Hitachi Data Systems, provider of Application Optimized Storage™ solutions and wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi Ltd (NYSE: HIT), announced a partnership with GlassHouse Technologies, Inc., whereby the companies will offer an expanded suite of business consulting and implementation services to customers in North America and the United Kingdom. This partnership will further enable Hitachi Data Systems to help organizations realize the benefits of Application Optimized Storage solutions, including reduced costs and enhanced efficiencies of their storage infrastructure.
”GlassHouse has built its reputation on helping clients align strategic business initiatives such as cost reduction, compliance and disaster recovery with the ability to acquire, deploy and manage top-class storage infrastructures,” said Jack Domme, senior vice president, Global Solutions Strategy and Development, at Hitachi Data Systems. “This expertise is critical to our customer base and when combined with our leading edge technology, gives customers a comprehensive solution that will help them immediately meet their most important strategic business objectives.”
Cummins Inc. recently experienced the benefits of working with both GlassHouse and Hitachi Data Systems when the company needed to assess its data protection strategy. Cummins Inc., based in Columbus, Indiana, is an $8.4 billion corporation of complementary business units that design, manufacture, distribute and service engines and related technologies, including fuel systems, controls, air handling, filtration, emission solutions and electrical power generation systems.
“The regulatory and business climates have transformed data into a sensitive strategic asset that has to be carefully maintained and closely guarded. At the same time, we have to work within budgets,” said Bruce Smith, Cummins Inc.’s director of computing services. “GlassHouse and Hitachi Data Systems gave us the guidance we needed to manage our backup systems as a coherent whole. We now have a much better idea of whether we’re using the appropriate resources at every level to get the maximum value from our data storage and backup investments.”
GlassHouse gives companies a coherent view of their data management procedures and plans the infrastructures for strategically managing data to contain cost, increase profits and meet regulatory requirements. The company provides consulting on data protection and recovery; storage management; storage business practices; and support services. Respondents to a Gartner study recently ranked GlassHouse in the top three of the world’s leading data storage management companies for the second year in a row. (Source: Gartner “Market Trends: Storage Professional Services, North America, 2005”. The report was published on September 21, 2005.)
“Companies need specialized storage, backup and recovery expertise and many of them cannot meet that need internally,” said Adam Couture, principal analyst at Gartner, Inc. “They have to audit and document a host of procedures that used to run innocuously in the background, but that are now subjected to scrutiny as part of regulatory compliance. They’re under market pressure to open their stored data up to more internal and external users. At the same time, they’re under legal liability pressure to keep it secure. Most companies could benefit from detached, objective external analysis to determine their exact requirements and how to address them.”
GlassHouse President and CEO Mark Shirman believes the relationship will deliver true business value to customers. “GlassHouse has carved out an independent role over the past four years providing companies such as Hitachi Data Systems with knowledgeable outside consultative services they can offer their customers,” commented Shirman. “Building on this experience we can now partner with industry leaders like Hitachi Data Systems to increase our market reach. Our success in both of these areas demonstrates that customers and vendors are looking at more than just a technology solution for their infrastructure challenges.”
The expanded services team is currently in place and working on multiple client engagements. For more information about how Hitachi Data Systems is helping organizations optimize their storage infrastructure please visit the company’s website at www.hds.com.
About GlassHouse Technologies, Inc.
GlassHouse is the leading provider of independent services that help organizations solve the business problems of enterprise storage. From strategy through implementation, operations and customer support, GlassHouse partners with clients to achieve predictability and manageability in storage operations, enabling cost control, risk mitigation and increased service levels. GlassHouse clients include UBS, Exxon Mobil, Charles Schwab, Virgin Mobile, and The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America. More information about GlassHouse is available at www.glasshouse.com.
About Hitachi Data Systems
Hitachi Data Systems leverages global R&D resources to develop storage solutions built on industry-leading technology with the performance, availability and scalability to maximize customers’ ROI and minimize their risk. By focusing on the customer’s perspective as we apply the best hardware, software, and services from Hitachi and our partners, we uniquely satisfy our customers’ business needs. With approximately 2,900 employees, Hitachi Data Systems conducts business through direct and indirect channels in the public, government and private sectors in over 170 countries and regions. Its customers include more than 50 percent of Fortune 100 companies. For more information, please visit our Web site at http://www.hds.com.
About Hitachi, Ltd.
Hitachi, Ltd., (NYSE: HIT), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a leading global electronics company with approximately 347,000 employees worldwide. Fiscal 2004 (ended March 31, 2005) consolidated sales totaled 9,027.0 billion yen ($84.4 billion). The company offers a wide range of systems, products and services in market sectors including information systems, electronic devices, power and industrial systems, consumer products, materials and financial services. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company’s website at http://www.hitachi.com.
