NetApp to Resell Quantum StorNext

Quantum Corporation has entered into an agreement with NetApp, Inc. enabling it to resell Quantum’s StorNext software.

Effective immediately, NetApp will market and sell StorNext File System and StorNext Storage Manager software through its worldwide sales network.

The combination of StorNext software and NetApp’s disk-based products gives customers an unified storage solution for simultaneous sharing, managing and on-demand distribution of rich media files, and for archiving capabilities. This reselling partnership will build on adoption of rich media (e.g., streaming high density video applications used by customers in media and entertainment and government). The agreement will also help NetApp customers manage large data pools with fewer resources and get speed and efficiency in their high performance environments for video and data streaming.

Brendon Howe, vice president and general manager, NAS Business Unit, NetApp, said: "The combination of NetApp’s storage systems with Quantum’s StorNext software allows us to address the demanding storage challenges certain customers face with high bandwidth applications such as streaming video. StorNext, as a leading performance software product for storage, is a great complementary fit for NetApp’s storage portfolio, and we’re excited about the new business opportunities this will bring to NetApp."

Kevin Savina, director, Product Management, Dalet, said: "As a leading provider of asset management software for the Media and Entertainment industry, we have worked with Quantum and NetApp for many years. These two companies deliver best-in-breed technologies in the SAN and NAS space. This reseller partnership is a natural fit, and their combined solutions are ideal for addressing the demanding data management issues in today’s rich media environments."

Janae Stow Lee, senior vice president, File System and Archive Product Group, Quantum, said: "As the leaders in the Media and Entertainment community have validated, Quantum’s StorNext software delivers market leading performance and functionality for rich media, particularly streaming video. We’re excited to extend these capabilities to NetApp’s customers through this reseller agreement and look forward to working with NetApp to extend StorNext’s global reach."

Comments

When Quantum bought tape library manufacturer ADIC in 2006, we are not sure that it really knew that there was a piece of jewelry in the basket: StorNext, a software originally named CentraVision File System and created by MountainGate Imaging Systems bought by ADIC, in 1999.

Now StorNext could be one of the best products for Quantum to succeed. It took times to be understood by the storage community but has now been adopted by big names including Dell, HP, Microsoft and now NetApp (see below a more complete list. This software is a SAN file system for creation, storing, sharing and data protection with unique features. Supporting Windows, Linux, Mac OS X and Unix, it enables simultaneous file access across heterogeneous platforms. Its Distributed LAN Client provides NAS-like scalability to thousands of servers and compute nodes.

Furthermore, it uses patented de-dupe for primary storage, automated storage tiering to lower-cost disks and tapes with a data mover and handling data migration, conversion, expansion and replication.

netapp_quantum_stornext_540

Today's main applications are archiving, rich media and entertainment, electronic publishing, and is even used even for HPCs, to help building an infrastructure for consolidating resources and accelerating workflow operations. Several tens of thousands licenses have been sold and it became so popular that hackers crack it, an operation relative rare on enterprise software.

On the Digital Spyders web site, a single license for Quantum StorNext FX 1.4 (to share Apple Xserve RAID storage and files between Mac OS X applications and applications running on Linux, UNIX and Windows hosts) for Linux SAN clients is at $1,340. V1.4 license for five SAN clients varies between $5,830 and $7,634 on Buy.com.

By combining StorNext data management software and NetApp storage systems, it's possible to create a centralized data repository addressing many storage challenges.

A typical StorNext and NetApp configuration:
clustered storage provides high availability; StorNext clients, both LAN and SAN, have shared access to the same centralized content pool.
netapp_quantum_stornext_f2_540

NetApp to buy Quantum?
The two companies are perfectly complementary. NetApp is not involved in any of Quantum's activities: tape, DXi de-dupe VTL and StorNext. NetApp resells now StorNext and also Fujitsu Eternus CS800 Data Protection Appliance based on Fujitsu' hardware and Quantum's de-dupe software used in DXi. On the other side, Quantum's products need a large partner for its offering that is not easy to sell directly.

That's why we think that Quantum could be a good acquisition for NetApp. Current Quantum's market cap is $700 million. NetApp's cash, cash equivalents and investments were $4.8 billion at the end of its fiscal quarter ending June 28, 2011.

Quantum acquired Adic and Jon Gacek, Quantum's new CEO comes of from Adic. If the deal happens, he will be selling a firm that acquired his former one or twice his shares in both companies ...

Partners for Quantum StorNext:

Active Storage

Apple

Atto

Advanced Systems Group

Autodesk

Avid

Bell Micro

Bright Technology

Building Media

Cinesys

Citrix

Copan