IBM has acquired continuous data protection startup FilesX to add enterprise-class CDP to its storage software offerings.
FilesX, based in Newton, Mass., and Haifa, Israel, specializes in CDP and near real-time data and application recovery software for enterprises and remote and branch offices. Financial terms of the deal, which is expected to close shortly, were not disclosed.
Big Blue said FilesX’s block-based approach will complement IBM Tivoli Continuous Data Protection for Files, which is targeted at SMB customers and individual PC users. The FilesX technology will become part of the Tivoli Storage Manager (TSM) products line.
“The FilesX acquisition would complement IBM’s vision of enterprise data protection by adding critical capabilities for remote offices, delivering continuous data protection for applications and servers, and supporting business user needs with nearly instantaneous recovery of data,” Al Zollar, general manager of Tivoli software, said in a statement.
The Windows-based data protection software will also add “a simple and easy to use full data protection solution, one that also is attractive to enterprise remote offices and departmental situations,” he added.
FilesX offers recovery “from virtually any type of failure and from nearly any point in time,” IBM said, while its ease of use makes it attractive in environments where IT skills and budgets are limited.
FilesX minimizes the amount of data requiring backup by copying changed data only. Customers who want to add tape to their FilesX environment can back up their FilesX solution directly to TSM, and then TSM will take over tiered storage management of FilesX data to reduce costs and assimilate backup processing of all enterprise data, an approach IBM said many FilesX customers are already using in remote and branch offices or for specific mission-critical servers requiring continuous data protection.
IBM said it will now be able to offer “an end-to-end data protection solution from laptops to remote/branch offices, data centers and disaster recovery sites.”
FilesX has more than 100 customers in the U.S. and Israel in government, education, healthcare, financial services and manufacturing.
IBM said that beyond improved data and application protection, current TSM customers will see no change to their environment, product set or support.