Symantec makes major update to Enterprise Vault
Symantec adds automated data classification and integration with security products in Version 7.0 of its Enterprise Vault archiving tool; EMC reports record earnings for the fourth quarter.
Symantec Corp. announced Version 7.0 of its Enterprise Vault archiving tool, which can now archive instant messages as well as email and files, due to new integration with software it bought with IMlogic Inc. a year ago. The updated product also performs automated data classification (but retains an option for end users to do their own classification using a pop-up feature); contains plugins with major records management software products, including EMC's Documentum; adds support for Microsoft Exchange 2007, Windows Desktop Search (WDS) and Rights Management Server; more reporting features; and will now archive files from EMC's Celerra NAS boxes.
The product has also been integrated with Symantec's Information Foundation 2007, a product from the security side of the house that enforces policies on classified data from access-control rules to retention and deletion. The two products will now work together, but have yet to be brought under a single management console. Symantec is also expected to announce a backup reporting product next week.
EMC reports profits up
EMC Corp. announced this week that its profits were more than doubled in the fourth quarter of 2006, as compared to the fourth quarter of 2005. In the final quarter of 2006, EMC posted revenues of $3.21 billion, with $389 million in profit. In 2005, profit was $148 million on revenues of $2.71 billion. Storage revenue grew 9% to $2.67 billion.
In contrast, Sun Microsystems Inc. also announced that its storage sales were weak in the last quarter of 2006, falling 7% to $626 million. The shortfall was attributed to continued fallout from the StorageTek acquisition.
HP reorganizes storage group
Hewlett-Packard Co. (HP) shook up its storage group this week, creating a new business unit in its Enterprise Storage and Server (ESS) group that will focus specifically on software. The ESS Software unit will incorporate HP's Storage Essentials and Server Essentials software, HP Virtual Server and new products coming in the automation area. However, storage software integrated with the arrays, such as Business Copy and Continuous Access, will remain in the storage hardware group. Bob Schultz has been appointed senior vice president and general manager of the unit, stepping down from his role running HP's storage business. The company is actively looking for a replacement.
Brocade, McData merger expected to close Monday
Brocade Communications Systems Inc. announced that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has closed its antitrust review of Brocade Communications Systems Inc.'s pending acquisition of McData Corp. and that shareholders have voted to approve the $713 million deal. The acquisition is expected to officially close Monday -- almost a full month behind schedule due to extra scrutiny from the FTC.
SNIA: SMI-S ISO certified
The Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA) today announced that its Storage Management Initiative Specification (SMI-S) has been designated an International Standard by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). SNIA also said that Version 1.1 of the specification is in a secondary stage of review by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and should become available this year in the U.S. Version 1.1 adds support for NAS and iSCSI storage systems; Version 1.2, which divides the 1,000-page specification into condensed manuals for specific functions, like data migration between tiers of storage, is expected to follow closely behind version 1.1.
HDS boosts performance in midrange storage system
Hitachi Data Systems (HDS) announced a chip upgrade in its midrange storage system, the Hitachi Adaptable Modular Storage model AMS1000, which it claims boosts the system's performance by 20%. Aside from the addition of what the company terms "new multiprocessing technologies" to the AMS1000, the system also adds 4 Gbps Fibre Channel, support for RAID-6, multiprotocol support for iSCSI, NAS and Fibre Channel and the ability to intermix Fibre Channel and SATA drives.
CA updates SRM tool
CA Inc. announced BrightStor Storage Resource Manager (SRM) r11.6, which expands its centralized management, automated monitoring and reporting interfaces, and adds new support for IBM Lotus Domino and DB2 UDB systems.
WebEx virtualizes with Acopia
Acopia Networks Inc. announced that Web-based collaboration company WebEx Communications Inc. has deployed Acopia ARX file virtualization systems to support tiered storage. The ARX systems are being used by WebEx to move less active data from Tier-1 storage to a less expensive Tier-2 platform.
Japanese ISP deploys Brocade fabric
Brocade announced that Nifty Corp., one of Japan's Internet services providers (ISP), has expanded its use of Brocade to include directors, as well as switches and multiprotocol routers, in its SAN environment. Prior to this project, Nifty had been a Brocade customer for more than three years.
Adaptec scales up with Snap Server
Adaptec Inc. announced its latest Snap Server model, the 650, which is aimed at a higher end user than previous Adaptec NAS boxes. The 650 scales from a base capacity of 1.2 terabytes (TB) with SAS drives to a maximum of 64.2 TB and comes with a software package that includes antivirus, backup and recovery, and data replication. Built on the AMD Opteron architecture, the Snap Server 650 also includes available memory that is scalable from 2 GB to 4 GB. Pricing for the Snap Server 650 (1.2 TB SAS) starts at $15,695. Expansion for the Snap Server 650 is available through the SANbloc S50 JBOD, which starts at $4,431.
AXS-One announces integration with IBM DR550
AXS-One Inc. announced that the AXS-One Compliance Platform archiving and electronic records management software will support the IBM System Storage DR550 and IBM System Storage DR550 Express. The two companies worked together on the integration and launched the combined product, meant as an archiving platform for IBM's Lotus Notes email system, at Lotusphere 2007, held in Orlando, Fla., this week.
Zetera, Double-Take partner
Zetera Corp. and Double-Take Software Inc. announced a joint marketing alliance to market remote replication products. The new partnership will enable Double-Take Software channel partners and Zetera licensees using Zetera's Z-SAN SoIP storage systems to offer Double-Take's disaster recovery and high-availability software.
