Company:DataGravity

From HandWiki
DataGravity Inc.
TypePrivate limited company
IndustryIndustry data management, Security software
FateAssets acquired by HyTrust
Founded2012; 12 years ago (2012)
FounderPaula Long
John Joseph
Headquarters
USA
Area served
Worldwide

DataGravity Inc. was an American industry data management company, which produced security software. The company was founded in April 2012 by Paula Long and John Joseph.[1][2]

DataGravity announced its first products at VMworld in 2014. It won Best of Show, and New Technology awards for the event.[3][2] It began shipping their first products in October 2014.[4]

The company focused on protection and security of the data stored on the array,[5] and named this new type of storage as data-aware storage.[6] It publicly changed its product strategy in February 2016[7][8] from data storage appliances to a software solution focused on behavioral data security.[9] This product strategy change resulted in multiple rounds of layoffs.[10][11][12]

Fate

Multiple reports use conflicting terminology about the final fate of the company.[13][14][15]

Some reports say HyTrust acquired DataGravity.[16][17][18]

Other reports, including a press release issued by HyTrust itself, say HyTrust acquired the assets of DataGravity after it was signed over to a liquidator.[19][20][21]

HyTrust told Fortune that founder and CEO Paula Long left DataGravity a few weeks before the transaction was announced, and that co-founder John Joseph left some time before that.[22]

According to some reports, DataGravity ceased day-to-day operations in June 2017, when it cancelled employee benefit plans and signed the company over to liquidator Barry Kallander of the Kallander Group.[23][24][25] In one such report, correspondence from DataGravity President Barry Kallander states "The corporation was not sold - the assets of the company were....Unfortunately the common shares are worthless."[26]

Conversely, DataGravity CTO David Siles was quoted as saying the company "did not shut down",[27] and that the transaction "wasn't a fire sale. We were acquired because we complete a vision, add value, have customers who love what we do. Together we will offer a very compelling offering to the marketplace solving very pressing needs for many enterprises."[28]

Approximately 20 former DataGravity employees joined HyTrust to support DataGravity's product integration, led by former DataGravity CTO David Siles.[29]

DataGravity's products remain a part of HyTrust's portfolio under its CloudAdvisor suite.[30]

