Hitachi Data to acquire archive software firm

Hitachi Data Systems, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi, has agreed to acquire Archivas, an archive software company and existing partner.

Hitachi Data said Tuesday that it will use Archivas, a privately held company based in Waltham, Mass., to augment its content services. Archivas Cluster software allows for immediate access to protected, archived data, according to Hitachi Data.

"We are basically just combining the strength of Archivas technology around managing and searching unstructured data and the strength Hitachi has around structured data and common management. So together we will bring a lot of leverage from the structured data world and apply it to this chaotic world of unstructured data," Jack Domme, executive vice president of global solutions strategy and development for Hitachi Data. "This is the complement of two companies that have been working together for over a year now, both on the technology side and the sales side."

Hitachi Data introduced its Hitachi Content Archiver product with Archivas software last June. The product manages archived data that must remain active and accessible.

Archivas software is used by pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies for storing digital images and scientific data, and by hospitals that use handheld devices to store medical images, such as X-rays, that require instant retrieval. The company was launched in 2003.

Hitachi Data plans to use Archivas content archive software with its storage infrastructure to offer more-efficient enterprise-class solutions for data protection, Hitachi Data said. The deal fits into Hitachi Data's strategy to be more competitive in content management services, according to the company.

The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.