i365 With CA and C2C

i365, Inc., a Seagate company, announced the launch of the EVault Cloud-Connected Services Platform, a SaaS-enablement platform that allows Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) to securely and efficiently send data to the Cloud and begin offering their Software as a Service (SaaS).

By connecting their existing on-premise enterprise application to a SaaS infrastructure, ISVs have the opportunity to quickly tap into a market that Gartner forecasts to exceed $9.6 billion in 2010 worldwide based on total software revenue according to the report Market Trends: Software as a Service, Worldwide, 2009-2013, published May 7, 2009.

The EVault Cloud-Connected Services Platform is an edge-to-Cloud storage service that allows partners to efficiently store data to and retrieve data from the i365 Cloud. The Platform uses encryption, deduplication, compression, and bandwidth management to ensure that data transferred over the WAN is secure and optimized. It is the latest offering to support i365’s Cloud-Connected storage solutions strategy. Leveraging its secure infrastructure and expertise in delivering Cloud-based backup and recovery services since 1997, i365 has rolled out a series of Cloud-Connected products and services over the last few months and redefined Cloud storage.

"Cloud-based storage offerings are making it easier for small and medium-sized businesses to expand and manage their IT infrastructure without the added upfront investments in storage infrastructure, and human capital," said Laura DuBois, IDC’s research director for Storage Software. "i365’s EVault Cloud-Connected Services Platform will enable ISVs to offer their customers a Cloud-based option without having to re-architect their applications. ISVs can offer a solution that leverages their existing on-premise software but also connects to the i365 Cloud."

The EVault Cloud-Connected Services Platform extends the i365 Cloud beyond EVault Software and allows ISVs to use i365’s technology, Cloud storage, and SaaS infrastructure for their applications. It is the latest offering to support i365’s Cloud-Connected storage solutions vision, which is focused on helping mid-market organizations manage their storage solutions in an integrated on-premise, edge, and Cloud environment. Other recent/related announcements include EVault Offsite Replication Service, which complements on-premise EVault Software deployments by replicating backup data to the i365 Cloud, and technology integration with Microsoft to extend System Center Data Protection Manager (DPM) beyond Microsoft Operating Systems and Applications – both on-premise and to the Cloud.

With the EVault Cloud-Connected Services Platform, ISVs can ‘SaaSify’ their on-premise application and begin generating a recurring revenue stream. ISVs can get a complete solution from one partner, which can greatly simplify the development process, minimize the investment they have to make, and accelerate their time to market.

"We are pleased to partner with i365 and give customers the opportunity to use EVault Cloud-Connected Services together with their ArchiveOne solutions," said Dave Hunt, CEO of C2C, Inc. "i365 has a rich legacy in Cloud storage and Software as a Service. This is clearly evident in their EVault Cloud-Connected Services Platform. They’ve put a lot of thought into making it easy for partners to integrate with their services and offering the right business systems and support structure that a partner would need to begin software and/or storage on a subscription basis."

"We are excited about the opportunity to offer our customers offsite protection as a service by connecting CA ARCserve Backup to the i365 Cloud,” said Adam Famularo, SVP & General Manager, Recovery Management & Data Modeling Business Unit at CA. “Given i365’s secure infrastructure and expertise in delivering Cloud-based backup and recovery services, we look forward to working with them on their Cloud-Connected storage initiative.”

The EVault Cloud-Connected Services Platform includes Cloud APIs, enterprise-class Cloud storage, a service connector to efficiently and securely transfer objects to/from the Cloud, and SaaS business and support systems that ISVs can use to quickly go to market with a Software as a Service.

Cloud Interfaces
Cloud APIs enable ISVs to integrate their on-premises application with the i365 Cloud through the service connector. The Web services RESTful APIs enable business functions such as account provisioning, metering and billing.

Service Connector
A key component within the EVault Cloud-Connected Services Platform, the service connector resides on-premises, caching data and efficiently sending it outside the firewall via a secure network connection to the i365 Cloud. The service connector uses deduplication, compression, and bandwidth management techniques to minimize bandwidth usage and reduce the storage footprint in the Cloud. With these service connector technologies, end users can leverage Cloud storage without significantly impacting network traffic.
 
Secure, Reliable Cloud Storage
The EVault Cloud-Connected Services Platform was designed for multi-tenancy and scalability. i365 hosts state-of-the-art data centers with SAS 70 Type II or ISO 9001:2000 certification, ensuring the customer’s data is secure and available.

SaaS Business & Support Systems
The platform includes SaaS business and support systems that can accommodate a variety of go-to-market strategies, including different pricing and billing models; account and contract management; and levels of customer service and support.
 
“Cloud-Connected storage is a clear must-have in furthering Cloud adoption amongst small and mid-sized businesses. It not only offers a cost effective, manageable way to better protect data from a site outage without the hassle and expense of building an offsite data center, but also facilitates quick recovery of critical data in the event of a site disaster,” said Terry Cunningham, SVP and GM of i365. “Our recent momentum in securing partnerships and developing products that cover all needed areas of Cloud storage – from maintaining a mirrored copy of onsite backup data to the Cloud to enabling ISV’s to connect their existing applications into the Cloud – demonstrates i365’s dedicated vision to evolve the industry’s Cloud storage and data backup initiatives while delivering protection and access to business data anytime, anywhere.”

Availability
The EVault Cloud-Connected Services Platform is available to ISV partners through the i365 ISV Partner Program. ISVs who wish to take advantage of this offering can apply to be an i365 Partner. When they do, they will receive access to all the tools and resources necessary to successfully integrate their application with the EVault Cloud-Connected Services Platform.