Other World Computing Announced Acquisition of OpenDrives, Expanding Software-Defined Video and Rich Media Storage Management Capabilities

Other World Computing (OWC), a player in high-performance storage, memory, connectivity, software, and accessories that empower creative and business professionals to maximize performance, enhance reliability, and streamline workflows, announced the acquisition of OpenDrives, a software-defined video and rich media storage management solutions and data services player.The addition of OpenDrives‘ solutions expands OWC’s award-winning shared storage portfolio reach with the Jellyfish line into enterprise-scale data management, hybrid cloud orchestration, and edge workflows. OpenDrives’ Atlas data storage and management platform has been the preferred solution for leading Hollywood studios, post-production houses, and live broadcast networks since 2011, recognized for reliably handling the low-latency, high-throughput performance required for complex, data-intensive creative environments. In April 2026, the new OpenDrives Edge hybrid cloud-edge performance accelerator was announced, providing widely distributed teams working in edge locations “local speed” data access, without the high costs and complexity involved with traditional hybrid cloud workflows. Evolving customer requirements for infrastructure modernization and their need to bridge ever-expanding data silos, while reducing costs, led to the introduction of the Astraeus cloud-native data services platform, which was released in beta mode for early adopters in late 2025 and will have an updated release in 2027.

OWC’s acquisition of Jellyfish (LumaForge/2021) gave customers a broader range of high-speed shared storage solutions purpose-built for professional video workflows. Today, Jellyfish supports customers from mobile and desktop production through enterprise rackmount, all-flash, and petabyte-scale environments.

“OWC and OpenDrives share so much synergy; we couldn’t be more excited about this partnership,” said Trevor Morgan, CEO, OpenDrives. “By acquiring and integrating OpenDrives’ Atlas, Astraeus, and Edge, OWC now offers an end-to-end data ecosystem – from plug-and-play edit bays to global enterprise pipelines handling uncompressed 8K/12K workflows across on-premises, edge, and hybrid cloud, and OpenDrives’ loyal customers can leverage OWC’s award-winning portfolio for their direct-attached and shared storage solutions, while expanding their archive and backup with even more cost-effective, widely recognized, and popular storage options.”

“OWC has always been about removing the barriers between people and their creative work. Bringing OpenDrives into OWC allows us to take that mission further by connecting the high-performance storage and workflow solutions our customers rely on with powerful software-defined data management services, giving customers a more seamless way to capture, create, collaborate, and access their content wherever their work takes them,” said Larry O’Connor, founder and CEO, OWC. “I’m also excited to welcome OpenDrives’ employees to OWC, broadening our team to more than 250 people around the world.”

“OpenDrives has a long history of supporting creators, and we are very pleased that OWC shares that same vision and will continue OpenDrives’ legacy of providing the best products to creatives solving the hardest problems,” said Joel Whitley, partner, IAG Capital Partners.

Comments

The acquisition essentially confirms what several market observers in this segment had suspected for some time: OpenDrives was struggling to define and demonstrate a convincing new software direction. Even significant changes at the executive level, including the recent arrival of a new CEO and CTO, failed to reverse the company's trajectory. Despite interesting technology and several attempts to reposition itself, OpenDrives ultimately never really took off or established the market momentum it needed.

For OWC, however, the transaction looks like a very attractive opportunity and potentially a bargain. The company gains technology, engineering expertise and additional file storage capabilities that could significantly strengthen its existing Jellyfish NAS portfolio. More importantly, OWC now has an opportunity to consolidate these assets into a broader and more credible file storage strategy.

The key question is what OWC will keep, integrate or eventually discontinue from the OpenDrives portfolio. We will closely monitor this product line, as we expect new iterations, technology integration and portfolio consolidation to emerge over the coming weeks and months. The acquisition could ultimately give OpenDrives' technology the market opportunity it never managed to achieve as an independent company.