This week, Pure Storage announced that it entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Compuverde. According to Pure Storage, the addition of Compuverde will expand Pure’s file-based storage capabilities, as well as its ability to support hybrid cloud deployments. Those are the basics, so let’s look at what all this means.
This is a move in the right direction, but only time will tell whether it is the right move for Pure.
There are very few things I know for certain. The future is often unpredictable. If there were two things, though, that I would be willing to bet almost any amount of money on, it would be:
- The immediate future of IT is hybrid cloud.
- That file storage is just as, if not more important than, block storage for modern businesses.
I doubt anyone out there disagrees with me on hybrid cloud, but here are some numbers. According to our research at ESG, 58% of IT organizations already leverage public cloud infrastructure services (IaaS). In other words, hybrid cloud is a present-day reality. Adding Compuverde’s software-defined architecture with its ability to span both on- and off-premises infrastructure should strengthen Pure’s portfolio and broaden the deployment options Pure offers its customers.
As for the importance of file, think about all the emerging trends in IT; big data, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things (IoT). All of these trends involve extracting value out of a company’s file-based data.
Given the direction of IT, Pure bolstering its technology portfolio with more cloud and file capabilities is a smart move. The question is whether this is the right move.
To answer that question, only time will tell, but here are a couple signs to watch for in the coming years.
- No compromising for customers: Pure Storage’s success has been built, not just on the capabilities of its products, but also with how the company packages and delivers those products as part of a larger solution experience. Pure’s Evergreen program and its Pure1 software, for example, all enhance the experience surrounding Pure’s all-flash array products. Finding success with Compuverde’s technology I expect will require Pure to extend these types of services to Compuverde’s technology as well. Ideally, Pure should want Compuverde’s technology to feel like part of the Pure family.
- Building one family: Speaking of family, culture plays a huge role in whether acquisitions become successful. Pure has built a strong internal culture, and the company should seek to extend its culture to the Compuverde team. Although based in Sweden, the distance might pose a challenge. If I were at Pure, I would want at least half the Compuverde engineers wearing Pure-colored orange socks by 90 days after the acquisition. If the cultural integration goes well, the acquisition will go well.
It’s an exciting time for Pure. And while time will tell if this was a smart move, it is in the right direction. I am excited to see how it plays out.
