Hitachi Data Systems (HDS) Australia plans to target the media, entertainment and telecommunications markets with digital storage options following the acquisition of network-attached storage (NAS) vendor, BlueArc.
Bringing BlueArc into the fold has meant HDS can work with BlueArc's customers such as Australian post-production rendering houses. According to HDS ANZ country manager, Neville Vincent, media and telecommunication companies are looking to shift from tape libraries to digital storage.
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"For us, the acquisition [of BlueArc] is augmenting what we are going to market with," he said. "We’ve been taking to market the ability to integrate into post production houses, broadcasters and content owners. It’s around the convergence of analog tape-based media, digitising that content and then monetising it through different mechanisms."
According to Vincent, tape based content is a "very inefficient" storage method for production houses.
“They have to fly tapes around the world and the tape media degrades over time," he said. "As the rollout of the National Broadband Network continues and more Australians get high speed access, companies want to digitise content and then offer it through IPTV or internet subscriptions."
BlueArc's two Australian staff members have been moved to the Hitachi office in North Ryde, Sydney with no plans to hire more BlueArc staff at this stage.
"Both companies are seeing significant growth rates and we have met with a number of BlueArc customers to explain the transition," he said.
Vincent added that HDS wants to use the BlueArc offerings to grow ANZ market share.
"Eventually we want to hold more than 25 per cent market share [in ANZ] and have customer relationship qualities that are very high," Vincent said.
In addition to targeting media and entertainment sectors, HDS is going after the education, healthcare and finance sectors.
"When you look at the market place in ANZ, those sectors make up 75 per cent of the market," he said. "The acquisition of BlueArc, which has been a very strong player in the storage marketplace, fits directly into our strategy."
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