In a move toward the convergence of remote management and backup, wide area file services (WAFS) specialist Tacit Networks is set to announce the acquisition of remote backup firm Mobiliti next week, according to sources.
“It’s cool,” said Steve Duplessie, founder and senior analyst at Enterprise Strategy Group. “The whole point of Tacit is to help people get remote offices backed up, because IT doesn’t do it today. But with Mobiliti, they take it a step farther and back up the remote person too. Road warriors unite!”
WAFS and WAN optimization has been a hot market over the last year, with Cisco, HP, Brocade, Juniper and others making big moves into the space. WAFS speeds file access, while WAN optimization boosts network traffic. Tacit is expected to combine WAN optimization with its WAFS products soon too.
Mobiliti’s Network/Unplugged and Continuity@Work products will add backup and file synchronization to Tacit’s WAFS arsenal, giving IT departments worried about remote and mobile workers another option.
Next week promises to be a busy one for the storage industry. In addition to Tacit’s announcement, several vendors will be unveiling new products. Also, EMC will announce its quarterly results on Tuesday, and on Thursday the storage giant plans to unveil “several new, innovative EMC solutions that simplify and extend the benefits of information lifecycle management (ILM).”