The company claims it's going to really haul ass with version 2.0 of its software suite, due out in June, which will add automation and policy-based management features. CEO Dave Lemont says its CIM-based platform allows AppIQ to concentrate on higher-level features, unlike other storage resource management (SRM) players that must spend a considerable amount of time and effort writing (and maintaining) device-specific code. For example, now that AppIQ has a formula down, one of its engineers took just four weeks to write a CIM provider for EMC Corp.'s (NYSE: EMC) Clariion storage line, a process that used to take up to three months for other devices, the company claims.
Founded in July 2001, AppIQ has pulled in $20 million to date, looking nicely set on the funding front (see AppIQ Scoops Loot). Its management team appears to have the technology and business acumen to fire on all cylinders. CTO Ashutosh was previously senior VP of advanced technology at StorageNetworks Inc. (Nasdaq: STOR) [ed. note: he got out just in time!] and before that founded Blue Spruce Networks, a small virtualization switch company bought by Pirus Networks (which was itself bought by Sun Microsystems Inc. [Nasdaq: SUNW]). Lemont, a recent recruit, has a long history of selling enterprise software at Revit Technology Corp. (bought by Autodesk Inc.), Concentra Corp. (bought by Oracle Corp. [Nasdaq: ORCL]), and Electronic Data Systems Corp. (EDS) (bought by no one, so far).
Can AppIQ stay in the game? The cards are falling so far for the CIM posse!
Dipping one spot is storage services startup GlassHouse Technologies Inc., which is still racking up customers and hiring more staff (see GlassHouse Hires Sales SVP, GlassHouse Hires Sales Guy, and GlassHouse Breaks Into NYC).
In our opinion, the timing for an independent storage services company is perfect. Theres been a mountain of investment in new technology, which has to be integrated with legacy equipment; the economy still sucks, which means businesses cant afford to invest in new gear and so need help making better use of what they have; and new standards like iSCSI and CIM often leave customers in a tangle when they make impulse purchases without knowing exactly what they are buying.
To realize the benefits of cloud-native software, an application must actually be cloud-native—designed to run in the cloud, interacting with disaggregated cloud services, fully manageable as code—to deliver the expected benefits.
By combining resources and expertise, the AI-Enabled ICT Workforce Consortium will offer a blueprint for how industries can adapt to an AI-dominated future.
IT leaders should heed the guidance of cybersecurity insurance providers who think businesses should prioritize security education, incident preparedness, regular internal audits, and ongoing vulnerability scanning and patching.
