millions more emails,
according to a report in
The Washington Post. Morgan
Stanley claimed the emails in question, relating to a pending
lawsuit, had been lost in the Sept. 11 terrorist attack on the
World Trade Center.
Dell CFO to resign
Dell Inc.'s chief financial officer (CFO) will step down in January
as the company responds to federal investigations into accounting
practices, according to a report in the New York Times. Dell
declined to comment on exactly why James Schneider has stepped
down. Schneider will be replaced Jan. 1 with Donald Carty, a
company director.
Xyratex to acquire Ario assets
Xyratex Ltd. announced that it has reached a tentative agreement
with Ario Data Networks Inc. to acquire "certain intellectual
property, capital assets and skilled [employees]." Ario will remain
in business; a press release did not specify exactly which assets
Xyratex will acquire. Ario is best known for its RAID-6 arrays. The
transaction is expected to close on or about Dec. 29, 2006.
HDS unveils midrange software
Hitachi Data Systems Inc. (HDS) launched a new line of software
products aimed at midsized businesses. The products include data
management products for Microsoft environments, including Exchange
and SQL Server; data protection and disaster recovery software; and
configuration software for storage consolidation.
Japanese digital media giant deploys TeraScale
Force10 Networks Inc. announced that Impress Group, Japan's largest
digital media corporation, has deployed its TeraScale E-Series
family of switch/routers in its data center to connect databases,
storage and Web applications to support more than 190 million page
views per month.
Spectra Logic adds sixth frame
Spectra Logic Corp. has increased the maximum capacity of its
Spectra T950 library by adding an optional expansion frame. The
six-frame T950, which is now shipping, can manage up to 7450 tapes
and 120 tape drives, and scales to 9.6 petabytes capacity. Pricing
begins at $160,000 for a six-frame unit.
Expand Networks teams with Double-Take
Application acceleration vendor Expand Networks Inc. and
replication maker Double-Take Software announced an alliance that
will cross-market Expand's Compass WAN optimization platform and
Double-Take's replication software.
Fujitsu to resell NeoScale encryption system
NeoScale Systems Inc. announced that its CryptoStor tape encryption
appliance will be resold in Japan as part of a bundle with Fujitsu
Ltd.'s Eternus LT tape libraries.
Storewiz finds partner
Data compression startup Storewiz Inc. announced that it is
partnering with Prime Service Srl, an Italian storage integrator.