EMC boosts data archiving

Vendor scoops up another firm

EMC announced its second data management acquisition in five days in October with the purchase of report management software vendor Acartus. The move follows the storage giant’s proposed acquisition of data input specialist Captiva.

Speaking at EMC’s annual Momentum conference in Las Vegas, president of EMC software Dave DeWalt said the deals would give the company the ability to manage more unstructured data. Acartus’s technology helps firms archive unstructured information such as reports, print streams, statements and bills, while Captiva’s systems convert paper-based information into archivable digital content.

Eric Sheppard of analyst IDC said that integrating the acquired technologies with EMC’s Documentum content management software will move the vendor closer to its information lifecycle management vision of handling data from cradle to grave. “Integration is always a challenge [with acquisitions], but EMC can’t stand still,” he added.