After VMware, HP likely to work with Microsoft for data protector software

MUMBAI, INDIA: Hewlett Packard has introduced enhancements to its Data Protector software, which currently supports eight different methods of VMware infrastructure protection. Said Jonathan Martin, Worldwide VP and GM, Information Management, Software & Solutions, HP, “Most of the virtualisation projects today are deployed on VMware products.

The next big vendor in this space is Microsoft and we are currently in talks with them on how we can partner best to leverage both our solutions to offer better value to the corporate customers.” Incidentally, approximately 50 percent of VMware servers sold worldwide are through HP.

According to HP estimates, organizations are saving more information this year, almost 65 per cent more, as compared to the last. In developing companies like Brazil, China, India and Russia, this has gone up to 100 %. This is for various reasons like regulatory compliance, having a ready repository and to have information on the go. But their IT budget has not been going up so managing this data explosion, coupled with regulatory compliance norms and having easily accessible information has become a challenge for most companies.

“This is why we see great potential for our data protector software which offers complete protection for virtual environments and flexible data reduction options, at up to 70 percent less than alternatives,” said Martin.

Underlining the huge uptake for virtualisation in India, he shared that the country’s data centre service market is expected to grow to $1.52 billion in 2009. By introducing virtualization products, 22% of the servers were virtualised in 2007 and this was expected to increase to 45% in 2008. “Virtualization will rise dramatically through 2010. More than 1.7 million servers will shipped for virtualisation activities resulting in 7.9 million logical servers. This represents 14.6 % of all physical servers in 2010,” Martin noted.

“The new enhancements to HP Data Protector, coupled with HP Software’s zero percent financing option, gives customers a flexible sourcing option to address their most critical pain areas,” said Avijit Basu, Business Head, Information Management, HP Software and Solutions India.

Talking about the go-to-market strategy for this software he said that HP would work directly with some big ticket account with specialised in house teams, and would work with partners like value added distributors, solution providers and independent software vendors to have better reach in the country.