NetApp Acquiring Bycast For Object-Based Storage

NetApp has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Vancouver, British Columbia-based Bycast for an undisclosed amount. The acquisition is expected to close next month.

Bycast develops object-based storage technology which allows data, particularly unstructured data, to be stored based on object names and metadata which describes the content, said Jay Kidd, senior vice president of product strategy and development for NetApp's Storage Solutions group.

With object-based storage, data can be stored and accessed without customers worrying about where and how they are stored, Kidd said.

While Bycast has been developing its technology with a focus on the medical vertical market, Kidd said the acquisition is not a vertical application move for NetApp because the technology can be applied to a wide range of markets and business partners.

"Bycast originally focused on health care," he said. "But we have more resources, and will expand the opportunities for the technology."

For NetApp, the Bycast object-based storage technology is just another way to store data, albeit one that has a lot of built-in sophistication, Kidd said.

The Bycast technology will eventually find its way to NetApp's channel partners after the acquisition closes, Kidd said.

"Before the close, we will need to look at the skill sets of our partners to see if we need to add anything," he said. "Where and how its sold, we will sort it out gradually, as this is a new product set for us."