Quantum bolsters StorNext through Atavium acquisition

Quantum quietly bought Atavium, a small storage and data workflow startup, for an undisclosed sum last month.

There are obvious synergies with Quantum’s StorNext file workflow management suite. Atavium software identifies and manage data and optimises data movement through processing workflows. It provides search and policy-based tiering – flash to disk to S3 cloud – and uses ‘zero-touch tagging’ to mark files as they pass through workflow stages.

Quantum is bedding down the acquisition by reorganising engineering into primary and secondary storage portfolios.

Atavium co-founder CEO Ed Fiore, a former engineering VP at Dell EMC, becomes Quantum’s general manager for primary storage. He takes charge of Atavium source code and intellectual property and developingStorNext capabilities for media library software, real-time search and analytics, hybrid multi-cloud experience and ease of use.

Fellow Atavium co-founder Mark Bakke joins Quantum as Fiore’s technical director. He will explore enterprise-wide networking and cloud capabilities.

Ed Fiore (left) and Mark Bakke
Ed Fiore (left) and Mark Bakke

Quantum’s secondary storage portfolio is to be headed up by Bruno Hald, a 25-year company vet. He currently runs the archive and data protection product groups.

Quantum CEO Jamie Lerner issued the following quote: “It’s noteworthy that with the work we’ve done to rationalise our cost structure, we’re able to elevate our talent while decreasing operational expenses. Ed Fiore and Mark Bakke provide the startup calibre talent that is essential to our primary storage portfolio as we transition to delivering more software-defined solutions.

“I’m also thrilled to promote Bruno Hald to a new role that will enable us to focus on the unique requirements of archive and data protection customers who depend on Quantum.”

Atavium was set up by a bunch of Compellent veterans in Minneapolis in December 2015 and raised $8.7m and employed about 30 staff in its short life.