HP is to acquire LeftHand Networks, a provider of storage virtualisation and iSCSI storage area network (SAN) solutions, for $US360 million in cash

A pioneer of iSCSI SAN technology, LeftHand Networks software will be used to extends HP virtualisation solutions.with software that runs on both existing storage and industry-standard server hardware.

For certain virtualised environments, LeftHand Networks’ intelligent cloning technology is claimed to reduce the amount of disk space required for storage by up to 97 percent, while its thin provisioning features reduce power consumption by minimising the over-provisioning of storage.

It also offers data replication technology with bandwidth management and failover protection. This makes it ideal for backup and disaster recovery operations between remote offices and a central location.

“Joining with HP is a natural fit for our customers and channel partners, giving them an expanded portfolio of server, storage and networking products and services that are already supported by LeftHand Networks’ solutions,” said Bill Chambers, chief executive officer, LeftHand Networks.

“The combination of LeftHand Networks’ virtualization technologies with HP’s has the power to significantly accelerate server consolidation projects by making the deployment of shared storage much easier and more cost-effective.”