Data storage giant NetApp Inc. said today it’s expanding into the platform-as-a-service business after acquiring the open-source database startup Instaclustr Pty. Ltd. for an undisclosed price.

Instaclustr delivers fully managed versions of the most popular open-source databases to enterprises that don’t want to manage the software themselves. Its “open-source-as-a-service” platform provides hosting and support for a range of freely available software, including projects such as Apache Cassandra, Apache Kafka, Apache Spark, Apache Lucene and ScyllaDB.

Although those projects are all powerful, Instaclustr says, many enterprises don’t want to deal with the headaches of getting them set up and then keeping them up and running. Instaclustr takes care of these things for them, providing both the data capabilities and the infrastructure that companies require to scale those platforms.

NetApp, which delivers hybrid cloud data services and data management to enterprises, said it will fold Instaclustr into its CloudOps portfolio upon completion of the acquisition, which is subject to customary closing conditions.

Anthony Lye, executive vice president and general manager of NetApp, said in a blog post the deal is all about improving customer experiences by making it easier for them to install open-source software.

“The acquisition of Instaclustr is a strategic next step for NetApp; to do more for the customer, simplify the experience, continuously optimize and secure the platform so customers don’t have to do it themselves,” he wrote.

NetApp has been on something of an acquisition spree of late, buying companies such as Spot, CloudCheckr Inc. and, most recently, Fylamynt to expand its move into areas such as cybersecurity, cloud cost control and cloud automation. The acquisitions all fit with NetApp’s plan to evolve from legacy storage provider into something that’s more relevant for enterprises that manage most workloads in the cloud.

“With Cloud Hawk, Cloud Secure and CloudCheckr, we now deliver SecOps,” Lye said. “We deliver solutions for our customers’ most pressing cloud needs — scale, performance, speed, efficiency, security and cost.”

With regard to Instaclustr, Lye said, it will give NetApp a platform to run, optimize and secure multiple open-source databases, data pipelines and workloads. The plan is to create an open and extensible platform for customers available in both public and private clouds, he said, to empower application teams to build and deploy at greater speed.

“We’re in the optimization business now more than ever and our customers have everything to gain,” Lye added. “NetApp and Instaclustr will deliver our platform as a service for both public clouds and private clouds.”

Moor Insights & Strategy analyst Steve McDowell told SiliconANGLE that today’s deal is actually the sixth cloud-related acquisition NetApp has made in the past couple of years. He said he’s confident that Instaclustr will be a great addition to NetApp’s suite of cloud services. “It’s a respected product with good traction upon which to build,” he added.

The analyst said NetApp has so far shown that it’s more than capable of growing its business through acquisitions, even though it’s a strategy that has caused many other companies problems.

“Integrating cultures and products is difficult but NetApp’s leadership team seems up to the challenge,” McDowell continued. “NetApp is now several years into its cloud-first strategy and so far it is paying off. That segment is expanding with triple-digit growth and is becoming an important part of NetApp’s overall business. The Instaclustr acquisition further enhances those efforts.”

Holger Mueller of Constellation Research Inc. said the days when NetApp could just provide high-end storage hardware are long gone. Nowadays, its customers need to figure out how to move data across locations, between clouds and on-premises storage. “To do this, enterprises need data move automation and automation via workflows,” Mueller said. “So the acquisition of Instaclustr is a key one for NetApp.”

Instaclustr founder and Chief Technology Officer Ben Bromhead said the two companies will provide a “logical combination” for customers. “NetApp’s powerful infrastructure solutions pair perfectly with Instaclustr’s data-layer-as-a-service solutions and services,” he added.

In January, Bromhead appeared on SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio theCUBE, where he discussed his company’s services and ambitions in depth:

Image: NetApp