Interview: Veritas refreshes Backup Exec

Zardon · Jan 21, 2003, 05:51 PM

VERITAS SOFTWARE IS this week expected to launch Backup Exec 9.0, a new version of the software maker's venerable and profitable backup product, according to sources.

The upgrade helps complete a larger product refresh at Veritas that stretches from its core data backup and file system products to new areas such as managing Linux clusters and working with IBM's AIX operating system.

Meanwhile, the Mountain View, Calif.-based company has also been driving its strategy forward with the acquisitions last year of Precise Software and Jareva Technologies to help expand its management play further into the data center.

In an interview with IDG News Service correspondent Ashlee Vance, Veritas Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer Gary Bloom detailed his vision, which includes Linux and his company's goal to beat out the likes of Sun, HP, and IBM in the virtualization race as a couple of hot areas in 2003.

IDGNS: You have management products for a couple of new areas, such as Linux clusters running Oracle and SRM [ storage resource management]. Do you see either taking off this year?

Bloom: Linux fits in well with the idea that I can do more with less money and yet still get high availability and high performance. So I do think that will be a trend that has legs this year. I do think this will be a big year for Linux. I do think this will be an early year for the start of the migration of more intelligence into the network.

IDGNS: Veritas and BEA Systems are two third-party software vendors that have been closely tied to the fortunes of Sun's Solaris. Are you concerned that Sun and other OS vendors are bundling more management software in their operating systems?

Bloom: The one thing BEA does is offer like us some platform independence. They don't lead you into "Every application has to be a Sun application."

IDGNS: What's your view of server vendors such as IBM and HP that promote heterogeneous management?

Bloom: Having a heterogeneous console like HP OpenView is very different than writing heterogeneous storage software that is down in the operating system.

IDGNS: Don't you think that is the direction they are heading in?

Bloom: I think they all want to get there. They have to figure out how to build it, then figure out what it takes to make it heterogeneous ... how to tune it and optimize it for each of the platforms. Then, they have to figure out how to sell it.

IDGNS: Veritas, Sun, and IBM all made significant acquisitions of software makers at the end of 2002. Is there more to come?

Bloom: My belief in 2003 is that if we begin to see a reasonable level of market stability, you will see continued consolidation in the software industry. I think it is going to be a true year of consolidation.

IDGNS: What does the Precise acquisition give you?

Bloom: Precise does have some SRM technology in the Windows space that will be an incremental help to our SRM technology, and that's great.

IDGNS: If you add a software provisioning part to Jareva and your other management software, you seem to be talking about something similar to Sun's N1 or HP's utility data center type of technology.

Bloom: All the different forms of grid computing you've heard about today -- and everybody has a different name for it -- all assume that it's all Sun gear, all IBM gear, or it's all HP gear. [/i]Ashlee Vance [/i]

Jan 21, 2003, 05:51 PM	#1
Zardon DriverHeaven Founder Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 32,480 Rep Power: 179	Interview: Veritas refreshes Backup Exec VERITAS SOFTWARE IS this week expected to launch Backup Exec 9.0, a new version of the software maker's venerable and profitable backup product, according to sources. The upgrade helps complete a larger product refresh at Veritas that stretches from its core data backup and file system products to new areas such as managing Linux clusters and working with IBM's AIX operating system. Meanwhile, the Mountain View, Calif.-based company has also been driving its strategy forward with the acquisitions last year of Precise Software and Jareva Technologies to help expand its management play further into the data center. In an interview with IDG News Service correspondent Ashlee Vance, Veritas Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer Gary Bloom detailed his vision, which includes Linux and his company's goal to beat out the likes of Sun, HP, and IBM in the virtualization race as a couple of hot areas in 2003. IDGNS: You have management products for a couple of new areas, such as Linux clusters running Oracle and SRM [ storage resource management]. Do you see either taking off this year? Bloom: Linux fits in well with the idea that I can do more with less money and yet still get high availability and high performance. So I do think that will be a trend that has legs this year. I do think this will be a big year for Linux. I do think this will be an early year for the start of the migration of more intelligence into the network. IDGNS: Veritas and BEA Systems are two third-party software vendors that have been closely tied to the fortunes of Sun's Solaris. Are you concerned that Sun and other OS vendors are bundling more management software in their operating systems? Bloom: The one thing BEA does is offer like us some platform independence. They don't lead you into "Every application has to be a Sun application." IDGNS: What's your view of server vendors such as IBM and HP that promote heterogeneous management? Bloom: Having a heterogeneous console like HP OpenView is very different than writing heterogeneous storage software that is down in the operating system. IDGNS: Don't you think that is the direction they are heading in? Bloom: I think they all want to get there. They have to figure out how to build it, then figure out what it takes to make it heterogeneous ... how to tune it and optimize it for each of the platforms. Then, they have to figure out how to sell it. IDGNS: Veritas, Sun, and IBM all made significant acquisitions of software makers at the end of 2002. Is there more to come? Bloom: My belief in 2003 is that if we begin to see a reasonable level of market stability, you will see continued consolidation in the software industry. I think it is going to be a true year of consolidation. IDGNS: What does the Precise acquisition give you? Bloom: Precise does have some SRM technology in the Windows space that will be an incremental help to our SRM technology, and that's great. IDGNS: If you add a software provisioning part to Jareva and your other management software, you seem to be talking about something similar to Sun's N1 or HP's utility data center type of technology. Bloom: All the different forms of grid computing you've heard about today -- and everybody has a different name for it -- all assume that it's all Sun gear, all IBM gear, or it's all HP gear. [/i]Ashlee Vance [/i]