References

  1. "EXCLUSIVE: Paula Long's New $42 Million Startup Is An Ingenious Way To Do Big Data" (in en). Business Insider. http://www.businessinsider.com/exclusive-paula-longs-new-42-million-startup-is-an-ingenius-way-to-do-big-data-2013-3. 
  2. 2.0 2.1 "Data storytelling offers a new approach to storage, says DataGravity founders" (in en). TechRepublic. https://www.techrepublic.com/article/data-storytelling-offers-a-new-approach-to-storage-says-datagravity-founders/. 
  3. "TechTarget's SearchServerVirtualization.com Announces "Best of VMworld" 2014 Award Winners - TechTarget" (in en-US). TechTarget. http://www.techtarget.com/press-release/techtargets-searchservervirtualization-com-announces-best-of-vmworld-2014-award-winners/. 
  4. Burke, Steven (2014-09-11). "DataGravity's Data-Aware Storage Appliance Is Winning Over Customers, Partners" (in en). CRN. http://www.crn.com/news/storage/300074006/datagravitys-data-aware-storage-appliance-is-winning-over-customers-partners.htm. 
  5. Stengel, Geri. "Growing Companies BIG Isn't Just For The Boys" (in en). Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/geristengel/2014/04/23/growing-companies-big-isnt-just-for-the-boys/#771b7d5f779a. 
  6. "EqualLogic Founders' Startup DataGravity Launches First Data-Aware Storage Product". Data Center Knowledge. 2014-08-19. http://www.datacenterknowledge.com/archives/2014/08/19/datagravity-data-aware-storage. 
  7. "DataGravity To Drop Storage Hardware Business" (in en). Fortune. http://fortune.com/2016/03/14/datagravity-pulls-plug-hardware/. 
  8. "DataGravity moves away from arrays to become a virtualised data guardian" (in en). https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/01/16/datagravity_become_virtualised_data_guardian/. 
  9. "DataGravity Adds Behavior-Driven Data Management To Veeam Environments | StorageReview.com - Storage Reviews" (in en). 2017-05-17. http://www.storagereview.com/datagravity_adds_behaviordriven_data_management_to_veeam_environments. 
  10. "DataGravity falls to Earth, cuts exec post, lays off staff" (in en). https://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/02/08/datagravity_falls_to_earth/. 
  11. "Storage Security Startup DataGravity Cuts Jobs" (in en). Fortune. http://fortune.com/2016/02/08/datagravity-cuts-jobs/. 
  12. "DataGravity axes gear, sheds staff as it pulls away from black hole" (in en). https://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/03/15/datagravity_layoffs_and_regrouping/. 
  13. "HyTrust and DataGravity - HyTrust" (in en-US). HyTrust. https://www.hytrust.com/hytrust-and-datagravity/. [yes|permanent dead link|dead link}}]
  14. "Xconomy: DataGravity Snapped Up by HyTrust After Struggles and Layoffs" (in en-US). Xconomy. 2017-07-11. https://www.xconomy.com/boston/2017/07/11/datagravity-snapped-up-by-hytrust-after-struggles-and-layoffs/. 
  15. "Like Newton's apple, startup DataGravity lands with a thud - Storage Soup" (in en). http://searchstorage.techtarget.com/blog/Storage-Soup/Like-Newtons-apple-startup-DataGravity-lands-with-a-thud. 
  16. "This Computer Security Firm Scored More Funding and Data Security Smarts" (in en). Fortune. http://fortune.com/2017/07/11/hytrust-funding-data-security/. 
  17. "DataGravity swallowed by mystery buyer" (in en). https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/07/05/datagravity_acquisition/. 
  18. "DataGravity's mystery buyer rips off mask: It's HyTrust" (in en). https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/07/11/datagravity_bought_by_hytrust/. 
  19. "HyTrust and DataGravity - HyTrust" (in en-US). HyTrust. https://www.hytrust.com/hytrust-and-datagravity/. [yes|permanent dead link|dead link}}]
  20. "Like Newton's apple, startup DataGravity lands with a thud - Storage Soup" (in en). http://searchstorage.techtarget.com/blog/Storage-Soup/Like-Newtons-apple-startup-DataGravity-lands-with-a-thud. 
  21. "The Lord saw that man was wicked and sent a flood of storage news" (in en). https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/07/18/storage_news_roundup. 
  22. "This Computer Security Firm Scored More Funding and Data Security Smarts" (in en). Fortune. http://fortune.com/2017/07/11/hytrust-funding-data-security/. 
  23. "DataGravity swallowed by mystery buyer" (in en). https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/07/05/datagravity_acquisition/. 
  24. "The Lord saw that man was wicked and sent a flood of storage news" (in en). https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/07/18/storage_news_roundup. 
  25. "Like Newton's apple, startup DataGravity lands with a thud - Storage Soup" (in en). http://searchstorage.techtarget.com/blog/Storage-Soup/Like-Newtons-apple-startup-DataGravity-lands-with-a-thud. 
  26. "The Lord saw that man was wicked and sent a flood of storage news" (in en). https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/07/18/storage_news_roundup/. 
  27. "DataGravity swallowed by mystery buyer" (in en). https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/07/05/datagravity_acquisition/. 
  28. "DataGravity's mystery buyer rips off mask: It's HyTrust" (in en). https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/07/11/datagravity_bought_by_hytrust/. 
  29. "Enterprise Cloud News - HyTrust Acquires DataGravity & Grabs $36M Funding for Cloud Security". http://www.enterprisecloudnews.com/mobile/author.asp?section_id=570&doc_id=734432. 
  30. "HyTrust rekindles DataGravity analytics for multicloud storage - Storage Soup" (in en). http://searchstorage.techtarget.com/blog/Storage-Soup/HyTrust-rekindles-DataGravity-analytics-for-multicloud-storage.