Smart Data Centers Feature Editorial

In an effort to further boost its data storage efficiency, IBM (News - Alert) is buying Marlborough, Mass.-based real-time compression technology developer Storwize. The acquisition is anticipated to close in the third quarter, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. Though no financial terms were disclosed, media reports have pegged the deal around $140 million.  

IBM said that it is acquiring storage technology that is unique in the industry. It can compress primary data, or data that clients are actively using, of multiple types -- from files to virtualization images to databases -- in real-time while maintaining performance. By comparison, other storage compression technologies only compress secondary or backup data, stated IBM. By compressing primary data, Storwize users can store up to five times more data using the same amount of storage, preventing storage sprawl and lowering power and cooling costs, according to IBM.

For real-time data compression without any performance degradation, Storwize's Random Access Compression Engine (RACE) combines industry-standard compression algorithm with patented proprietary technology.

According to IBM, this is important now more than ever as the world's data already vastly exceeds available storage space and enterprise demand for storage capacity worldwide is projected to grow. Analysts at research firm IDC (News - Alert) are predicting a compound annual growth rate of over 43 percent from 2008 to 2013.

"Real-time data compression helps address a significant client need -- making it affordable to analyze and make sense of massive amounts of data in order to provide new services," said Brian Truskowski, general manager, IBM System Storage and Networking. "By adding Storwize to our innovative portfolio of storage solutions, IBM is better equipped than ever to help clients handle growing quantities of data and make more of it available for analytics,” noted Truskowski in a company statement.

Similarly, Storwize’s CEO Ed Walsh, commented that "IBM has the strongest vision for the future direction of storage and we are pleased to become a part of that vision."

The Storwize appliance will work with popular NAS systems, including IBM N series and SONAS, as well as non-IBM NAS systems from EMC (News - Alert), HP, NetApp and others. Storwize real-time compression can provide added value to clients already using data deduplication, thin provisioning and other storage efficiency technologies, IBM said.