Data Direct Networks (DDN) has set up a Server Virtualization, Analytics, VDI, Container and DevOps Division (SVAVCDOD?) and plans to staff it with 100 new hires by the end of September. It says dozens of enterprise storage experts from companies such as Tintri, Pure Storage, IBM and Intel have joined already.
The services arm will advise clients on how to get the most value out of flash, virtualized and containerized hybrid cloud installations, and it represents a breakout beyond DDN’s traditional HPC and big data analytics base.
DDN says its recent acquisition of Intel’s Lustre file system business added the world’s most advanced file system technology to DDN’s already substantial flash, analytics and cloud product portfolio. DDN also entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement with Tintri on July 18, 2018, whereby DDN has offered to acquire substantially all the assets of the stricken company offering enterprise cloud infrastructure built on a public-cloud like web services architecture and RESTful APIs.
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This is a multi-million dollar initiative by DDN, which will bring it into competition with general enterprise server system vendors such as Dell, HPE, IBM, NetApp and Nutanix. If the Tintri acquisition goes through it has a shared external array product supply and customer base to build on. What it will do with that product technology, in this developing era of QLC flash, NVMe-oF, containerisation, storage-class memory, AI and data management is an intriguing question.
