EMC Buys Windows Storage Manager

EMC, the No. 1 maker of networked storage systems, last week bought storage-management software vendor Prisa Networks for $20 million and signed a deal to displace Hewlett-Packard systems at Celera Genomics Group.

The cash acquisition of Prisa, EMC's eighth in the past three years, lets EMC manage storage area networks that run in Windows environments. The deal gives EMC more credibility as an open storage-management software player, says Enterprise Storage Group analyst Nancy Marrone. Separately, EMC will supply Celera parent Applera Corp. with systems that replace those from Compaq, now part of HP. Analysts say the deal will add $15 million to EMC's third-quarter sales.