UPDATED 06:40 EDT / DECEMBER 20 2013

NEWS

IBM acquires Aspera to move ahead in Big Data and the Cloud

IBM has just bolstered its efforts in Big Data with the acquisition of Aspera, a company that specializes in large file transfer technology.

The acquisition will help IBM to boost its efforts in Big Data and cloud computing, as Aspera makes it easier for people to more large files of data through the cloud.

“With this acquisition, IBM addresses a key challenge for globally integrated enterprises by allowing them to move large data files much faster to the individuals who need them, wherever in the world they may be,” said John Mesberg, vice president of B2B and Commerce Solutions at IBM, in a statement.

This is obviously a crucial acquisition for IBM, as Aspera’s high-speed transfer technology reduces transmission times for large files or data sets by up to 99.9 percent. Aspera’s technology potentially cuts a 26 hour transfer of a 24 gigabyte file, sent halfway around the world, down to just 30 seconds.  This patented technology overcomes inherent bottlenecks in broadband wide area networks that slow the transfer of extremely large files, such as high-definition video or scientific research files, over distance.

The practical effect of the acquisition on the Big Data integration market is that it leaves relatively few independent vendors still in the game. Among them is Attunity, a Massachusetts-based company that makes data replication and loading software. Attunity Vice President of Marketing Lawrence Schwartz noted the challenge of Big Data data integration in on-premise-to-cloud scenarios.

“On-premises-to-cloud data transfer is backbreaking work, and solutions like Aspera’s and Attunity’s can improve performance by an order of magnitude. This deal could signal that major big data solution providers are starting to raise the ante in their cloud business units,” said Lawrence Schwartz, vice president of marketing at IBM partner Attunity.

IBM noted that Aspera’s technology could solve data problems across various industries and scenarios such as:

  • Life sciences organizations sharing genomic data in the quest to find the next medical breakthrough;

  • Media companies shortening production cycles or uploading hit television shows and blockbuster movies to popular consumer streaming services;

  • Gaming companies receiving the latest software build from third party developers to enable rapid game development;

  • Any individual within an enterprise trying to share and synchronise large files over distance between multiple devices such as a laptop, mobile phone or tablet.

“Our team has redefined how the world’s biggest data can be moved quickly, securely and reliably around the world,” said Michelle Munson, president and co-founder of Aspera, in a statement. “By tapping into IBM’s innovative capabilities and global resources, we will solve ever expanding data movement challenges for our customers now and in the future.”

Source: TechWeek Europe

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